The 25 biggest projects in Deegan's budget are topped by stadium, UF Health and fairgrounds

Mayor Donna Deegan's proposed 2024-25 budget has one big-ticket item that's no surprise — the renovation of the city-owned football stadium — but it also has other multimillion dollar construction projects that highlight some of her priorities.

Those include continued investment in the UF Health campus on Eighth Street, advancing work on the Emerald Trail and related work on McCoys and Hogans creeks, enhancements to the riverwalk and parks in downtown, the relocations of the Museum of Science and History to a new site on the downtown riverfront and the Jacksonville Fairgrounds to the Westside, and another round of money for construction of a new library branch in the Oceanway area.

Here is a rundown of the 25 biggest construction projects by dollar amount in Deegan's proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

EverBank Stadium renovation: $150 million

As expected, this marks the first installment for the city's share of the $1.4 billion cost of renovating the city-owned football stadium in order to keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville for another 30 years. The stadium renovation is the single biggest city project ever so it will continue to take up a big chunk of the money available for public works funding. The city's portion of the cost will be $775 million so future budgets will add more big payments in the following three years through 2028 when the rebuilt stadium is slated to finished.

UF Health Jacksonville building improvements: $38 million

The UF Health campus isn't in the same category as the stadium for spending but it is accumulating a large piece of the city's budget on a year-in, year-out basis.

The city previously authorized $115 million for repairs and renovations of the city-owned buildings that UF Health uses for the safety-net hospital campus on Eighth Street. Deegan calls for an additional $38 million in next year's budget. She pencils in another $96 million over the following four years ($24 million each year) for the UF Health campus buildings. If the city follows through on that, it would add up to $249 million in past and future spending on the medical campus over a decade.

Street resurfacing: $22 million

This annual funding pays for continuing repair of streets across the city by putting fresh layers of asphalt on them. The city scores streets for the pavement condition to decide where to send the asphalt-laying crews.

Jacksonville Fairground relocation: $16.7 million

The city and the Greater Jacksonville Fair Association are teaming up to relocate the fairgrounds from the sports complex to a new location on the Westside in the large regional park that already contains the Jacksonville Equestrian Center and Cecil Aquatics Center. The additional money for the city's portion of the work will bring its overall cost to $43.9 million for the construction of the new fairgrounds.

Trail Ridge Landfill expansion: $15.5 million

The city will expand the landfill on the far Westside so it will not run out of space for garbage disposal. This has been an annual expense for the city to stay ahead of the curve.

Met Park marine fire station, museum and dock design: $14.3 million

Combined with prior year funding authorization, this will bring the total to about $36.5 million for moving the fire museum to a different site on the downtown riverfront, relocating the Fire Station No. 39, a dock and boathouse, plus any needed river dredging. The city is doing the work on these public building in connection with Jaguars owner Shad Khan building the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Jacksonville on the riverfront.

Hollybrooke Park: $13.5 million

The cleanup of Hollybrooke Park in the Lackawanna neighborhood stems from the Burke Street Pond cleanup from a consent decree between the city and the state Department of Environmental Protection. The city's McCoys Creek floodplain work for the creek's north branch runs through the property and that work cannot start until the site is fully remediated. Deegan's five-year program contains another $14.3 million in the second year and then $2 million in the third year for cleanup. Groundwork Jacksonville received a $5 million federal cleanup grant.

Southbank Riverwalk extension: $13.2 million

The money will pay for building two new floating docks between the Charthouse restaurant and the Duval County Public Schools headquarters building on the downtown Southbank. The city also will extend the Southbank Riverwalk to the Fuller Warren Bridge in front of the Baptist Medical Center campus.

New fire station No. 66 in Arlington: $12.9 million

The city will find a site in the area of Merrill Road and Hartsfield Road of the Arlington neighborhood for construction of a new fire station. The station will reduce response time for fire and emergency medical service callouts.

Baseball Grounds: $11.3 million

A major renovation of the stadium where the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp play in the downtown sports complex will get another round of funding. The $11.3 million combined with previously authorized funding will bring the total to $31.8 million for improvements that Major League Baseball requires for the Shrimp, a Triple-A farm team, to keep playing at the stadium.

Ken Babby, owner of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp , has said Project Next will “re-establish the ballpark as a premier minor league stadium and real destination in downtown Jacksonville." The plans include building a new entrance where the right field bleachers were previously and adding team offices, event space, more concourse space and concessions.

McCoys Creek waste oil discharge cleanup: $10.5 million

Deegan's proposed five-year capital improvements program calls for $10.5 million in 2024-25 followed by another $4.5 million the next year and then $500,000 the third year for a total spending amount of $15.5 million.

McCoys Creek branches: $10.35 million

The improvements to the "tail waters" so there is less flooding also will give better access to the creek for recreational opportunities. This is part of a large project combining McCoys Creek with the Emerald Trail network and tackling long-standing flooding problems for neighborhoods along the creek.

Water and wastewater system maintenance: $9.1 million

The money will help pay for construction of centralized water and wastewater treatment systems in order to phase out on-site treatment systems.

Met Park's marina on the Northbank: $9 million

The final piece of funding for the $43 million project that will replace the marina, pier, marina support building and other park improvements at Met Park.

Mayport dock construction: $8 million

The construction of the docks is part of the Mayport community redevelopment plan and will support shrimpers, commercial fishermen and recreational boating. Part of the riverfront in Mayport is vacant land but it will gain new development from an Ocearch headquarters building and Mayport remains a popular destination for seafood. The funding will bring the total amount for dock redevelopment to $15.5 million, leaving one more installment the following year for a total of $20.5 million for dock construction.

Riverfront Plaza: $6 million

The construction of the new park at the former site of the demolished Jacksonville Landing would get another $6 million toward a total cost of about $68 million for the park on the downtown riverfront. More funding totaling $35 million is included in future years of the five-year capital improvements program.

Northbank Riverwalk bulkhead: $5.95 million

The city is continuing to replace the bulkhead from the Acosta Bridge all the way to Metropolitan Park. This is the latest addition to the construction budget for that work.

McCoys Creek Greenway outfall at St. Johns River: $5.1 million

The final installment in a $58 million project for better drainage from Myrtle Avenue to where the creek flows into the St. Johns River. The McCoys Creek greenway will include reconstructing a piece of the Northbank Riverwalk between Corkscrew Park and the current outfall of the creek into the river. The work is rerouting that part of the creek closer to the Acosta Bridge. That portion of the creek had been covered for decades by the former Florida Times-Union building but with the new alignment, it will be open again to daylight for people to walk along it.

Armsdale Road drainage: $5.1 million

The city has been fielding complaints about flooding from residents who live along Armsdale Road on the Northside. The city will build a new pipe system with inlets and driveway repairs along Armsdale Road between Duval Road and Blockhouse Creek Court.

Shipyards West park: $5 million

The former shipyards between Bay Street and the St. Johns River still has piers jutting into the river from its era as a working waterfront. The city plans to build a new 9-acre park called Shipyards West that would include the pier where the USS Orleck floating museum docks out to the future site of the relocated Museum of Science and History. The city previously set aside $15 million for Shipyards West. Deegan would add another $5 million followed by $35 million in two years and then a final $5 million for the $60 million project.

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Jacksonville Zoo improvements: $4 million

The city owns the facilities where the Jacksonville Zoo is located off Heckscher Drive on the Northside and has been putting in money on a dollar-for-dollar match with private contributions. Deegan proposes $4 million as the city's commitment and she would continue that $4 million amount each year of the five-year capital improvements program.

St. Johns River Park: $3.8 million

St. Johns River Park is located on the Southbank in the same area as Friendship Fountain . The park is part of the larger plan by the city to boost the appeal of downtown's riverfront access that's open to the public.

Mike McCue Boat Ramp bulkhead: $3.52 million

The busy ramp on Second Avenue North in Jacksonville Beach for launching boats to the Intracoastal Waterway will get funding for the replacement of its bulkhead.

MOSH relocation and park design: $3 million

The first year of the five-year capital improvements program would put an initial $3 million toward a $50 million contribution by the city for a new Museum of Science and History building on the riverfront near the sports complex and the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Jacksonville being built by Jaguars owner Shad Khan. Deegan's five-year plan calls for another $47 million for MOSH in the following two years.

New Oceanway library: $3 million

The $3 million will be in addition to $15.85 million previously authorized for construction of a new library serving the fast-growing Northside area. The city expects the area served by the 30,000 square foot library branch will grow by 35% over the next decade. Currently, the only library access is at lockers at Oceanway Community Center. The library will include a children's area, teen area, community meeting rooms, study rooms, and computer labs.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: The 25 biggest projects in Deegan's budget are topped by stadium, UF Health and fairgrounds