The Downtown Investment Authority seeks to attract investment, facilitate job creation and increase residential density through capital investment, planning, marketing, and public-private partnerships including the provision of incentives.
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Downtown Development Update Part II: Gateway Jax adds grocery, sign up at Riverfront Plaza
Here's a look at the progress of some of the developments ongoing in Downtown Jacksonville.
Gateway Jax Pearl Square
Publix and the partnership behind the Gateway Jax multiproperty development announced in early September that the grocer would open a 31,000-square-foot store in ground-floor space in Gateway’s Block N7 mixed-use development at 119 W. Beaver St.
Publix will lease space in the building for a full-service store that will include a pharmacy, they said.
The building is the former main auditorium of First Baptist Church. Gateway plans to raze it and build a 15-story residential tower with about 250 apartments and integrated parking with 400 spaces.
It is part of Pearl Square, Gateway’s $750 million development in the NorthCore area of Downtown.
In December 2024, the Downtown Investment Authority board endorsed a $2.1 million incentive package aimed at incorporating a grocery store into the Block N7 project.
In May 2025, Gateway broke ground on its second structure, a mixed-use building at 425 Beaver St. designed to include 286 multifamily units, nearly 20,000 square feet of retail space and on-site parking.
It is northwest of Gateway’s first construction site, 515 Pearl St., where construction continues after commencing in October 2024.
City Council approved a $14.1 million Recapture Enhanced Value Grant and a $6.84 million completion grant for 425 Beaver St. and a $9.06 million REV grant and $4.63 million completion grant for 515 Pearl St.
Old JEA headquarters
On Sept. 12, city-owned utility JEA selected a $1 million bid from Jacksonville-based Live Oak Contracting LLC to buy the former JEA headquarters building and transform it into a mixed-use development.
The purchase, which is pending approval by the JEA board, includes the 19-story office tower at 21 W. Church St. along with adjacent properties. Live Oak’s bid was selected over one from Jacksonville Beach-based Simple State Inc., which offered no money for the building but also submitted plans to convert it to residential and retail uses.
Live Oak’s plans include 180 residential units, rooftop amenities, office space and ground-floor uses.
In 2023, JEA moved from the old headquarters into its seven-story structure at 225 N. Pearl St., which it leases.
Two-way street restoration
July brought the completion of work to convert portions of Forsyth and Adams streets to two-way traffic, as they were originally configured before being made one-way in the mid-20th century.
Work involved installing traffic lights and signage, striping the streets and adding tree planter boxes and protected areas for streetside dining.
Work began in April 2024 on the $4.6 million restoration project. Proponents of two-way conversions say the reconfigurations reduce traffic speed and foster safer mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists, improving the livability of urban environments and promoting patronage of street-level retail stores and restaurants.
Riverfront Plaza
The city’s I Dig Jax website, jacksonville.gov/idigjax, says the first phase of the Riverfront Plaza park will open to the public in early 2026. The $38 million initial phase includes a playground on top of a pavilion building, an event lawn, new bulkhead, improved Riverwalk and plaza space connecting to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
Work is nearing completion on the pavilion building, which will include a small café space, restrooms, mechanical rooms and storage space to support the park. Among other improvements, work has begun on a splash pad.
Construction of the second phase is expected to begin by the end of 2025. It will include a beer garden and rain garden, plus a bicycle and pedestrian connection to the Main Street Bridge.
By Ric Anderson, ReporterJax Daily Record
Downtown Development Update Part I: The Four Seasons rises, NAVI rolls out
Four Seasons Hotel & Residences
As the 10-story luxury hotel moves toward targeted completion in 2026, demolition work is poised to start at the adjacent Jacksonville Shipyards marina after the issuance of a city permit in early September.
The $2 million marina project involves demolition of existing structures and replacement of the dock.
The rebuilt marina, which is being funded by the city and built by Four Seasons developer Iguana Investments, is designed to include 78 slips for vessels 30 to 400 feet in length. There will be two water taxi slips.
‘Stadium of the Future’ transformation of EverBank
The transformation of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ home field into the “Stadium of the Future” advanced Sept. 11 with the issuance of the biggest permit yet for the project.
The city issued the “SOTF Stadium of the Future – IFC 3 Permit” at a project cost of $532.14 million. It involves bowl seating removal, electrical work, interior demolition, plumbing, mechanical infrastructure and more. The Jaguars are now opening the final – and largest – bid package.
The team says the work will not affect Jaguars home games this year. The $1.4 billion stadium project is planned for completion before the start of the 2028 NFL season.
One Shipyards Place
Scott Wilson, capital projects manager for the Downtown Investment Authority, reported to the DIA board on Sept. 17 that the six-story One Shipyards Place had been dried in, meaning windows, doors, the roof and exterior walls were completed. The Jaguars will move its team headquarters to the building, where Wilson said power has been fully connected and HVAC is operating. Iguana Investments, real estate development arm of Jaguars owner Shad Khan, is building the structure.
Completion is expected in the first quarter of 2026.
The cost for the vertical construction of the office building and adjacent hotel totals $254.3 million, growing to almost $260 million with a marina support building on the grounds.
Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (NAVI)
In June 2025, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority launched its autonomous passenger service along the three-mile Bay Street Innovation Corridor.
The service is offered in converted Ford vans, with human attendants at the wheel in the opening months of the rollout.
The Bay Street Innovation Corridor route cost $65 million and comprises $39.5 million in local, $13 million in state and $12.5 million in federal funding.
It is part of the Ultimate Urban Circulator, a proposed $400 million-plus system that would expand throughout Downtown and connect to surrounding neighborhoods.
JTA reported in mid-August that the NAVI service was drawing 100 to 195 riders per day. It is initially being offered at no charge, with plans to institute a $1.75 per-passenger fee beginning Oct. 1.
One Riverside
Whole Foods Market, Solidcore fitness studio and a Japanese restaurant are planned for the mixed-use development under construction at 1 Riverside Ave. in Brooklyn on the Northbank.
The city issued a permit Sept. 10 for build-out of the 38,300-square-foot Building 1000 store for the grocer at a project cost of $7.5 million.
The city issued a permit Aug. 4 for build-out of 2,104 square feet in Building 2000 for the fitness studio at $300,000.
The operator of the Norikase Japanese restaurant in Tinseltown and Beachside Seafood in Jacksonville Beach said it plans to expand there.
Pearl Hospitality Group signed a lease to operate Norikawa in space on the riverfront with a patio along the Riverwalk. It will comprise 4,500 square feet of interior space with an additional 2,000 square feet of patio dining area.
By Ric Anderson, Reporter
Jax Daily Record
Upcoming Meetings
20251217_DIA Board Meeting
303 North Laura Street
Multipurpose Room (located in the Conference Center)
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87990789951?pwd=6D95Mq0jlJ1V4PLG9oxpc7UWGLTOSL.1
Webinar ID: 879 9078 9951
Passcode: 062932 2:00 PM
December 10th, 2025
11:45 A.M.
DOWNTOWN INVESTMENT AUTHORITY BOARD
(MEETING HELD VIRTUALLY & IN PERSON)
December 17th, 2025, at 2:00 P.M.
Notice is hereby given that the City of Jacksonville Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) will meet on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. via Hybrid Virtual/In-Person meeting. The meeting noticed herein can be accessed virtually through the Zoom.US computer application or in-person at the Jacksonville Public Library-Main Library Downtown. The purpose of this meeting is for the DIA Board to consider and take action on items on the DIA agenda.
PHYSICAL LOCATION
Jacksonville Public Library-Main Library/Downtown
303 North Laura Street
Multipurpose Room (located in the Conference Center)
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
PLEASE NOTE: The multipurpose room will not be accessible through the Main Street entrance. The Main Street entrance will be closed. Please use the Laura Street entrance to enter the building.
Directions to Multipurpose Room: Upon entering Laura Street entrance to the Library, proceed into the Main Library. Walk counterclockwise around the grand staircase and you will see signs for the public elevators. Take the elevator down to level C for Conference Level. Exit the elevator and follow hallway out. Turn left out of the hallway and proceed through glass doors into Conference Center. The Multipurpose Room is the first room on the left.
VIRTUAL LOCATION
Interested persons desiring to attend this meeting virtually can do so via Zoom (including by computer or telephone) using the following meeting access information:
Join Zoom Webinar
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87990789951?pwd=6D95Mq0jlJ1V4PLG9oxpc7UWGLTOSL.1
Webinar ID: 879 9078 9951
Passcode: 062932
One tap mobile
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keJuzyhyuj
Only individuals attending the meeting in-person will have an opportunity to provide public comments. Persons who cannot attend the meeting in-person, but who wish to submit public comments regarding any matter on the agenda for consideration at the meeting, may do so by sending their public comments via electronic mail to DIAPublicComments@coj.net prior to the start of the meeting. Public comments received prior to the meeting will not be read during the meeting but will instead be forwarded to all DIA Board members for review in advance of the meeting and will remain a part of the permanent record for the meeting itself. You are encouraged to submit public comments well in advance of the start of the meeting to provide DIA Board members with adequate time to read them in preparation for the meeting.
Please contact Ava Hill by telephone at (904) 255-5302 or by email at avah@coj.net if you have any questions regarding this notice or if you experience technical difficulties during the meeting.
If you have a disability that requires accommodations to participate in the above Downtown Investment Authority meeting, please contact the Disabled Services Division at: (904) 255-5466, TTY-(904) 255-5476, or email your request to KaraT@coj.net and we will provide reasonable assistance for you. The Florida Relay Service can be reached at 711. All requests must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. on December 16th, 2025. Requests for accommodations received after 12:00 p.m. on December 16th may not be met.
NOTE: If any person decides to appeal any decision made with respect to any matter considered at this meeting, such person will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose, such person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.
A recording of this meeting will be available upon request by emailing avah@coj.net after its conclusion.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION VIA ZOOM APPLICATION
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87990789951?pwd=6D95Mq0jlJ1V4PLG9oxpc7UWGLTOSL.1
Webinar ID: 879 9078 9951
Passcode: 062932
Public Comment
Verbal public comment is only available to in-person meeting attendees and not available to those attending virtually. However, written public comment may be submitted prior to the start of the meeting pursuant to the instructions above.
2. If you have not already registered for the Zoom application on your computer and wish to access the meeting, follow these instructions:
Sign up for the Zoom application by typing – Zoom.US – into Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge Internet Browser.
Enter the Zoom Webinar ID and meeting password listed below:
Webinar ID: 879 9078 9951
Passcode: 062932
Public Comment
Verbal public comment is only available to in-person meeting attendees and not available to those attending virtually. However, written public comment may be submitted prior to the start of the meeting pursuant to the instructions above.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR JOINING A ZOOM MEETING BY DIAL-IN PHONE ONLY
Dial: +1 (646) 558-8656. International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keJuzyhyuj
Enter the Zoom Webinar ID and meeting password listed below:
Webinar ID: 879 9078 9951
Passcode: 062932
If you join before the meeting has started, you will be prompted to press # to wait.
If you call using your mobile telephone or device, you will be prompted to enter a unique participant ID. Press # to skip.
Public Comment
Verbal public comment is only available to in-person meeting attendees and not available to those attending virtually. However, written public comment may be submitted prior to the start of the meeting pursuant to the instructions above.
Downtown Investment Authority
20260108_DDRB Meeting
20260121_DIA Board Meeting
20260212_DDRB Meeting
20260218_DIA Board Meeting
Latest News
City of Jacksonville Selected for Global EU Cities Gateway Program, Will Collaborate with Six International Cities on Housing Innovation
Contacts:
Heather Schatz, hschatz@coj.net
Colin Tarbert, ctarbert@coj.net
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, December 10, 2025 —The City of Jacksonville has been selected as one of 32 cities worldwide to participate in the 2025-2028 European Union’s EU Cities Gateway North America Program. Jacksonville will take part specifically in the Affordable and Attainable Housing cluster – one of the program’s four thematic areas focused on addressing shared urban challenges.
The EU Cities Gateway Program connects European, U.S., and Canadian cities to co-develop solutions around affordable housing, environmental resilience and sustainability, digital innovation, and urban development. Activities include study visits, online collaboration, and co-created pilot projects that will be implemented during the three-year program.
“Jacksonville’s selection places us on a global stage as we continue our work to make housing more affordable for everyone,” said Mayor Donna Deegan. “This partnership allows us to collaborate with leading cities across Europe and North America, learn from their strategies, and bring home innovative approaches that strengthen neighborhoods, ease the strain on family pocketbooks, and support Jacksonville’s fast population growth.”
Jacksonville’s International Partner Cities: As part of the Affordable and Attainable Housing cluster, Jacksonville will collaborate with six cities:
- Laval, Québec, Canada
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Tampere, Finland
- Barcelona, Spain
- Parma, Italy
Working together, these cities will exchange best practices, explore new housing models, and design a pilot project that will be developed and implemented during the program period.
Program Activities and Local Benefits: Over the next three years, Jacksonville will participate in:
- Study visits in Europe, the United States, and Canada
- Thematic workshops and webinars
- Online and in-person meetings within the housing cluster
- Joint development of a pilot initiative focused on attainable housing solutions
“This initiative aligns perfectly with Jacksonville’s commitment to expanding housing access and ensuring residents of all income levels can find a place to call home in Downtown and throughout the city,” said Colin Tarbert, CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA), who will serve as the city’s primary program coordinator. “We look forward to learning from cities with deep experience in design innovation and affordable housing solutions.”
“Jacksonville’s inclusion in this prestigious program underscores our ongoing efforts to address housing affordability. It comes at a time when we are making real progress in Jacksonville with thousands of affordable homes being built and programs in place to keep people housed,” said City of Jacksonville Affordable Housing Director Joshua Hicks. “Collaboration with leading cities around the world will accelerate our momentum and bring the most effective, innovative housing solutions back home.”
Please find visuals attached for your reference.
About the City of Jacksonville
The City of Jacksonville is the largest city by land mass in the contiguous United States, serving more than one million residents. City of Jacksonville leadership includes Mayor Donna Deegan and a 19-member City Council led by President Kevin Carrico. To learn more, visit jacksonville.gov.
Serious playtime: New Jacksonville parks aimed at bringing residents Downtown
The city of Jacksonville has begun opening a planned string of riverside public parks Downtown, with the intention to not only provide activities for families but spur revitalization of the city’s core.
The parks are a key part of the Downtown Investment Authority’s strategy to improve the quality of life Downtown and create more activity in the center of Jacksonville.
If the approach works, it will spur an influx of new residents Downtown, which in turn would attract new restaurants, retail establishments, mixed-use developers and companies looking for a place where their employees can live close to work.
Speaking Nov. 24 at the opening of public parks in the RiversEdge development on the Southbank, Mayor Donna Deegan said the idea behind the collection of Downtown parks is “to turn our riverfront into a true front porch for the entire city.”
“RiversEdge will also connect seamlessly with our broader riverfront park system, from Friendship Fountain on the Southbank to the new parks on the Northbank like Riverfront Plaza and Shipyards West.
“As we cut this ribbon today, I hope you’ll look around and imagine what this place is going to look like in five years, 10, 20 years from now. Children who aren’t even born yet having their first picnic here. Festivals and 5Ks becoming beloved traditions. Art, music, food trucks and community events filling these lawns and walkways, and a skyline that reflects a city that believes in itself.”
Some City Council members have expressed concerns over the cost of the parks, particularly increases that have occurred amid rising construction costs and evolving designs.
“There’s no concept of, ‘Can we afford this?’” Council member Ron Salem said during a Council committee meeting in 2024, telling city officials he expected them to set a budget and reduce amenities if needed to hit the target. “It seems like if you’ve got $60 million, the cost is $60 million and you’ve got to scale back.”
With new parks recently opening and construction on others underway, here is a snapshot of the projects heading into 2026.
Riverfront Plaza
The $32.5 million first phase of the park on the former site of the Jacksonville Landing is nearing completion, and a soft opening was held Nov. 29 as part of the Holiday River Fest.
Park features include a playground on top of a pavilion building, an event lawn, new bulkhead, improved Riverwalk and plaza space connecting to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
The city’s I Dig Jax website says construction of the second, $46 million phase will begin by the end of 2025. Plans for it include a beer garden and rain garden, plus a bicycle and pedestrian connection to the Main Street Bridge.
Music Heritage Garden
Construction is underway on the $6 million Northbank park stretching from Water to Hogan streets along the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
Plans include walkways shaped like musical notes, playable recordings of music connected to Jacksonville and a Walk of Fame dedicated to local musicians.
The city expects completion in spring 2026.
Shipyards West Park
In October, the city unveiled designs that were 90% complete for the 10-acre park planned between Catherine Street and Hogans Creek on the Northbank.
Planned features include a two-story gallery and event pavilion, a beach, a cove with pedal boats, a fishing pier, multipurpose flex lawn and more.
The total cost of the park is listed at $74.7 million in the city Capital Improvement Plan.
The Jacksonville Fire Museum and USS Orleck floating naval museum are adjacent to the park.
Metropolitan Park
Design work also is underway for a revamp of this Northbank park at 4110 Gator Bowl Blvd., east of the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences now under construction.
Latest designs show such amenities as boardwalks, an elevated walkway, splash pad and a redesigned performance lawn providing greater visibility from Bay Street.
The city estimates the cost of the project at $28.5 million and says funding for construction will be available beginning in the fall of 2026. Construction is expected to take 12 to 18 months.
RiversEdge
The $693 million RiversEdge mixed-use development includes four parks that opened Nov. 24.
Features include winding walkways, a yoga lawn and a playground with such equipment as swings, merry-go-rounds and high-tech touch-activated games.
The city issued a site-clearing and horizontal development permit July 17, 2024, for the RiversEdge parks and recreation area, for installation of hardscape and landscape, on 4.1 acres at a project cost of $35 million.
Other parks and projects
• In October, the city reconnected McCoys Creek to the St. Johns River in a rerouted channel between the One Riverside development and the Acosta Bridge.
• The city said the $107.6 million project was designed partly to facilitate greater recreational use of the creek, which had previously run beneath the former Florida Times-Union building.
• The revamped Friendship Fountain opened in February 2024 on the Southbank, and work continues on the St. Johns River Park neighboring the fountain to the east. The city expects to complete the park in spring 2026. Features include a history-themed play park, a wedding venue, picnic areas and gardens.
• Design work continues on a revamp of James Weldon Johnson Park, the square south of City Hall. The nonprofit Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park is partnering with the city on the project, which is under design by Hood Design Studio of Oakland, California. The studio also designed Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park in LaVilla, which opened in June 2024.
• The $8.8 million Artist Walk and skate park opened in August 2024 under the Fuller Warren Bridge. The skate park features include ramps shaped like the letters JAX, plus rails and stairs. The park and Artist Walk plaza are between Riverside Avenue and Park Street.
By Ric Anderson, Managing Editor
Jax Daily Record
Jacksonville debuts first phase of Riverfront Plaza
With the cutting of a 6-foot ribbon unfurled amid several acres of Downtown green space, Jacksonville opened its new Riverfront Plaza park Dec. 5.
The opening event marked the completion of the first phase of development of Riverfront Plaza on the former site of the Jacksonville Landing.
The initial phase of the 6-acre park includes a playground on top of a pavilion building, an event lawn, improved Riverwalk, plaza space connecting to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts and, temporarily, a Christmas tree.
“This park is more than just a green space. It is another bold step forward in reclaiming our riverfront at the heart of our city,” Mayor Donna Deegan said at the ceremony. “Our vision for a continuous, activated and people-centered riverfront is becoming a reality.”
The second phase of construction is underway for the east end of the park. That phase will include a rain garden, water feature, civic stairs, a beer garden and a pedestrian ramp to the Main Street Bridge.
The second phase is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, said Daryl Joseph, Jacksonville’s director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.
The first phase of the project cost $38 million, while the city lists the cost of the second phase at $40 million. Perkins & Will Inc. was the architect and Jacksonville-based Haskell is the construction contractor for both phases.
Riverfront Plaza was the second park site to officially open in the last two weeks. The four RiverEdge parks opened Nov. 24 on the former site of the JEA Southside Generating Plant on Downtown’s Southbank.
The city is also planning on developing two more parks Downtown. Design work is underway on Shipyards West between Catherine Street and Hogans Creek, and renovations to Metropolitan Park near the WJCT Public Media building. Both parks are along Bay Street on the Northbank.
“This is just the beginning,” City Council member Matt Carlucci said. “Together, (the Downtown parks) will form, in my opinion, the finest network of downtown riverfront parks in the entire country.”
By Joe Lister, Reporter
Jax Daily Record