Before future leaders, mayor touts vision for Jacksonville

Mayor Lenny Curry shared his vision for Jacksonville with the future leaders of the city Monday, and gave Action News Jax an updated timeline on a key effort to revamp downtown.

Curry said the first step toward Shad Khan’s plans for Lot J and the Shipyards involves taking down the Hart Bridge overpass.  He said that work could start as soon as summer.

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“That’s our goal and that’s our expectation,” Curry said.

Speaking before ImpactJax, a group of young professionals affiliated with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Curry said $25 million has already been secured to remove the ramps.

He said it’s a combination of city and state funds, and he fully expects millions more in federal dollars.

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“It will enhance traffic flow with the big trucks that haul stuff to the port, so it’s good for economic development, timing of people to move goods,” Curry said.

Curry said the city still faces other challenges.

He said public safety is his No. 1 priority, and he's added police officers and community service officers over the years.

“Much of the violence we see is gang on gang, and so that’s why we’ve invested in technologies, why we added police officers. You got to disrupt these guys,” Curry said.

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The city is also working to launch an anti-crime task force in the new year.

Cox Media Group