JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's one of the most ambitious building projects in Jacksonville's history, and it got a major boost on Wednesday.
Swisher donated $500,000 to Groundwork Jacksonville for work on the Emerald Trail. The Emerald Trail is a system of trails totaling 30 miles that will connect parks, schools and neighborhoods.
On a hot summer day a walk through the woods is a great activity to relax, but you don't need to go to a far away nature preserve to take a walk amongst the trees. Instead, you can stay in the heart of Jacksonville's urban core.
The Emerald Trail is still years from being completed, but Wednesday's $500,000 donation by Swisher will go a long way towards Groundwork Jacksonville's plan to connect and complete the Emerald Trail.
An area of chain link and concrete will soon get a lot more green.
"The beach people will be dying to come to Jacksonville," said Chris Howard, Swisher's VP of External Affairs. "Jacksonville is going to be the destination, the trail is truly transformative."
The $500,000 donation by Swisher is the largest corporate donation ever received by Groundwork Jacksonville and will go towards the S-Line connector. Forty percent of the Emerald Trail is either finished, designed or under construction. Over the next six years, Groundwork Jacksonville wants to raise $30 million to connect the trails and turn McCoy's and Hogan's Creeks back to natural channels.
"Those are huge, complicated projects that will have so many benefits," said Kay Ehas, CEO of Groundwork Jacksonville. "Reduce flooding, improved water quality, habitat for fish and wildlife, recreation, kayaking, a trail will be right next to it."
The Emerald Trail is an ambitious project that is more than four years in the making already, but leaders of the project are confident that they can complete the trail, link urban neighborhoods and allow long term residents to stay in their homes.
"There's a lot of vacant land and abandoned buildings in the urban core in these neighborhoods," said Ehas. "So there's a lot of room to increase density, commercial and retail without displacing existing residents."
The S-Line Trail portion of the Emerald Trail used to be an old CDX rail line before it was turned into a trail nearly 20 years ago. The money donated on Wednesday will complete the S-Line and encompass nearly five of the 30 total miles of the Emerald Trail.
For more information on the Emerald Trail visit this website.