Ortega/Ortega Forest/Venetia

Ortega/Ortega Forest/Venetia

na

The Ortega/Ortega Forest and Venetia areas of Jacksonville are some of the most desirable neighborhoods
in which to llive. They are naturally beautiful with large, moss-draped oak trees, and many of the homes are located
on the St. Johns and the Ortega Rivers. Three public and
one private elementary school are located within approximately a l.5 mile radius. All the areas are located
about ten minutes from downtown Jacksonville, and travel
can be either fast on Hiway 17 and Interstates 10 and 95, or a more scenic route may be taken through historic Avondale and Riverside parallelling the St. John's River to
downtown.
Ortega preservation Society, Inc. (OPS) is a 501(c)(3) recognized neighborhood organization which is dedicated to preserving the best of Ortega and surrounding areas.
Open monthly board meetings are held to discuss issues of concern such as possible zoning issues, or public right-of-way issues. Board members help to sponsor events such as an annual Fall Festival the first weekend in November and an annual lluminaria event each Christmas.
Recently, OPS lead a 4-year effort to improve and beautify a public commercial area in the middle of Old Ortega called
Ortega Village. This effort was completed in April, l999 and is to be formalized with a dedication ceremony sometime in May. Ortega is currently undergoing its first historic survey
which is sponsored by OPS. The survey is partiallly funded by a state grant, and over 600 structures have been identified to be surveyed.
Ortega Preservation and all of its board meetings are open to all of the public. Volunteers to help with the sponsored events and the tabloid newspaper also published four times a year by OPS are always needed and welcomed. Contact
OPS at PO Box 46, Ortega Station, Jax, FL 32210 or call
at (904) 389-9414 or fax us at (904) 389-9294.

na

na