| History: |
Mandarin Park is located adjacent to Julington Creek in the Mandarin section of southeast Jacksonville. A leading producer of oranges in North America for most of the 1800's, the community acquired its name from the Mandarin orange that was grown there. The Mandarin Community Club, which was established in 1923, takes a very active interest in the area's parks. When the development of Mandarin greatly accelerated after the Buckman Bridge opened in 1970, the booming population needed additional recreational facilities. The City purchased the park site in 1989, and together with the design firm, sought and received considerable input from the area's residents about what facilities they wanted in the park. Former City Councilman Dick Kravitz was instrumental in the land acquisition and early development, which went on to inlclude the picnic area and nature trails in 1992, the pier in 1993, and the boat ramp in 2006. |
