River City Renaissance was a $235 million bond issue in 1993 by the city of

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

which funded

urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...

in some of downtown's most rundown sections.

Plan

Ed Austin T. Edward "Ed" Austin Jr. (July 15, 1926 – April 23, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1991 to 1995. He also served as the first Public Defender for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circ ...

's most lasting contribution as Jacksonville mayor was his River City Renaissance (RCR) program, which revamped the city's historic downtown neighborhoods, especially

LaVilla LaVilla is a historic African American neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida and a was formerly an independent city. It developed after the American Civil War and was eventually annexed to the city of Jacksonville in 1887 and is now considered pa ...

and Brooklyn. Lex Hester was Austin's chief administrator who created and managed the program. The program was controversial because most of the money was spent on inner city projects while other needs around the city were ignored.

Projects

Most important among the projects was the city's purchase and refurbishing of the St. James Building, which became Jacksonville's new city hall, and the transformation of the ''Jacksonville Civic Auditorium'' into the

Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts The Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts (JCPA) (originally the Civic Auditorium and previously known as the Times Union Center) is a performing arts center located in Jacksonville, Florida. Situated along the Riverbank, the venue is know ...

. Some RCR funds were allocated for Gator Bowl renovations; when the city was awarded an NFL franchise, they were used for construction of

Jacksonville Municipal Stadium TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and the headquarters of the professional wrestling prom ...

. Money was also spent for the

Sulzbacher Center The Sulzbacher Center is the only comprehensive homeless facility in Jacksonville, Florida where the average stay is two months. A case manager works with every client to develop a plan to transition back into the community. Roots I.M. Sulzbacher ...

for the homeless, extension of the Jacksonville Riverwalk, assistance to the

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, located in Jacksonville, Florida, sits at the mouth of the Trout River, near where it flows into the St. Johns River. The zoo occupies approximately and has over 2,000 animals and 1,000 plant species in its co ...

to complete Phase I of their 1992 Master Redevelopment Plan, and establishing the Jacksonville Children's Commission.JCCI: October 28, 2008-Financing Jacksonville’s Future
/ref>

References

{{Reflist

External links

Government of Jacksonville, Florida History of Jacksonville, Florida Downtown Jacksonville LaVilla, Jacksonville