Preliminary design is underway on the 2.3-mile Riverside Link that will connect Riverside to North Riverside and McCoys Creek. The trail also will link to the Southbank Riverwalk and San Marco, via the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) shared-use path across the Fuller Warren Bridge.
The Riverside Link is the first Emerald Trail segment to be constructed under the three-way partnership between Groundwork, the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority through funding from the Local Option Gas Tax ($132M) and a pending $147M Federal transportation grant.
Design partners are HDR and SCAPE Landscape Architecture. Design will continue through 2025 with construction expected to begin in 2026. Below are renderings of the Emerald Trail Riverside Link designed by SCAPE.
Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds in conjunction with the J. Wayne Weaver Fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida are the lead investors in the Emerald Trail Riverside Link. The Weavers' $1 million grant announced earlier this year is Groundwork Jacksonvilleā€™s largest single private donation in its 10-year history.Ā The donation is part of Delores Barr Weaverā€™s Legacy 2024 grantmaking plan, funded by a $61 million new gift to her donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation.
The James M. Cox Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cox Enterprises, parent company of Cox Automotive, awarded Groundwork Jacksonville a $500,000 grant to help fund the design of the Riverside Link, and the S-Line Connector.
A spur connection along Riverside Avenue will connect the Artist Walk at the Northbank Riverwalk to Memorial Park. The Rotary Clubsā€™ Partnership, representing 1,400 members locally, will be the presenting sponsor of this half-mile section of the Riverside Link.