JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The property where a liquor store was projected to open across from an elementary school in Northwest Jacksonville will be purchased by the City of Jacksonville, according to Mayor Donna Deegan, who made the announcement at one of her most anticipated community meetings.
Plenty of residents in the area that is riddled with high crime and poverty packed out the Legends Center to ensure that their voices were heard.
“Once there was a saying by the past mayor, ‘If you see something, say something.’ And my response to that is when we do say something, nothing gets done,” Rev. Betty Pittman said. “I’ve stressed that over and over.”
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The majority of concerns expressed were regarding crime, quality of life, economic development and access to healthcare, but another hot topic that was addressed was the ongoing battle between the community and a prospective liquor store that was being built on Golfair Boulevard near the KIPP Voice Academy.
Deegan said the city is in the process of buying the property and letting the residents decide what they think should go in that spot instead.
Another controversial topic that was brought up involved plans to build a morgue next to the same school.
Back in May, the city announced it was building a new $62 million medical examiner’s office and morgue.
The people living in the community said they never received notices about the plans, which meant they never had a chance to voice their concerns.
At the meeting, the community learned those plans were in the making before City Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman took over representation of that district.
“I would say what matters to the residents matters to me as well as the mayor. And we’re in the process now of meeting both sides to come up with a plan that could be satisfactory to both sides,” Pittman said.
Pittman says she is trying to find out why residents in that area never received notices about plans to build a morgue next to the school.
Metro Gardens Neighborhood Association of Brentwood President Lydia Bell says neighbors in this community do not want a morgue in their backyard next to a school.
“Brentwood is not a cemetery. The children should not have to endure dead bodies,” Bell said.
Pittman said the issue surrounding the morgue is one she wants to resolve quickly.
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