JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville unveiled the Riverfront Music Garden and formally reopened the Northbank Riverwalk at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Mayor Donna Deegan, city officials, and project stakeholders delivered remarks, and attendees toured the new park and the revitalized Riverwalk, which now connects the Riverside Arts Market to the Hyatt. The project includes a completed bridge over the newly daylighted McCoy’s Creek and the refurbished Corkscrew fitness area.
“I made a promise that the riverfront would be a place for every single person in Jacksonville, and today we’re taking another big step forward,” Deegan said.
Deegan called the musical garden a “living celebration of the incredible contributions Jacksonville has made to American music.”
The Riverfront Music Garden celebrates Jacksonville’s musical heritage with interactive art installations, sculptural elements, musical playscapes and a Walk of Fame honoring local musicians and composers. Honorees included:
38 Special, 69 Boyz, 95 South, Allman Brothers Band, Blind Blake, Charlie “Hoss” Singleton, Classics IV, Frederick Delius, Glenn Jones, Gram Parsons, Jahaan Sweet, JJ Grey & Mofro, Johnson Brothers (James Weldon Johnson & John Rosamond Johnson), Lil Duval, Limp Bizkit, Longineu Parsons II, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ma Rainey, Mae Axton, Marcus Roberts, Molly Hatchet, Pat Chappelle, Quad City DJs, Ray Charles, Shinedown, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tim McGraw, Ulysses Owens, Jr., Walter Orange, and Yellowcard.
Carlos Spencer is a founding member of 95 South. He called the new park “surreal.”
“It’s amazing, it is a long time coming, you know, we’ve always appreciated the support from the city, you know, and today is an amazing day,” Spencer said.
“It’s really cool to give them their own sort of walk of fame here in Jacksonville because a lot of people really don’t know that Jacksonville was America’s first Hollywood,” Eric Dunn, community engagement for Jax Parks, said.
The Downtown Investment Authority convened a committee of local historians, musicians, authors and industry professionals to guide the selection of Walk of Fame honorees.
The project was developed by the City of Jacksonville’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, Public Works and the Downtown Investment Authority, with design and construction partners including Halff, Urban Conga, Daily Tous Les Jours and JB Coxwell.