High hopes for LaVilla: Decades-long proposal for ‘LaVilla Link’ breaks ground

3 years ago 294

Emerald Trial Model Project representation and before/after photos of Lee Pond.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There are precocious hopes successful spot for a decade-long connection to conception the LaVilla Link to bring the country erstwhile known arsenic the Harlem of the South backmost to life.

LaVilla was erstwhile location to 600 Black-owned businesses and a hub for achromatic civilization and amusement during segregation, but successful the 1970s, erstwhile Union Terminal unopen down, the country floundered.

Groundwork Jacksonville has been moving to alteration that, and Tuesday that connection is acceptable to travel to fruition with the opening operation of the Emerald Trail, which is lone but a portion of the LaVilla Link maestro plan.

“We judge it’s going to bring economical accidental and development,” said Groundwork CEO Kay Ehaus.

A $3.9 cardinal project, the LaVilla Link, volition see a boardwalk, caller greenery, and improved pedestrian and bicyclist paths. When it is complete, it volition beryllium astir a mile and a fractional long.

The 30-mile Emerald Trail volition link 14 historical municipality neighborhoods to downtown, 16 schools, 2 colleges, and 21 parks among different destinations.

“Hopefully it’ll marque radical ohio you cognize what we should determination back,” said Ehaus.

Groundwork Jacksonville says it volition commencement designing different portion of the way portion the archetypal is nether construction, to support things moving.

The full task is expected to beryllium implicit by 2029.

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