Plans for revamping Metropolitan Park have been revealed, inspired by traditional basket-weaving.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The latest round of concepts for revamping Metropolitan Park tout a design inspired by the Gullah Geechee tradition of basket-weaving in how the layout would bring together different pieces of Met Park at the end of a chain of new parks in downtown Jacksonville.
The Gullah Geechee inspiration highlighted by posters at an open house about the park might not be evident to people strolling through the park when the makeover is finished in a few years.
What they will find is a park that puts a heavier emphasis on nature than two new downtown parks — Riverfront Plaza and Shipyards West Park — will feature.
City parks director Daryl Joseph said the goal has been to design the three parks so each is different in terms of of character and amenities but they all fit together as a group.
“That was important for us to make sure that these weren’t cookie cutter parks, to make sure that all of them had a different fabric to them but ultimately weave together,” he said at the open house in the Main Library on Sept. 11.
He said the concept for Met Park has been shaped by extensive public feedback about what features people want to have at it.
“The resilience factor has been a huge component,” he said. “Shade has been a huge component. And then basically having an open space that’s available for festivals as well as large events. So I think we checked the boxes on all of those.”
The proposed concept features four types of space at the park.
An area called Tailgate Plaza will have “large flexible spaces and more intimate garden moments” including water fountains and a hill in the play area. The space would be available for events such as evening movies or game-day gatherings with a band and food trucks.
Another section branded The Ramble will allow exploration of “Jacksonville’s wild landscapes” with a series of paths, logs and boards to walk through a natural setting where the park’s large live oaks trees have been preserved.
The center of Met Park will be the Performance Lawn that’s able to host large concerts and various sports events. The lawn will have more visibility from Bay Street than it does now.
The fourth area called Resilient River Edge will be a “vast naturalized landscape that sits below a weaving system of boardwalks, elevated walks, seating areas and an expanded community dock,” according to the description at the open house.
“This ‘sponge’ landscape helps protect the park during large storm events and becomes a place to experience nature,” the city says.
Joseph said the open house is the final step in getting feeback from the community abut what the final layout and design will look like.
“Any additional comments that we receive today, we’ll bake those into that concept and then we’ll start moving forward to the design phase,” he said.
The city currently is building Riverfront Plaza on the former site of the Jacksonville Landing. Next up for construction will be Shipyards West Park that is midway between Riverfront Plaza and Met Park. An extension of the riverwalk will connect the parks.
The city’s proposed 2025-26 budget contains $54.7 million of the $74.7 million needed for Shipyards West Park. The proposed budget includes $20.3 million toward the $74.7 million Riverfront Plaza. The city will have $12 million available in fall 2026 for construction at Met Park.
Joseph said for people who have gone to Met Park since it opened in the 1980s, they’ll find the redesign blends new features into the park’s legacy.
“I think success looks like having a combination of both — a combination of those great memories that you’ve had of Met Park from years past, but also understanding that you’re in a new space that is shaded, that is welcoming,” he said. “The other piece that to me is really important, too, is making sure that we deliver something that’s a park for everybody.”
Editor’s note: This story was first published by our news partners, The Florida Times-Union.