The Emerald Trail lost a $147 million federal grant earlier this year. It’s a setback, but not the end of the story. It’s just the beginning of a new chapter in our journey to transform Jacksonville.
In September, we broke ground on the Hogan Street Link, presented by VyStar Credit Union, connecting downtown to the new Riverfront Plaza, the latest of many milestones. The Hogans Creek Restoration design will be completed by September 2026, while McCoys Creek is already under construction and breathtaking.
Segment 3 (the Riverside Link) will finish design by December 2026, with construction beginning in 2027. Segment 4 — the S-Line Connector — starts design in 2026.
We are moving forward, but to fully realize the Emerald Trail’s potential, we must secure new public funding. Alongside our partners at the city of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and elected officials in Washington, D.C., we are committed to finding the resources needed to deliver this transformative project.
A portion of the Emerald Trail mural on Park Street is seen near the Prime Osborn Convention Center on Aug. 27.
What hasn’t been widely discussed is the impact this funding loss could have on Groundwork Jacksonville’s capacity — not just to build the trail, but to build community. The grant included $7 million over six years to support project management, community engagement and neighborhood revitalization planning for seven of the 14 urban core neighborhoods the trail connects.
Without private support enabling Groundwork Jacksonville’s leadership, the Emerald Trail wouldn’t be where it is today: 50% complete, under construction or in design. Just as importantly, our unwavering commitment to community engagement ensures the voices of historically underserved neighborhoods are heard.
Empowering residents to lead their community’s revitalization is (and always will be) our guiding principle.
The Emerald Trail is more than a path; it’s a promise — of job creation, economic development, infrastructure improvements, recreation, social connection and environmental resilience. It’s a promise to our city’s future.
We need the community’s support now more than ever to deliver on that promise. The Emerald Trail belongs to all of us. With your help, we won’t just build a trail — we’ll build a legacy that benefits our entire community for generations. To learn more, visit GroundworkJacksonville.org/Support/.
Kay Ehas, CEO, Groundwork Jacksonville
SNAP a lifeline, not a handout
Sparsely filled shelves at the Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida food pantry await donations, amid increased demand because of the federal government shutdown. The demand is expected to grow if USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are not reinstated.
Imagine being a parent in Jacksonville, wondering how you’ll feed your children this week. How about a senior deciding between buying groceries or filling a prescription? For millions of Americans, this is reality — and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is their lifeline.
Now, SNAP faces the threat of lapsing, putting 42 million Americans at risk.
That’s 12% of the country, one in every eight people. Here in Florida, nearly 3 million residents, including one in five children, rely on SNAP. These are our neighbors, co-workers and community members — the people stocking grocery shelves, caring for children and serving our city.
A 2019 USDA report shows 36% of SNAP recipients are White, 26% are Black and 43% are children. Most are in working households, using SNAP to stretch paychecks amid soaring food costs. This isn’t dependency; it’s dignity.
If SNAP disappears, hunger will rise immediately. Children’s health and learning will suffer, seniors will face impossible choices and local food banks like Feeding Northeast Florida, already stretched thin, will struggle to fill the gap.
The impact isn’t just on families. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.50 to $1.80 in local economic activity. Reduced spending at grocery stores and markets slows the economy and hits small businesses. After years of high food inflation, losing SNAP would deal a serious blow to both families and Jacksonville’s economy.
This is about more than numbers, however; it’s about who we are as a community. Moments like this present important opportunities for our city to shine. Jacksonville is a city with a big heart. Supporting SNAP is an extension of that compassion, a reflection of our shared values.
As policymakers debate budgets, let’s remember: SNAP is a promise that no child goes hungry and no family faces an empty plate. We are better than turning our backs. We must speak up now — for the 42 million Americans and thousands of Floridians who depend on this program. Ensuring food security isn’t just smart policy — it’s a moral obligation.
Kevin T. Gay, Jacksonville
Legal reforms must continue
Closeup of gavel in court room
Elected officials have a responsibility to uphold the integrity of our judicial system. In recent years, Florida lawmakers have attempted to reduce predatory practices within the personal injury legal system, but there is still more work to be done to further protect our small businesses.
As lawsuit abusers exploit our courts with frivolous claims, driving up costs for Americans, legislators in Tallahassee must continue their efforts to reform this broken system and lower expenses for all Floridians.
My wife and I have owned and operated a small business in Jacksonville since 1989. We have witnessed firsthand how predatory attorneys spend billions each year on advertising, luring unsuspecting Americans into signing on to frivolous class-action lawsuits against small businesses that struggle to defend themselves against an overwhelming wave of litigation and attorney fees.
These predatory tactics threaten the fabric of our community. Behind these schemes are financial backers who are solely focused on their profits, regardless of the harm they cause to innocent individuals and our neighborhoods.
The reforms aimed at curbing lawsuit abuse, which were passed in 2023, represent a solid first step, but we cannot let them be the final action on this issue. Our highways are still lined with billboards advertising cheerful personal injury lawyers, whose smiles conceal deeper problems.
The 2023 reforms were a positive move forward, and our community deserves a judicial system that is balanced and fair, rather than one manipulated by lawsuit profiteers supported by Wall Street speculators. These individuals are turning Florida’s justice system into a modern-day casino, placing bets on the outcomes of cases and hoping to win big.
Florida’s small businesses are the engine of our economy — it’s crucial that we’re able to operate without the concerns of costly litigation that could destroy and threaten the success of our small businesses.
As the legislature prepares for next year’s annual session, lawmakers must ensure we continue to advocate for bold reforms to protect our judicial system. Florida’s small businesses depend on it.
Larry and Nacy Kates, co-owners, Progressive Power Products Inc., Jacksonville
Two sides, same coin on immigration
St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick addresses illegal immigration enforcement after Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, right, announced the state is giving his agency $1 million to assist.
The “immigration problem” and “ICE protocols” are two different issues. It is possible to acknowledge one and protest the other. Denying this is a political lie.
We can:
Agree that there is an immigration problem, while still protesting ICE protocols;
Acknowledge that any immigration process allows entry of some criminal elements, though it is also true that the inhumane treatment of human beings (criminal or not) is unnecessary.
Evidence shows that every free world country is facing an unprecedented influx of immigrants, so it is also logical to demand that we recognize our problem is not unique and that we need to consider alternatives to ICE strategies;
Every free world country is also addressing the immigration issue in a way which reflects their culture and values; it is also very patriotic to protest a president who has chosen to reflect our values through ICE protocols;
It is possible to truly love the United States of America and to demonstrate in support of its principles while being deeply saddened — even angered — by what our nation is currently presenting to the world as democracy.
It is time our leaders admit that there are two separate issues instead of tapping into our fears. It is time our leaders hear protesters instead of demonizing them. Most importantly, it is time that leaders on both sides of the aisle stop playing political games and focus instead on fixing both issues.
Georgeanna Kiser, Deland
Disgust with Trump adding up
An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on Oct. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. The demolition is part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to build a multimillion-dollar ballroom on the eastern side of the White House.
If you’re looking for a metaphor that symbolizes the destruction or our democracy, you won’t find a better one than the razing of part of the White House and replacing it with an extravagant ballroom fit for Louis XIV. The East Wing, a treasure that belongs to the American people, has been destroyed based on the egoistic whims of Donald Trump.
Is his next move to replace Lincoln’s statue with an even larger sculpture of himself, renaming it the “Trump Memorial?”
The machinations of this administration have caused many emotions to surface; we’ve been frightened, angry, confused and embarrassed by the words and actions of the nation’s leaders. Now we must add “thoroughly disgusted” to the list.
That disgust is multiplied by his commutations of sentences for people who were legally and fairly sentenced to prison, plus the vulgar obscenity of the animated video that showed “King” Trump dropping excrement on thousands of people who disagree with him.
We wonder if he realizes that the next president could quickly tear down his ballroom and reconstruct the East Wing of the White House. This would be an expensive project, but there are millions of us who would be proud to donate to such a worthy cause.
We deserve an adult in the White House — not a petulant, grade-school bully.
Fran and Pete Sheridan, Atlantic Beach
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Emerald Trail must find new public funding after losing federal grant