11/7/22 @ 8:45 a.m. - Approximately 150 people gathered Saturday morning to celebrate the opening of Nassau Crossing Park located 77480 William Burgess Blvd. in Yulee. This park is a result of a public-private partnership between the Board of County Commissioners and Matovina & Associates, the developer for the nearby Nassau Crossing community.
The County and Matovina & Associates originally broke ground on Phase One of the park in September 2019 and since then, residents have been anxiously waiting its completion. Perhaps the most anxiously awaited feature of the park has been the children's play area which features two enclosed playgrounds, one built for our littlest residents and another for our growing residents looking for more thrills. This second playground features swings, rock walls, a treehouse, and Nassau County's tallest slide!
The park also has 2.5 miles of multi-use trails, restrooms, picnic areas with gazebos, outdoor fitness stations, open green space and an abundance of beautiful trees and greenery. The community plaza contains a unique train caboose that signifies and celebrates the area's rich railroad history.
Saturday's celebration began with a welcome message by Board Chairman, Jeff Gray, followed by opening remarks from Parks & Recreation Director, Jay Robertson. Next, Greg Matovina spoke about how his partnership with the County made this project a reality. He stated, "several years ago, I emailed the Growth Management Director (now County Manager) Taco Pope telling him I would like a meeting to discuss how to rezone some property from industrial to residential. A few weeks later during that meeting, Taco took my map and drew on it. Then he said "this is where the park goes, this is where the commercial and multi-family units go, and this is where your single family homes go...we're gonna work this out so you can do what you do (build your neighborhood) and we (the County) can make it the best it can be for Nassau County." Mr. Matovina went on to say, "If there's any one person that I would say deserves the most applause, it's Taco."
Last to speak was County Manager Pope who shared his excitement about seeing the project come to fruition. He stated, "I grew up right down the street near US 17 and Radio Avenue. I then moved in the late 80's to Radio Avenue. I bought my first house on Harts Road. This is my neighborhood and we had nothing like this growing up. To be here in this position opening this park... I couldn't have ever imagined this as a kid. I really appreciate everyone's work and this partnership with Mr. Matovina and his crew".
Following the ceremonial Ribbon Cutting, the gates were opened and dozens of kids ran as fast as they could to the playground. It was truly a wonderful site to see!
Coming next year in Phase Two are (2) two multi-use fields, nature outlooks, a water feature, and gated a dog park with nine activities for pups of all sizes and ability. All of these additions are anticipated to be completed in 2023.
-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
The County and Matovina & Associates originally broke ground on Phase One of the park in September 2019 and since then, residents have been anxiously waiting its completion. Perhaps the most anxiously awaited feature of the park has been the children's play area which features two enclosed playgrounds, one built for our littlest residents and another for our growing residents looking for more thrills. This second playground features swings, rock walls, a treehouse, and Nassau County's tallest slide!
The park also has 2.5 miles of multi-use trails, restrooms, picnic areas with gazebos, outdoor fitness stations, open green space and an abundance of beautiful trees and greenery. The community plaza contains a unique train caboose that signifies and celebrates the area's rich railroad history.
Saturday's celebration began with a welcome message by Board Chairman, Jeff Gray, followed by opening remarks from Parks & Recreation Director, Jay Robertson. Next, Greg Matovina spoke about how his partnership with the County made this project a reality. He stated, "several years ago, I emailed the Growth Management Director (now County Manager) Taco Pope telling him I would like a meeting to discuss how to rezone some property from industrial to residential. A few weeks later during that meeting, Taco took my map and drew on it. Then he said "this is where the park goes, this is where the commercial and multi-family units go, and this is where your single family homes go...we're gonna work this out so you can do what you do (build your neighborhood) and we (the County) can make it the best it can be for Nassau County." Mr. Matovina went on to say, "If there's any one person that I would say deserves the most applause, it's Taco."
Last to speak was County Manager Pope who shared his excitement about seeing the project come to fruition. He stated, "I grew up right down the street near US 17 and Radio Avenue. I then moved in the late 80's to Radio Avenue. I bought my first house on Harts Road. This is my neighborhood and we had nothing like this growing up. To be here in this position opening this park... I couldn't have ever imagined this as a kid. I really appreciate everyone's work and this partnership with Mr. Matovina and his crew".
Following the ceremonial Ribbon Cutting, the gates were opened and dozens of kids ran as fast as they could to the playground. It was truly a wonderful site to see!
Coming next year in Phase Two are (2) two multi-use fields, nature outlooks, a water feature, and gated a dog park with nine activities for pups of all sizes and ability. All of these additions are anticipated to be completed in 2023.
-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
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