Hanson provided civil engineering and detailed hardscape design services for the development of the Jacksonville Riverfront Music Garden, a multi-purposed, interactive public park on the Northbank of the St. Johns River, adjacent to the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. Designed to celebrate Jacksonville’s rich musical and cultural heritage, the park transforms a prominent downtown waterfront space into an engaging community destination that connects music, art, recreation and the natural environment while strengthening connections to the Riverwalk.
Working collaboratively with structural, landscape architecture and electrical consultants, Hanson led the site-civil design beginning with improvements to the adjacent Riverwalk. This initial phase included sidewalk upgrades, surface treatments and accessibility enhancements to create a safer, more welcoming pedestrian experience and establish a seamless transition between the Riverwalk and the interactive park space. Hanson’s broader civil engineering responsibilities included field investigations, demolition design, geometric layout, grading and drainage, sediment control, utility adjustments, permitting and coordination of the park’s diverse hardscape and site features.
Hanson’s design team developed utility retrofit solutions to avoid conflicts with existing underground infrastructure and the storm collection system while carefully coordinating grading improvements with existing stormwater structures throughout the site. Along the Riverwalk, Hanson addressed subsurface voids discovered behind the existing riverwalk by installing geofabric beneath the walkway, allowing the material to span void areas and provide structural support. To reduce loading on the existing waterfront bump-out improvements, a unique structural solution incorporated lightweight foam fill to raise the bump-outs to bulkhead elevation and create additional activity nodes. Other site features included an artificial turf seating area supported by an underdrain system to manage stormwater and maintain usability.
The project also required carefully coordinating connections to the adjacent CSX and Riverfront Plaza riverwalks, both of which were constructed approximately one foot higher than the project’s Riverwalk due to elevated bulkheads implemented as part of the city’s resiliency initiatives. Site-planning efforts were further shaped by the preservation of existing oak trees, with the park layout designed to integrate these mature landscape elements wherever possible. Hanson also incorporated drainage and flow mitigation measures to accommodate discharge from the Performing Arts Center’s fire protection system so the existing operational requirements were effectively managed within the overall site drainage design.
The park design incorporates a musical garden walk and a series of interactive “node” areas where visitors can experience Jacksonville’s musical history through art, play and technology. Features include interactive musical installations and kiosks, children’s music-themed playscapes and instruments, native plantings, shade structures, synthetic lawn areas, custom cast stone seat walls, multiple pavement treatments, steps and railings to connect the Performing Arts Center patrons to the public space. Distinctive elements such as the riverfront bump-outs, a central treble-clef motif, custom shade feature developed in collaboration with a local metal fabricator and a multi-purpose space designed to mimic a record player reinforce the park’s unique identity while responding to its waterfront setting.
Central to the experience is a dedicated Walk of Fame honoring influential musicians, composers, bands and cultural contributors with ties to Jacksonville. Guided by a committee of local historians, musicians, authors and music industry professionals assembled by the Downtown Investment Authority, the installation celebrates Jacksonville’s broad musical legacy, from artists such as Ray Charles, Ma Rainey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers Band and Molly Hatchet to contemporary performers and groups including Shinedown, Yellowcard, Lil Duval and Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Through thoughtful site engineering and multidisciplinary coordination, Hanson helped translate the park’s ambitious cultural vision into a cohesive waterfront environment. Established in spring 2026, the Riverfront Music Garden creates a vibrant destination where infrastructure, landscape, interactive technology, public art and musical storytelling come together, offering residents and visitors an inclusive space to explore Jacksonville’s musical legacy while enjoying one of the city’s most significant natural assets, the St. Johns River.
