Eastside residents justify the City Council investing CBA money in their community

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The people of Jacksonville’s Eastside want to make sure their voices are heard as the city decides what to do with the millions of dollars originally earmarked for their community.

The $94 million was removed from the Community Benefit Agreement portion of the Jaguars stadium deal earlier this year.

Eastern residents say investment in their community is long overdue.

RELATED: ‘We deserve it’: Eastside residents hope for ‘Community Benefits Deal’

At least a half-dozen of them spoke at Tuesday night’s Jacksonville City Council meeting, and all who spoke said they supported spending the money to improve the Eastside.

“Let’s make history. Let’s get past this CBA. Help us make our neighborhood a community,” said one Eastside resident. “One of our great scholars once said, ‘Your neighborhood is like a bucket with a hole in it.’ A neighborhood is just where you eat and sleep. A community, however, is where you store your valuables.”

Another resident called it “an incredible opportunity” to invest in a “transformational and fiscally responsible” project.

“Actually, as shared, it saves the city money,” they said. “Investing in homelessness is proven to save money.”

When the City Council approved the stadium deal in June, it included part of the Community Benefits Agreement, but $94 million was set aside to be settled later.

At the time, there was concern about conflicts of interest because some council members work with groups that could benefit from the money.

The current plan would spend $30 million over three years to improve the Eastside.

A special city council committee will make a recommendation on how to split the rest of the money by the end of the month.