From applying for money from the federal government nearly 45 years ago to buy it to issuing nine days from now a solicitation to possibly sell it, Metropolitan Park is likely the most legislated, negotiated and studied parcel of land owned by the city.
And it’s 32 acres of prime riverfront property Downtown along the Northbank.
The saga began in 1972, when City Council by resolution authorized Mayor Hans Tanzler to apply for a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to purchase the site near what was then the Gator Bowl for acquisition and development of “open space purposes.”
About a year later, council approved a resolution authorizing the purchase from the federal government for $400,000.
The legislation also defined uses of the site limited to pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, lighting and for “no other permanent uses.”
In 1974, council enacted an ordinance that appropriated $400,000 to buy the land “for a Metropolitan Park in the vicinity of the Gator Bowl.”
But the federal government wasn’t ready to give up control of the site.
A resolution approved by council (74-217-59) states HUD requested that prior to any future sale, lease, mortgage or other encumbrance or transfer of the land, written approval from the secretary of the agency or his designee must be given.
A long relationship over the property between the city and Jacksonville’s public broadcasting affiliate began in 1977, when 8 acres of the park were leased to Community Television Inc. for construction and operation of a community facility.
Early in 1980, the city proposed a redevelopment project to be built along Coastline Drive between what is now the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts and the Main Street Bridge.
The project comprised an esplanade with a pedestrian park, a convention center and hotel and other amenities.
The project study included a recommendation that Coastline Drive be closed to encourage pedestrian activity.
In July 1980, the state approved the city’s request for federal funds to build the project, with the city contributing $2.25 million toward the project’s $4.5 million cost.
The plan hit a snag when public opposition over closing Coastline Drive caused the city to shelve the project.
In early 1982, Mayor Jake Godbold announced the project would be relocated to the city-owned site near the stadium, with the intention of keeping the federal funds that were targeted for the Coastline Drive project.
Godbold lobbied the Legislature and obtained support from Gov. Bob Graham for his plan.
Eventually, state and federal sources provided $1.75 million, the city put in $750,000 and WJCT Public Broadcasting (formerly Community Television) raised $1 million in private funds.
The new design included a riverfront pavilion, new bulkheads, an exhibit mall area and an elaborate amphitheater.
The amphitheater being part of the project threatened the federal funds when it was deemed too elaborate to qualify for a U.S Interior Department Land and Water Conservation Act grant.
The city modified the plan so the amphitheater would be privately funded by WJCT. The plan was approved.
In 1982, council adopted emergency legislation to create a $3.5 million account for construction of park improvements.
WJCT agreed to pay the city $124,450 directly and place $875,550 into a trust account for the project.
Ultimately, the amphitheater was scrapped in favor of building instead a pavilion (which recently was demolished) at a cost of about $1.4 million, including $600,000 from Florida National Bank.
WJCT created Florida National Pavilion Inc., a nonprofit that would operate the venue for entertainment events.
About the same time, the city decided to move its fledgling Mayport and All that Jazz Festival to Metropolitan Park.
That led to an agreement between WJCT and the National Park Service that, in conjunction with the city, the radio station would produce at least five events each year in the park that would be free to the public.
WJCT also obtained the right to produce a similar number of ticketed events in the park and the city agreed to take over responsibility for all costs related to operation and maintenance of the park, with the exception of the pavilion area, which would be WJCT’s responsibility
The next major revision in terms of Metropolitan Park came in 2002 when the city and WJCT agreed the entire park would be the city’s responsibility in terms of programming, operations and maintenance with WJCT retaining the right to charge for parking on the grounds of its offices and studios during events.
Fast-forward to November 2008 when the city, this time under Mayor John Peyton, determined it was time to rethink what Metropolitan Park should be in terms of a public amenity.
The city and JaxPride sponsored an informal study that combined the opinions of about 40 architects, landscape designers, urban planners and members of the public.
With the input from the group, engineering firm HDR Inc. presented in June 2009 a proposal to redevelop the park.
The plan included enhancements to the Kids Kampus area on the west end of the park such as a carousel and climbing wall, plus ticket booths, restrooms and offices and improvements to the city Fire Museum.
Also in the design was an elevated crosswalk above Gator Bowl Boulevard that would connect the park to the parking lots at the stadium.
Ron Barton, at the time executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, said the project could be completed for about $25 million.
He said about $18 million was available for the improvements in the form of surplus funds from projects that already were approved or finished.
A month later, the concept was approved by the Downtown Development Review Board, and in January 2010 a bill was introduced to council to appropriate the remaining $8.25 million and add to the 2009-14 Capital Improvement Program the “Metropolitan Park redevelopment Project.”
The ordinance was enacted in February, but the project never got off the ground.
Improving the park wasn’t the only Downtown development issue and about 14 months later, a request for financial assistance from the owner of the SunTrust Tower ended up derailing improving the park in favor of building a parking garage.
In September 2011, council amended the capital improvement plan to cancel Metropolitan Park redevelopment and transferred the $3.5 million earmarked for the project to a $3.5 million grant to Parador Partners for construction of a 500-space parking garage adjacent to SunTrust Tower.
It opened in 2015.
The next chapter of the Metropolitan Park saga will begin Jan. 4, when the city plans to issue a notice of disposition for all of its property along the Northbank between the Berkman condominiums and WJCT’s leased property.
The new request for proposals from developers also terminates the suspended negotiations that began in 2015 between the city and a development firm owned by Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan to redevelop the Shipyards property along East Bay Street.
Proposals for redevelopment of the combined Shipyards and Metropolitan Park parcels will be due by March 6.
After the Downtown Investment Authority evaluates the submissions and selects the top-scoring candidate, a draft redevelopment agreement will be considered by the authority’s board of directors within 18 months of the selection.
(904) 356-2466