Makeover complete on historic Green Cove street

New trees, sidewalks and landscaping have been completed on Walnut Street in Green Cove Springs, the result of months of work to make the street more friendly to pedestrians and traffic.

The stretch of Walnut Street from Palmetto Avenue to Orange Avenue will have a “soft” reopening at 5 p.m. Friday.

The Walnut Street Redesign is the first of a number of projects in the city’s long-range redevelopment plans, designed to make downtown more of a destination. This first phase cost $3.17 million, paid with federal pandemic aid and tax revenue in the past two budgets, city officials said.

Construction began in February, with the aim to maximize parking but also increase sidewalk space for outdoor sales or dining. There are no high curbs; the brick street paving is separated from the new sidewalks by shallow gutters.

Improvements also include two 10-foot-wide driving lanes and an 8-foot parallel parking lane on the north side. A 15-foot-wide sidewalk joins improved landscaping and an outlined crosswalk.

The second phase will include Walnut Street from Magnolia Avenue to the St. Johns River and the city pool. That phase is estimated to cost $2.7 million and will include a 15-foot sidewalk from the front of Clay Theatre to the curb. Existing sidewalks and curbs will be replaced at Walnut Street and Orange Avenue.

City officials are seeking sources of funding for the next phase, which will take about six months to complete when funded.

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