Jacksonville, Florida – April 22, 2024 — The award-winning landscape architecture and urban design firm Civitas has been chosen by Jacksonville, Florida’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department to redesign Metropolitan Park, part of the $1.1B redevelopment of the North Riverfront that runs along the St. Johns River.
Metropolitan Park is a 15-acre urban waterfront that serves as a multi-purpose, family oriented park. The location of Metropolitan Park is key in the redesign, as it is a prime site for some of Jacksonville’s most beloved festivities that the revitalization aims to re-energize. Maximizing its appeal as a year-round destination, the renovated park will align itself with TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the highly anticipated Four Seasons Jacksonville, currently being developed by Jaguars owner Shad Khan.
Metropolitan Park is recognized as a performance epicenter with a rich history of hosting major local events including the Jacksonville Music Festival and Jacksonville Jazz Festival. The park has also served as the backdrop for local public media organization WJCT for decades, and will continue to be a recognizable symbol of music and the arts in Jacksonville. Civitas’ work will renew and strengthen the park’s year-round energy for these and many other activities and events, while enhancing its purpose and appeal as an everyday destination for outdoor recreation and connection to the river.
Critical to Civitas’ design process is an active community engagement process, which kicked off with the first public meeting on April 17, attended by more than 80 people. Formatted like an open house event rather than a formal presentation, the intent of this first gathering was to hear what the community needs and wants; to share the project’s initial guiding principles and ask Jacksonville community members to offer input about their past experiences with Metropolitan Park and their priorities for its future. Scott Jordan, Principal at Civitas, participated in the public meeting and invited attendees to share feedback in person and in an online survey. The survey, which will remain open through May 1, launched on April 10 and quickly received over 200 responses, signaling the public’s growing awareness and enthusiasm for this project.
“As the eastern anchor and most heavily programmed space along the north riverfront, Metropolitan Park plays a critical role in the larger parks system. We are honored to partner with the City, key stakeholders, and the community to further activate the park, enhance its design, and expand its purpose and meaning for all residents and visitors to Jacksonville,” said Jordan.
The full scope of the project will be completed in multiple phases beginning in 2024. The redesign of Metropolitan Park aims to integrate the abundant open space, to establish space for intentional use for events and performances, and to serve as an example of both sustainable and functional design.
