JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council may revisit a plan to buy out the owner of a proposed liquor store in Brentwood following community pushback.
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Members of the Brentwood community expressed disdain over the liquor store location due to its proximity to Kipp Elementary School.
The question, however, is where the city will get the money to buy the liquor store owner’s property.
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It was revealed in the City Council meeting last night that the city has an unused half a million dollars in the bank that was originally embarked on by Mayor Lenny Curry to remove a Confederate monument in Springfield Park. However, the City Council never approved the monument’s removal.
Last night, City Council member Al Ferraro suggested that the unused funds be put towards buying the liquor store owner’s property and building a community center in its place instead.
Read: Brentwood residents say no to liquor store
Ferraro, however, has since taken the proposal off the table.
“I wanted to let people know it was about taking money and putting it into the removal of the liquor store,” Ferraro explained to Action News Jax. “The community had originally asked me to put this forward. Then they’re asking me to withdraw this bill, so I’ll be doing that later.”
Take ‘Em Down Jax is an organization that says they demand immediate action to remove all monuments in the city dedicated to white supremacy. One of its members told Action News Jax that Ferraro’s proposal was “a bold attempt to keep the statue up.”
Action News Jax will continue to follow the story and update you as events unfold.
Read: Brentwood residents hire attorney to help fight liquor store issue
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