Green Cove Springs is getting ready to put a federal grant to work on drainage in the neighborhood around Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and the city wants to hear from residents first.
Quick Facts
- Project: Oakridge Basin Stormwater Collection System Improvements, CDBG #26DB-N08
- Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. from Oakridge Ave. to Highland Ave., plus parts of Oakridge, North, Center, Palmer, Spruce, Forbes and Walnut streets and Highland Ave.
- Work: about 5,800 linear feet of storm pipe, plus swales, inlets and related drainage improvements
- Grant: $1,275,000, federal CDBG through FloridaCommerce (Grant Agreement H2617)
- Designer: Mittauer & Associates, per the city’s project page
- Comments due: Nov. 5, 2026, to Mike Null at 321 Walnut Street or mnull@greencovesprings.com
- Release of funds request: on or about Nov. 6, 2026
- Review file: City Hall, 321 Walnut Street, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The city posted a public notice on Oct. 19 for the Oakridge Basin Stormwater Collection System Improvements Project. Under state paperwork, it’s known as CDBG #26DB-N08. The notice says the city will ask FloridaCommerce, the state agency that runs the program, to release the grant money on or about Nov. 6. Written comments are due by Nov. 5.
What’s planned
According to the notice, crews would install about 5,800 linear feet of stormwater pipe, along with swales, inlets and related drainage improvements. Most of the work would run along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Oakridge Avenue on the west and Highland Avenue on the east.
It would also reach parts of these streets:
- Oakridge Avenue
- North Street
- Center Street
- Palmer Street
- Spruce Street
- Forbes Street
- Walnut Street
- Highland Avenue
Areas torn up during construction would be restored. The city says the goal is to carry more stormwater, improve drainage, “reduce localized flooding, and provide long-term protection for residential properties within the project service area.”
How it’s paid for
The money comes from the federal Community Development Block Grant program. It’s funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and handed out to small cities by FloridaCommerce through the Florida Small Cities CDBG program. The notice lists $1,275,000 in CDBG funds for the flood and drainage work.
The grant has been in the works for a while:
- May 6, 2025: the City Council adopted Resolution R-10-2025. It set a short-term goal of applying for Community Development Block Grant funds “to make flood and drainage improvements to the Oakridge Stormwater Collection system.”
- Aug. 21, 2025: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that year’s Small Cities CDBG awards. His office listed Green Cove Springs for $1.2 million “for stormwater improvements.”
- Oct. 21, 2025: a city council consent agenda included approval of CDBG Grant Agreement H2617 “in the amount of $1,275,000 for the Oakridge Ave Stormwater Project.”
The project fits into a bigger picture. A March 2026 stormwater utility report prepared for the city by NV5 notes that the “CDBG Grant 1.275 M for Oakridge Basin will reduce overall loan amount to $8,150,000.” That loan pays for the city’s 10-year list of stormwater projects.
The city’s Oakridge Stormwater Project webpage says Mittauer & Associates has completed the design and the permit applications have been submitted. The page also says the city has applied for a Resilient Florida grant for the remaining cost. It lists construction as “on hold to 2027 depending on funding.” A construction contractor has not been named.
What the environmental notice means
Federal grant money comes with a required environmental review. The notice handles two steps at once.
First, the city has issued what’s called a Finding of No Significant Impact. In plain terms, the city reviewed the project and concluded it won’t significantly harm the environment. That means a full Environmental Impact Statement isn’t required. The city’s review file, called the Environmental Review Record, is available at City Hall, 321 Walnut Street. You can look at it or get copies on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Second, the city is giving notice that it plans to ask the state to release the grant money. That release is what lets the city actually start spending it.
How to comment
Anyone, including any group or agency, can send written comments on the review record to Mike Null, Assistant City Manager, City of Green Cove Springs, 321 Walnut Street, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043. You can also email mnull@greencovesprings.com. The city will consider comments received by Nov. 5 before it asks for the money. The notice asks commenters to say which notice they are addressing.
After the city submits its request, FloridaCommerce will accept objections for 15 days. Objections can only be made on a few specific grounds listed in the notice, such as the city skipping a required step. They go to FloridaCommerce, Office of Long-Term Resiliency, 107 East Madison Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399. The notice says anyone thinking of objecting should check with FloridaCommerce on the last day of that window.
Questions about the project can go to City Hall at 904-297-7500.
