Friends of Hemming Park unveiled a new collaboration that will enhance our city’s central park with improvements beginning next year. Community First Credit Union has partnered with Friends of Hemming Park to help establish a main stage near Hogan Street. Black Sheep Restaurant Group has also plans to open a kiosk in the park’s café area near the corner of Laura and Monroe streets.

“There is so much momentum building behind Downtown Jacksonville, and Hemming Park is at the heart of it,” says Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. “These announcements represent a significant investment in the future of this integral park, and will contribute to even more energy and activity for our urban core for years to come.”

As the focal point for special events downtown, a world-class stage is needed in Hemming Park to facilitate such events as One Spark, Art Walk and Gastrofest and serve as a premiere location for future community events. The Community First Stage, to be designed by Content Design Group, will operate as a one-of-a-kind space for outdoor live performances in the heart of the city.

“Our vision is to create a premiere destination that is fresh and vibrant, filled with community partners, cultural creatives, and family-friendly activities year-round,” says Vince Cavin, CEO of Friends of Hemming Park. “With these major improvements, we can bring new programming to the park that will move Jacksonville forward toward a more inclusive and accessible city.”

Founded in 2013, Friends of Hemming Park is a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing Jacksonville’s oldest public park into a vibrant, modern, and accessible space that engages diverse communities through improved amenities, daily programming, a family-friendly environment, and community-driven partnerships (www.hemmingpark.org)

John Hirabayashi, CEO and president of Community First, says the organization is excited to join Friends of Hemming Park in the development of an iconic attraction in the downtown core. “The revitalization and continued improvement of Hemming Park is so crucial to downtown development. We have a strong commitment to downtown as the longest continuously operating financial institution,” he says. “While this is in the very early stages of due diligence and planning, we look forward to unveiling more details as we work with all of the stakeholders toward a solid, workable plan.”

Black Sheep Restaurant Group in partnership with Design Cooperative, LLC will design a restaurant kiosk using re-purposed shipping containers donated by CSX Corporation and Crowley Marine. This project will be funded in part by the Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community Grant Friends of Hemming Park received in April.

“We are excited about the growth of downtown and have been watching it closely since closing Chew in hopes of finding the right project to return to the urban core, which we care about strongly,” says Jonathan Insetta, owner of Black Sheep Restaurant Group. “There are few projects that can truly be a force for positive change downtown and we believe the transformation of Hemming Park and this project in particular is one of them.”

Wayne Wood, board president for Friends of Hemming Park, says the organization is “extremely proud” to partner with Community First Credit Union and Black Sheep Restaurant Group in the first step to revitalizing Hemming Park. Says Wood, “These key additions will impact not only the look and feel of the park, but also its sustainability and place in history as an important landmark our city can be proud of.”

Current Issue

Recent Posts

SUBMIT EVENTS

Submit Events

Advertisements

Blackberry Smoke at the AMP

Date

Title

Current Month

Follow FOLIO!

Previous Story

Growing On The River

Next Story

Massacre at Mayport

Latest from Community

Party in the Front and the Back: Inside Jacksonville PorchFest

Words by Carmen Macri Jacksonville’s one-of-a-kind festival returns for its 10th anniversary, bringing live music, art and local vendors to the historic porches of Springfield Nov. 9.  For some backstory; Elizabeth Augustus, a San Marco resident, attended her first porch festival while visiting upstate New York, the origin

Humans of Jacksonville: Gunnel Humphreys

Words & photos by Ambar Ramirez If you’ve heard of Edge City, you’ve likely heard of Gunnel Humphreys. For 50 years, Humphreys’ daily routine was familiar and consistent. Her mornings began at 6 a.m., and after breakfast and a quick outfit change, she and her partner Tom would hop

Downtown we will rock you with THE ULTIMATE QUEEN CELEBRATION

This Friday (10/18), Jacksonville rock fans are going to get a special treat.  THE ULTIMATE QUEEN CELEBRATION is coming to our city for one performance only.  This is not a typical tribute or impersonation show, nor is it a story about Freddy Mercury and the original group.  This is a

The Changing Face of 5 Points

Words & photos by Ambar Ramirez It’s Aug. 19, 2024 and while doom-scrolling on Instagram you pause on an image the local bottle shop Alewife posted. The caption begins with “Ok. Here we go. **takes a deep breath**,”  and without reading the rest, you know you’re about to read

Jacksonville Is Getting in Its Own Way … Again.

What is really happening with the Laura Street Trio? Words by Carmen Macri In the very heart of Downtown Jacksonville lies the very vacant Laura Street Trio. The buildings have been deteriorating for more than 30 years with graffiti covering the walls and overgrown weeds taking over the landscape.
July 5th Cleanup
GoUp

Don't Miss

Jacksonville Historical Society Releases Annual List of Endangered Buildings

List includes Doro Fixture building slated for demolition In observance
What If Jacksonville Suddenly Woke Up?, Photo by Lance Asper

What If Jacksonville Suddenly Woke Up?

Some say Jacksonville is a diamond that wants to remain