Mayor Alvin Brown announced Thursday that Waterproof Jacksonville, a countywide campaign to prevent accidental drowning by teaching children to swim, will expand for its third consecutive year to offer free swim lessons to more than 1,800 youth. This year, the initiative will enhance its partnership with Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) to provide lessons to youth attending Woodland Acres Elementary School and 10 DCPS summer camps.
 
The program will also provide lessons through the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation and JaxParks Summer Camps, and JaxParks will offer financial assistance scholarships to children from income-restricted families and families of current military personnel on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
The lessons are part of a unique expansion of Waterproof Jacksonville, made possible by a $25,000 donation from Jacksonville attorney Wayne Hogan. His donation will help pay for the JaxParks Summer Night Lights program as well as enable JaxParks to expand its partnership with Duval County Public Schools. Safe Kids Northeast Florida provided $7,000 in funding assistance to allow JaxParks to reach more kids. 

The new face of COJ.net launched this weekend, following a period of thorough testing and reviewing citizen feedback since launching a prototype site in February.

Take a look at the navigation guide. 

The new COJ.net will also prominently display photos of Jacksonville landscapes, landmarks and events. Jacksonville residents are invited to submit their original photos that showcase the city by visiting coj.net/photos. Selected photos will be featured on COJ.net. More information about the submission criteria can be found at coj.net/photos.

Proposed Project Would Create 100 New Jobs

Legislation being filed today by Mayor Alvin Brown could lead to a facility expansion for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (JJVC) at its worldwide headquarters in Jacksonville. This extremely competitive opportunity would continue Jacksonville’s momentum as the go-to city for advanced manufacturing.

If the legislation is approved by City Council, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, also known locally as VISTAKON®, would add an additional 100 high-wage employees to its local workforce and invest $300 million into its Jacksonville contact lens manufacturing facility. 

The City of Jacksonville invites residents and visitors to Metropolitan Park to join in the 23^rd annual World of Nations Celebration. The event offers visitors the opportunity to explore more than 30 countries in a single visit without leaving Jacksonville. A one-day pass is $5.
 
The event will be open to the public on Saturday, May 2 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.* and Sunday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. During this time, patrons will be able to experience the cultures of 34 countries.
 
In addition, the City will host a Naturalization Ceremony on Saturday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m., during which 50 people will become U.S. citizens. Also on Saturday, a new element will be introduced to World of Nations – Taste the World: A VIP Experience. The $15 VIP tasting experience, being held from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. includes entry into World of Nations, live entertainment by Spice and the Po Boys, and the opportunity to taste delicacies from up to ten countries. Tapas and samples of cultural beer and wine will be served.

MyJax mobile app allows the citizen to report concerns such as blight, potholes, missed garbage collections, and a host of other issues. This benefits the citizen by helping to keep Jacksonville clean and functional, improving the overall quality of life.

Cathedral Terrace Apartments in Downtown Jacksonville will receive major renovations as part of the latest Renew Jax project announced Tuesday by Mayor Alvin Brown, City Council Member Kimberly Daniels and other local leaders.
 
As part of its expanding Renew Jax efforts, the City of Jacksonville will contribute $803,000 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program funding toward the $27 million project. The funding includes a combination of private tax credit financing and state and Jacksonville Housing Finance Authority sources.
 

Solution Offers Energy Savings, Enhanced Data Analytics and Improved Efficiencies for City

The City of Jacksonville and JEA announced today that they will pilot a GE solution designed to enable a more intelligent city, offering an LED lighting solution coupled with advanced sensors and software that can enhance the City’s operations far beyond the LED benefits.
 
By connecting the street lighting infrastructure to the Industrial Internet, citizens, visitors, and city employees will benefit from access to real time data that never existed before. The pilot will focus on increasing efficiency through energy savings and better asset management of streetlights.
 
“Jacksonville is excited to be on the front lines with this pilot project, using new technology to increase efficiency and drive innovation, at no cost to taxpayers,” said Mayor Alvin Brown. “This is another example of how public-private partnerships can drive innovation and provide a return on investment for our taxpayers. This technology has the potential to transform how our city solves problems by allowing us to use the power of data to drive outcomes that give us flexibility, efficiency and new, creative actions to enhance life in our city.”

Plan Outlines Four Key Strategies to Boost Exporting

Mayor Alvin Brown and the Northeast Florida Global Cities team released a regional export plan outlining specific steps local business, civic and government leaders will take to promote Jacksonville’s economic development. It assesses Jacksonville’s current export climate, sets market-based goals for increasing exports and lays out an implementation plan to support local businesses in increasing exports.
 
The plan is the culmination of a year-long process conducted under the region’s participation in the Global Cities Initiative, a five-year joint project of the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase. Launched in 2012, the Global Cities Initiative helps business and civic leaders grow their metropolitan economies by strengthening international connections and competitiveness.  GCI activities include producing data and research to guide decisions, fostering practice and policy innovations, and facilitating its Exchange, a peer learning network. As part of the Exchange, Metro JAX/Northeast Florida is developing a metropolitan global trade and investment plan.

View the Metro Jacksonville/Northeast Florida Export Plan | Learn more about the Northeast Florida Global Cities Initiative

City and State Will Improve Façade of Historic Venue

Partnering with City Council members, Mayor Alvin Brown announced the City will provide money along with a state grant to repair and restore the façade of the Florida Theatre.
 
Joining Mayor Alvin Brown to support the Downtown venue were City Council Member Jim Love, Florida Theatre President Numa C. Saisselin, Cultural Council Executive Director Tony Allegretti and the members of the non-profit Cultural Fusion.
 

One Spark Runs Downtown April 7-12

Mayor Alvin Brown joined One Spark Co-Founder and CEO Elton Rivas today to discuss the City of Jacksonville partnership for the third annual One Spark festival. The City and One Spark teams have been working together for the past several months to make this year’s event a success.

“One Spark has grown to be a signature event for Jacksonville, and Downtown has grown along with it,” said Mayor Brown. “This festival puts our city on a global stage, highlighting our greatest strength: our innovative, creative and hardworking people. I’m looking forward to six exciting days in the heart of Jacksonville.”

The City of Jacksonville is one of One Spark’s largest organizational sponsors.  The Downtown Investment Authority will be sponsoring One Spark’s Closing Ceremony on April 12 at 5 p.m. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department, the Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation Department have also partnered with One Spark to ensure festival attendees have a great experience in Downtown Jacksonville from April 7-12, 2015. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is the official One Spark transportation partner, and is providing free Skyway rides and multiple bus routes for easy access to the festival.