CITY TO REINVEST NEARLY $8 MILLION INTO UNF AND JFRD PROJECTS
March 11, 2025
The City of Jacksonville undertakes a review process each year to reappropriate funding that was not spent in the previous fiscal year. $7,980,286 was identified from the 2023-2024 fiscal year during the most recent analysis. Funding for the following projects was unanimously passed by the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee today and will go to the Jacksonville City Council for review and final approval.
- Fire Station Renovations: $4 million to renovate two fire stations. Fire Station #45 (15725 Sawpit Road) is an old volunteer fire station that needs renovation to support the full-time firefighters that work there today. Fire Station #54 (4220 Jones Road) must be remodeled to fit a tanker, which is part of the city’s ISO rating that is used to determine insurance rates and has now been permanently assigned to that station.
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Firefighter PPE Wash Facility: $692,823 to build a personal protective equipment (PPE) wash facility at 2610 Fairfax Street. This facility will be used to wash and inspect firefighter PPE as required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This centrally located facility will store JFRD’s additional PPE so that it can be quickly loaded and taken to emergency scenes.
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UNF E-Sports Arena: $3 million to support the creation of a state-of-the-art Esports Areana in the University of North Florida’s (UNF) John A. Delaney Student Union. This facility will allow UNF to attract more students to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); host national competitions that bring visitors and economic development to Jacksonville; boost the university’s enrollment; and contribute to the City’s efforts to develop a highly skilled workforce prepared for industries of the future.
“We continue to make investments that create the greatest return for our citizens and these projects are no exception,”
said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “The fire station renovations and wash facility will ensure our firefighters have the resources needed to continue keeping citizens safe and insurance rates down. UNF’s esports arena will help us build a next generation workforce and position Jacksonville as a leader in the fastest growing sports genre nationally and globally.”