JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — City leaders want to beautify Moncrief Road on Jacksonville’s Northside. Wednesday night, they unveiled a plan that would bring huge changes to the area.
The Moncrief Beautification Project includes some big changes, like installing a roundabout at Moncrief Road and 45th Street. Further down the road would receive a new pedestrian crossing and a mixed used path for bicycles and walkers.
Sarah Salvatore has worked at Eartha’s Farm & Market for 5 years. The community farm has new buildings, fresh landscaping and a new fence, a stark contrast to the surrounding neighborhood.
“Other areas see these beautification projects, tree planting, public parks, safe walkways and those communities are walkable, they’re enjoyable," she told First Coast News.
According to city data, the stretch of Moncrief from West 33rd Street to West 45th Street is the third-most dangerous city road for pedestrians. The Moncrief Beautification Project, leaders believe, would improve pedestrian safety, increase travel times and beautify the area. The plan includes decreasing lanes from four to three and putting in a landscaped median, adding a shared use path, installing a roundabout at the 45th Street intersection, enhance and add pedestrian crossings, and improving the West 34th Street Golfair intersection.
Salvatore hopes the plan will connect the community.
“We all want to be in a beautiful environments, we all feel better when our environment is pleasing to the eye... I’m very excited because I think that this community is well deserving," Salvatore said.
Wednesday night, developers shared the beautification project with residents in the neighborhood.
Jacksonville City Councilmember Ju'Coby Pittman said the plan addresses the ongoing safety issue and is also something visual for the community.
"This is really a kickstart. We are in the urban core and we deserve this," said Pittman. "This community has been left behind for a long time and it’s deserving of resources, economic development, grocery stores new schools and I think we’re on a journey."
However, Wednesday night not all residents were on board with the project.
"This area specifically is that we be included before these things happen," said one resident.
Some residents shared concerns and said they believe their input on this plan should've been heard sooner.
"They never asked us whether or not we want it or not, but now they’re presenting it to us telling us what they’re gonna do," said Gwendolyn Harris. "We live here. Shouldn’t we have a voice on what we want in our community?"
With nothing finalized just yet, some still see this as a step in the right direction.
"The fact we’re moving more towards a workable, walkable safe community is so important," said Rosemary Thornton.
Once the plan is approved, leaders hope to start construction in fall of 2026 and have the project completed by 2027.