JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – People on Jacksonville’s Eastside want to make sure their voices are heard as the city decides what to do with millions of dollars originally earmarked for their community.
The $94 million was removed from the Community Benefits Agreement portion of the Jaguars’ stadium deal earlier this year.
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Eastside residents say investment in their community is long overdue.
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At least half a dozen of them spoke at Tuesday night’s Jacksonville City Council meeting, and all of those who spoke said they support spending the money to improve the Eastside.
“Let’s make history. Let’s pass this CBA. Help us transform our neighborhood into a community,” one Eastside resident said. “One of our great scholars once said, ‘Your neighborhood is like a bucket with a hole in it.’ A neighborhood is just where you eat and sleep. A community, though, is where you store your valuables.”
Another resident called it an “incredible opportunity” to invest in a “transformational and fiscally responsible” project.
“In fact, as it’s been shared, it saves the city money,” they said. “The investment on the homelessness, it’s proven that it saves money.”
When the City Council approved the stadium deal in June, it included part of the Community Benefits Agreement, but $94 million was set aside to be sorted out later.
At the time, there was a concern about conflicts of interest because some council members work with groups that could potentially benefit from the money.
The current plan would spend $30 million over three years on improving the Eastside.
A special city council committee will give a recommendation on how to split up the rest of the money by the end of the month.