28 months.
That's the timeline city leaders told Action News Jax on Thursday for construction to be completed on the Hart Bridge Ramp tear down.
The project is thanks to a multi-million dollar investment from the federal government that helped the city.
RELATED: Federal funding secured for Hart Bridge ramp removal
Action News Jax Courtney Cole spoke to Mayor Lenny Curry and City Councilman Reggie Gaffney about the next step forward for Downtown Jacksonville.
"People continue to question, a lot of ‘is downtown ever gonna happen? Is this for real?’ Decades of conversation...it’s real!" Mayor Lenny Curry enthusiastically told Action News Jax.
12-and-a-half million dollars worth of realness, to be exact.
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Mayor Curry said it's just a piece of the federal funding the city received that will now allow them to tear down the Hart Bridge Ramps.
“It’s big, you know? We had a plan and we’ve pursued it aggressively. $12.5M from the state, $12.5M City Council approved and now $12.5M from the federal government. It shows unity. We’re going to get it done!” exclaimed Mayor Curry.
This clears the way for two major developments Jacksonville Jaguars team owner Shad Khan has been wanting to get started: The Shipyards and the Entertainment Complex at Lot J.
“Well hey, Go Jags! You know what I mean? If they want it, it must be good! Right?” said Moshe Benkandio.
“To be able to come up here and have a good time and have nightlife and shops maybe to go to along the water would be great,” Raquel Scharf-Anderson told Action News Jax.
Great—not only for those visiting the area, but for those who make up the workforce, too.
Councilman Reggie Gaffney said he’s excited about the positive impact it’ll have on his district.
“Look what kind of jobs that’s going be able to be created with all that potential economic prosperity we’re about to have!” said Councilman Gaffney.