Council members unveil plans for Jacksonville Veterans and Military Families Community Center; trust fund ordinance introduced

City leaders described plans for a Jacksonville Veterans and Military Families Community Center, a proposed facility that would combine benefit access, a gymnasium, meeting space, counseling and partner-provided clinical services. Council members and the director of the Military Affairs and Veterans Department discussed location options, preliminary funding plans and two pieces of proposed legislation to help finance planning and future operations.

Harrison Conyers, director of the Military Affairs and Veterans Department, told council members the team identified a city-owned site in the Cathedral District on Washington Street but that an engineering study found asbestos in the existing building, making new construction more cost-effective. Conyers summarized the programmatic vision: “They wanted a fitness center… a meeting space… counseling services, mental health services, spiritual support services, also access to healthcare,” and he said CareerSource and other partners would provide shared services in the building.

Conyers said the proposed location connects to the Emerald Trail at Hogan’s Creek and would include outdoor amenities such as kayak and bike rentals to attract younger veterans. He noted a 2021 survey done with the University of North Florida and a national group, Endeavors, that identified benefit access and recreational/wellness programming as high priorities for local veterans.

Council members discussed near-term and procedural steps. Councilman Chris Miller and others introduced legislation described by staff as the Veterans Legacy Community Center Trust Fund (referenced in the meeting as ordinance number 20250463). As presented by Dylan Rangel, attorney in the Office of General Counsel, the introduced ordinance would permit the department director to expend funds from the trust “subject to the availability of funds,” and any single expenditure in excess of $100,000 would require prior council approval. Rangel said: “if any single expenditure... is in excess of a $100,000, then, yes, it would need prior council approval.”

Council members also described a funding-shift proposal (from a completed district project) to cover initial design and preliminary engineering; Miller said the proposed reallocation is roughly $600,000 and that it would be cost-neutral by shifting leftover funds from a completed project. Conyers said federal grant applications are planned, and he has received support from the commander of Navy Region Southeast for grant-seeking, but said final applications require completed design and construction documents.

Introducers and early cosponsors of the trust-fund legislation included Will Landon, Chris Miller, Joe Carlucci, Terrence Freeman, Rory Diamond (listed in the meeting), and Rockman Johnson (listed in the meeting). Conyers and the council emphasized this is an early-stage effort: the center is “probably a year behind” the shade project in timeline and will require additional design, engineering and fundraising.

Public comment included two speakers who offered support and potential partnership. John Nooney, who identified himself as a resident, said he would donate to the effort; Dr. Troy Mack, CEO of the Garden Club of Jacksonville and an Iraq War veteran, offered partnership on greenspace and park elements.

Ending: Council members endorsed continued outreach to veterans organizations, younger veterans and community partners, and they signaled intent to pursue the design funding and trust fund mechanism before formal procurement and grant applications.