As designs for the incoming Shipyards West Park near completion, the community had an opportunity to weigh in on the latest round of updates.
Several renderings of the proposed park, planned for the riverfront space on East Bay Street, were displayed at Nov. 6 open house hosted by the City of Jacksonville. It was held at the Jacksonville Public Library Main Branch.
One of the prominent features of the new design is a two-story gallery and event pavilion proposed for the west side of the property near the Fire Museum and USS Orleck Naval Museum. Plans for the first floor propose a café, restrooms, gallery and ticket booth for the USS Orleck Naval Museum to replace the modular building currently in use. The second floor could be used as an events space for weddings and corporate functions.
While 90% of the design has been completed, some attendees of the open house hope there is still time to make some changes. Upon reviewing the renderings and diagrams, Jim Fossa, ship manager for the USS Orleck Naval Museum, had some questions about the latest vision for the park, particularly where access to the pier and ship is concerned: The ramps that allow visitors to gain access to the pier and the USS Orleck were not listed on the latest renderings. A row of trees occupies the space where the ramps and ticket booth currently sit near the pier.
An aerial view of what Shipyards West Park could look like by the end of 2028, the estimated completion date for Jacksonville’s newest riverfront park.
“How are people going to get on and off the ship? Where are they going to park? What are we going to do during construction?” said Fossa.
While changes are being made to the area during the design process, the design team is willing to work with stakeholders to make things right.
“There will most likely be some changes to the site,” said Gina Ford, lead designer for the project and co-founder of Agency Landscape and Planning. “We will be talking with the Orleck about how change happens and when. The hope is that it stays there and is incorporated into the new park and we can work together.”
In this model, the small, white rectangleat the edge of the boardwalkis the only recognition of the USS Orleck Naval Museumand the infrastructure in place to allow access to the ship.
The City is planning on breaking ground on the project next spring and will coordinate with current stakeholders as the project progresses.
“There is going to be a construction manager brought on board in the spring and they will be working with us, the design team, to make sure we stay on budget and understand feasibility. Part of their charge will be phasing and working with stakeholders to plan for what happens during construction,” said Ford.
The City has dedicated $54.7 million for the park in 2025/26 fiscal budget, and $5 million in the following year’s budget. Total cost for the project is estimated at $74.7 million by the City, adding $15 million that was previously set aside for the park.
While the design phase may be drawing to a close for the Shipyards West Park, people are still bringing ideas to the table for the next big step for downtown.
One of the diagrams allowed guests to place anchors to reflect their feedback on design elements(blue anchors were elements they liked; white anchors denoted elements they did not).
Stephen Jorgensen attended the open house to see what the park had to offer and talk to people about moving the sail structure of the USS Jacksonville, the only vessel of the U.S. Navy to be named for Jacksonville, Fla., to the First Coast. The USS Jacksonville was a nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class attack submarine.
“It would be great to bring it here alongside the Orleck,” said Jorgensen.
Bill Hoff, Scenic Jacksonville’s interim board president, was impressed with how responsive the process has been to public comment.
“It’s improved from the initial design. It looks like they have incorporated elements from community feedback,” said Hoff.
Scenic Jacksonville Executive Director Nancy Powell liked the design, but could do without the sand features, the beach between piers three and four and the grill area and sand volleyball court.
“There’s too much sand. I see what they are trying to do, but it just presents too many problems: sand is hot, leaves and other debris can collect in the sand and pets use the sand,” said Powell.