Riverfront Plaza park is making a splash.
The city issued a permit March 27 for Ponte Vedra-based Southern Aquatics Inc., also known as SAI Fountains, to construct the splash pad at a project cost of $1.16 million.
The Haskell Co. of Jacksonville is the contractor for Riverfront Plaza at 2 Independent Drive W., the site of the former Jacksonville Landing.
Haskell, a design and construction firm, continues work on the first phase of plans to transform the site of the demolished Landing into a city park. The city of Jacksonville owns the land on the riverfront Downtown Northbank.
The city’s Jacksonville.gov/idigjax site says Phase 1 of Riverfront Plaza is under construction and includes an elevated destination playground on top of a park pavilion building, a large flexible event lawn, as well as a new bulkhead, Jacksonville Riverwalk and a plaza space connecting Riverfront Plaza to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
It says a park pavilion building will include a small cafe space, restrooms, mechanical rooms and storage space to support the park. Plans show the splash pad.
Phase 1, a $32.5 million project, is slated for a late 2025 completion.
Phase 2 of Riverfront Plaza will include a beer garden, rain garden, and a bike and pedestrian connection to the Main Street Bridge. Phase 2 is anticipated to start in early 2026 with an anticipated completion of 2027.