A half-acre dog park may be in the future for Downtown Jacksonville. An allocated $400,000 for the canine space is part of Mayor Lenny Curry's 2018-2019 proposed annual budget.
According to the proposal, the park would be built along Main Street and would include a fence, gates, synthetic turf, water fountains and new walkways.
On August 28, the Finance Committee approved the portion of the budget including the Main Street Dog Park. The proposed budget still awaits city council approval.
Reaction to the converted park is mixed. Residents who live in downtown apartments look forward to the first-of-its-kind public space designated for canine's in the city's center.
City spokesperson Tia Ford said the design and construction would take an estimated 12 to 18 months to complete pending city budget approval. Residents would not be charged to enter the park.
The area, however, across from the Main Library, serves as a resting spot for a number of Jacksonville's homeless.
Several transients told First Coast News a conversion of the space would leave them with no where to go.
Ford said no specific plans are in place yet to address the homeless population in the area.
According to a budget report, the purpose of the park is to become a central location for the increasing downtown dog owning community.
A 2017 State of Downtown report by the Downtown Investment Authority says 4,842 residents live in Downtown. The report projects the number of residents will increase to 13,730 by the year 2025.