Jacksonville just trimmed one more Confederate reference from its map. On Tuesday, the Jacksonville City Council voted 11-8 to rename a short stretch of Confederate Street in the Springfield neighborhood to Rose Arbor Way. The change covers a small block in Council District 7 and was brought forward by Councilmember Jimmy Peluso.
As reported by First Coast News, the ordinance cleared the council after a round of public testimony and back-and-forth debate at Tuesday night’s meeting. Listed on the council docket as item 2026-0140, the measure’s committee stops and amendments are detailed in the city’s Legistar agenda and bill files, which show it moving through neighborhood and transportation committees before reaching the full council.
Rose Arbor Way Honors a Park Landmark
City paperwork explains that “Rose Arbor Way” is meant to recognize the historic rose arbor in Springfield Park, a restored landscape feature that neighborhood groups have been eager to spotlight. The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission reviewed the request and recommended approval of the renaming, according to its minutes posted on Jacksonville.gov.
A Tug-of-War Over the Name
This is not the first time the block’s name has been up for a vote. In 2024, a proposal to rename Confederate Street for local activist Ben Frazier came up short in a 10-7 council vote, a result that highlighted just how sharply divided Springfield and City Hall have been over these issues. Councilmember Peluso told First Coast News the street “was renamed during the Jim Crow era,” a point supporters leaned on in arguing that the time for a change had come. Local reporting from 2024 chronicled the Ben Frazier proposal and its defeat in detail.
How the Change Moved Through City Hall
Council legislation shows the bill was tweaked in committee so it applied only to a defined segment of Confederate Street rather than the entire roadway. Staff explained that narrowing the scope helped avoid additional waiver requirements before the item advanced to the full council. The final ordinance instructs the Legislative Services Division to send a copy to Public Works, Traffic Engineering and the Addressing Division so the change can be processed and coordinated with the relevant agencies.
What Neighbors Can Expect Next
For nearby residents, the decision means new street signs and updates to the city’s addressing systems and emergency response databases. City records note that notices were mailed to affected property owners while the measure worked its way through the review process. Local preservation advocates and the property owner say they collaborated with council staff to land on “Rose Arbor Way” as a name that ties directly to neighborhood history and the Springfield Park feature.
Where This Fits in the Bigger Picture
The move is one more local step in Jacksonville’s longer, sometimes heated debate over Confederate names and monuments. Springfield Park itself once carried the name Confederate Park and has been at the heart of that fight in recent years. City records and local coverage indicate the Confederate Street vote is part of a broader series of changes aimed at reframing public spaces in and around the neighborhood.
