JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — What do you want to see in the revitalized Metropolitan Park?
It’s a question the design firm in charge of the upcoming renovation is asking neighbors.
"We wanted to get with the community understand what they wanted for Metropolitan Park, how can it be revitalized in the future? And what are the things that would make it make them want to go to the park on a more regular basis," Scott Jordan with Civitas said.
Civitas will be doing the design work on the park. Jordan said Metropolitan Park attracts people for big events like concerts and festivals but said the 18-acre park is pretty empty most days.
"We're trying to balance it. So, it's not just an event park, it's actually a park that can accommodate events. So, we want to make the park active every day," Jordan said.
Civitas held a community meeting Wednesday and set up boards with 45 possible options for the park.
Including nature walks, recreation field, concert and community spaces, as well as bathrooms.
The design firm gave people 18 stickers and asked them to label their top choices.
“The sensory walk would be good, pickleball I want to try," one neighbor said.
“More green areas to sit," Sandra Rodriguez said.
“Anything that brings people together," Marlo Zarka said.
Civitas said it will track the stickers and learn what to add and what to keep.
It also asked neighbors to write their favorite memory at Metropolitan Park on a white flag and stick it into a carboard layout of the park.
“My flag will be my daughter on the shoulders of her dad at an indie rock concert many years ago," Zarka said.
“It just felt like I was living in a place that I never wanted to leave."
Civitas said it is early in the design phase and does not have an estimated cost for the project.
It said the project will consist of City of Jacksonville dollars.
If you want to give your input on the project Civitas has a survey online.