Emerald Trail LaVilla Link Preview

Welcome to the first completed link of the Emerald Trail, the LaVilla Link. Walk, ride or jog along this dedicated path and learn more about the history of LaVilla. The LaVilla Link is 1.3 miles long and connects Brooklyn to the S-Line, which is an existing rail trail. The LaVilla Link was not part of the initial master plan draft, it was suggested by neighborhood residents who wanted direct access downtown. This project is a testament to the value of community engagement and bringing residents to the decision-making table.

There is a lot going on here at the top of the bridge…Under the bridge, you will see McCoys Creek which flows from the St Johns River. The creek is a vibrant ecosystem and is a key amenity of the Emerald Trail. The McCoys Creek restoration includes returning it back to a naturally meandering channel. Currently under construction, this project will help to reduce flooding, improve water quality, create animal habitat and add access for recreation.

The mural on the bridge is an incredible piece of storytelling, showcasing the history from Brooklyn to LaVilla. The mural was completed by artists Grace Bio, Dustin Harwood and Overstreet. Each pannel tells another story about the area, from the Buffalo Soldiers who settled in Brooklyn, to the music that rocked the vibrant neighborhood of LaVilla, to the Red Caps---the Negro League Baseball team named after the red caps that porters wore on the trains.

During the height of America’s streetcar era, this former train station was one of the country’s busiest terminal stations.

Union Terminal, as it was called, was constructed in 1919 in historic LaVilla. It replaced the former railroad station located on the same property; part of that old station, built in the late 1890s, can still be seen behind the newer building. “Jacksonville Terminal” was etched into the front of the station.

At the time that it opened, the new Union Terminal was the largest railroad station in the South. Its Roman architecture was designed by Kenneth Murchison; Murchison was the architect on several railroad stations in the early 20th century, including Penn Station in Baltimore.

The station was a bustling hub of activity in its heyday. The LaVilla area, then an active suburban neighborhood, was a heavy area of traffic for the Jacksonville railroad industry. The concourse featured shops, food stands, and a full-service restaurant. The Prime F. Osborn Convention Center is now an event space with over 75,000 square feet of space.

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park is a City of Jacksonville public park that honors two of Jacksonville’s most famous residents, James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson.

The Johnson brothers wrote “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” often called the Black National Anthem, at their home in the LaVilla neighborhood between 1900 and 1905. At the time, James Weldon worked at – and later would become principal of – Stanton High School just down the street.

The Park is located on the site of the Johnson Brothers’ family home. Both James Weldon and John Rosamond made major contributions to American arts and culture and the civil rights movement during their lifetimes and beyond.

The Park was designed by Walter Hood, a world-renowned landscape architect who is a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient.

The Park stage is constructed of a historic shotgun house, which was a common structure in LaVilla at the turn of the century. Shotgun homes were narrow — 12 feet wide or less — which allowed builders to fit more homes on crowded city streets and gave residents increased airflow throughout the house. It’s said you could fire a shotgun from the front door through the back door.

The LaVilla Pond is one of the most significant transformations along the LaVilla Trail. This was an existing retention pond that has been reimagined to create an urban oasis. The boardwalk is made from recycled materials to reduce maintenance and decay. A variety of aquatic/wetland plants and grasses were planted along the bank to create what is called a living shoreline. Over time it will grow stronger and reduce erosion. It also helps to improve water quality, and provide habitat for birds, fish and pollinators.

The entire Emerald Trail will feature native plants and grasses. The LaVilla Link added six acres of green space including 166 trees. This is just the beginning of the positive environmental benefits the trail will deliver in reducing carbon, stormwater runoff and heat island effects.

You are experiencing a butterfly garden where more than 170 kinds of butterflies like the Monarch, Zebra Longwing, Tiger Swallowtail, and Gulf Fritillary can thrive.

This park is named for Florida C. Dwight, who pioneered organized recreation for the city’s African American community from 1918 until her retirement in 1950. The playground was named for her in 1983, and then designated a local historic landmark in 1995. The Playground has been upgraded by the Parks Department in preparation for the trail, and includes new playground equipment, a basketball court and a skateboard ramp. The site also features a rain garden, that soon will be filled with vegetation that supports the collection and filtration of stormwater. The Emerald Trail will connect 21 parks directly with another 17 parks within a few blocks of the trail.

As you follow the trail to the next stop, please use extra caution as you cross Beaver Street at the light.

The trail goes right behind the Beaver Street Enterprise Center. The Enterprise Center works to stimulate economic growth through entrepreneurial development, serving primarily entrepreneurs of color and low-to-moderate-income individuals. To achieve this mission, the Enterprise Center recruits, trains and nurtures entrepreneurial talent to fuel growth, create wealth and encourage reinvestment in traditionally underserved communities.
Since opening our doors in 2003, the Beaver Street Enterprise Center has:

• Helped launch more than 200 new businesses

• Created more than 2000 new jobs

• Generated more than $300 million in economic impact

• Was voted Business Incubator of the Year by the National Business Incubator Association in 2010

• Produced companies that are included on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing businesses in America

As is the goal with the trail, this area has great potential for future activation. The property owner has exciting plans for the collection of large, historic warehouses, one dating back to the late 1800s. His vision for the nearly 500,000 square foot property includes creating a center for commercial, performing and visual arts with retail shops, dining and an outdoor event space, similar to King Plow Arts Center in Atlanta. Following the trail through these neighborhoods and these businesses, you can see an area that is just begining to be reimagined, connected to other neighborhoods and other businesses.

The S-Line became Jacksonville’s first dedicated urban trail when the City of Jacksonville gained possession of an abandoned length of CSX railroad Right-of-Way. The S-Line is a 4.8-mile rails-to-trails multi-use path that connects the LaVilla Link to Brentwood at Norwood Plaza. Approximately 1.3-miles of the S-Line remain unfinished and will be completed as part of the Emerald Trail project.

There are several points of interest along the S-Line including the Sugar Hill Mosaic located under the I-95 overpass just west of N. Davis Street, the Phoenix Arts & Innovation District, and historic J.P. Small Memorial Baseball Park built in 1936-1937 as Durkee Field, home to the Negro League and minor league baseball teams. Henry Aaron, Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Roy Campanella, James “Cool Papa” Bell and William “Judy” Johnson played on that field on their way to baseball’s “Hall of Fame.”