JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Goodbye “Park Place,” hello “Friendship Fountain.”
Creators of one the world’s most popular board games, Monopoly, announced the launch of a special edition dedicated to Jacksonville. And the best part is the community will be able to give their input in the creation process.
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Top Trumps USA and Visit Jacksonville President & CEO Michael Corrigan announced the launch of “MONOPOLY: Jacksonville Edition” during a special ceremony Thursday at the visitor center downtown.
“Any chance to broadcast Jacksonville and advertise Jacksonville in unique different ways, we’re always excited to do that. And we’re really happy they’re choosing Jacksonville as one of their cities,” Corrigan said.
Lindsay Wallace, Top Trumps USA sales executive, explained the criteria they follow when it comes to choosing cities for their special editions.
“We look for sweet spots in the United States and Jacksonville just happened to be the next one on our list. We look for places with local pride, history and great community ties,” Wallace said.
The announcement came a day after Jacksonville was listed in a Forbes Advisor’s study as the worst place for a summer vacation. But Corrigan said the fact that Jacksonville is getting its own board game shows how great of a community it is.
“I don’t think Monopoly would go to the worst communities in the country to do a game. So, I think that speaks volumes on the better side of the survey. I mean, we scored 100, and there are surveys every day, some we do great in and some we don’t, don’t do as well, but we’re super excited about this opportunity,” Corrigan said.
Liz McCoy, James Weldon Johnson Park executive director, said once the board game is out for sale, they will be hosting “Monopoly Mondays” at the park for the community to attend.
“When you play board games, studies say that it actually, research says, that it increases social interaction, connectivity, inclusivity and it reduces stress hormones, and it increases the happy ones,” McCoy said. “All of which helps to increase Jacksonville’s social determinants of health.”
The Jacksonville community is invited to give recommendations about landmarks and businesses to include in the customized game — from small shops to big corporations.
Officials said the customized board game will come in January 2025.
“MONOPOLY: Jacksonville Edition” will be available in stores and online at Barners & Noble, Amazon and select local Jacksonville retailers.
If you’d like to send your submission, you can send it to jacksonville@toptrumps.com, or go to this website.