City of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry joined the Public Works Department, The Haskell Co. and A&E Engineering for a groundbreaking ceremony in the San Marco neighborhood.

“This LaSalle Street Pump station will be an important tool to address chronic flooding in the San Marco community and protect these citizens and their property,” said Curry. “This project would not be possible without the revenue from the Local Option Gas Tax and the Jobs for Jax program.”

Unlike other areas of the city, San Marco’s geography is shaped like a bowl, so it’s very difficult for rainwater that collects in the middle of the neighborhood to flow out to the river. This situation is especially challenging when high tides are prevalent. This type of geography and condition eliminates a way of naturally draining to the river without mechanical pumping.

 Bryan Bedell, Vice President and Market Leader – Water at Haskell, said, “This groundbreaking represents a long-term, shared community commitment to growth, change and improved quality of life in this neighborhood. Haskell is proud to be the design-builder on a project where local leaders, policymakers and community members have come together to make this shared vision a possibility.”

The LaSalle Street Pump Station project will reduce stormwater flooding on LaSalle Street and the surrounding neighborhood. The new pump station is one of a series of planned improvements to the stormwater collection system in the San Marco neighborhood. Once constructed, this project will significantly reduce adverse flood impacts, resulting in cost savings and allowing residents and businesses within the basin to bounce back more quickly after storm events.