Jacksonville Riverwalk
The Jacksonville Riverwalks are a connection of multiple use trails and open space developments along the north and south banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The Downtown Northbank portion of the Riverwalks travels alongside places such as the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville, a 19-story high-rise hotel that is known to be the largest hotel in Northern Florida. It also travels along Jacksonville Landing, which is a festival marketplace located in Downtown Jacksonville, and the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, a performing arts center with a theater, concert hall, and recital hall that opened in September of 1962.
Along the Southbank portion of the Riverwalks one can see landmarks such as the Friendship Fountain, which was the world’s largest and tallest fountain when it opened in 1965 and remains one of Jacksonville’s most popular attractions, and the Museum of Science and History, which specializes in science and local history exhibits and is Jacksonville’s most visited museum. Also along the Southbank Riverwalk is Riverplace Tower, a 28-floor building that was the tallest in the state of Florida during the time of its construction in 1967.
On November 8th, 1985, the first section of the Riverwalk opened on the Downtown Southbank, and it was intended to be a venue where tourists and Jacksonville residents could view the beauty of the St. Johns River and the skyline of the city. This walk was designed to be a festive waterfront public area that linked the Friendship Fountain to what is now River City Brewing Co. with hotels and offices east of the Main Street Bridge. Some projects that were meant for the riverwalk were scaled back though, such as the St. Johns Wharf which was expected to be an outdoor marketplace adjacent to the Wyndham Hotel. While a few shops did end up being built along the riverwalk, the wharf wasn’t ever fully constructed.
Other projects were scaled back as well such as the construction of four outdoor pavilions, which only ended up being two; and The Ship Museum, a museum that was supposed to include floating ship exhibits and emphasize the relationship between the city and the St. Johns River, which was scaled back to the Jacksonville Maritime Museum that is now closed. Some projects were discarded altogether, such as The Grove, which was supposed to be a raised outdoor seating area under the shade of palm trees, and an aquarium that would have shown off the local freshwater and saltwater marine life. A Great Lawn, which would have been used as a park for recreational and relaxation purposes would have also been built.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in January of 2005 to present the opening of an extension to the Northbank Riverwalk. The project cost the city about $8.7 million and took almost two years to complete. This new extension connects the existing Northbank Riverwalk to Riverside Avenue and features things like historical lighting, benches, and water fountains. The Northbank Riverwalk now runs from the Fuller Warren Bridge to the former Shipyards owned by the city of Jacksonville, and there are plans to continue extending it.