JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – President Donald Trump’s new budget bill stripped Jacksonville of its largest federal grant in history.
The signing wiped out $147 million earmarked for the Emerald Trail project, which aims to link 14 historic communities to downtown Jacksonville, Hogans Creek, McCoys Creek and the St. Johns River by 2031.
The network of walking and biking paths would connect downtown to 20 schools, 16 parks, and three hospitals.
Mayor Donna Deegan said on Tuesday that the city still has a plan, just without the extra boost that the grant would’ve provided.
“Obviously very disappointed about that. We were ecstatic to get that grant, which is just such an important piece for Jacksonville. The fortunate thing for us is that we do already have a plan in place to fund it,” Deegan said.
Project leaders also vowed to push forward.
“While we are extremely disappointed in this decision, we remain committed to the completion of this transformative project,” JTA and Groundwork Jacksonville wrote in a joint statement.
President Donald Trump on Friday signed the tax and spending cut bill Republicans muscled through Congress, turning it into law by his own self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.
At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.
Councilman Matt Carlucci described the loss of the grant as “disappointing,” but said the project is “alive and well.”
“It’s hugely disappointing and shameful that Jacksonville is losing this grant. The Emerald Trail will opportunities and connected Jacksonville’s neighborhoods from the Eastside to San Marco, Mixontown to Springfield, linking parks, schools, and even a great university. It is about bringing people together across long-standing divides. I still believe it’s a vision worth believing in and fighting for,” Carlucci said in a statement.
City leaders said community support is key in moving forward wth the project, whether through fundraising, advocacy or reminding lawmakers how much the Emerald Trail means to Jacksonville.
The city also plans to reapply for federal funding, focusing on the trail’s economic impact on small businesses.