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Downtown is made up of eight districts, flanking the River’s Northeastern curve on both sides: Brooklyn, LaVilla, City Center, NorthCore, Cathedral Hill, Sports & Entertainment, Working Waterfront and Southbank. Each district offers a unique, captivating history. The map below showcases the boundaries of each Downtown district.
BROOKLYN
Modern and colorful, Brooklyn connects LaVilla and City Center to the historic Riverside neighborhood and 5Points shopping and entertainment district. Home to major corporate headquarters such as Haskell, Black Knight Financial and FIS, Brooklyn offers an ideal location for businesses and residents alike. The district has a mix of uses, including riverfront office, multi-family housing developments, condominiums, restaurants, retail and light industrial. The community enjoys plentiful river access, and with various major projects currently underway and strong economics, the Brooklyn district is well-positioned for continued growth and success.
LAVILLA
East of City Center, LaVilla is home to a rich cultural heritage. As Jacksonville’s oldest suburb, LaVilla was known as the Harlem of the South and the epicenter of Black culture and commerce in Northeast Florida, as well as Jacksonville’s railroad hub. LaVilla’s vibrant music and entertainment scene attracted many nationally renowned artists who came to play at the local clubs on and off Ashley Street. In 1929, the Ritz Theatre opened, becoming both an important stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit and LaVilla’s primary performance venue. Following a decline in population and quality of life in the 20th Century, the River City Renaissance (RCR) Plan aimed to revitalize the area in the 1990s, making room for future development through the acquisition and clearing of many acres. Recently, redevelopment has returned in the form of new workforce housing and transportation projects. The 2019 LaVilla Neighborhood Development Strategy calls for a LaVilla Heritage Trail that will engage and educate the public on LaVilla’s rich history and a Water Street road diet to connect the historic district to the riverfront.
CITY CENTER (Central Core Overlay District)
City Center encompasses many of Downtown’s office towers, government services, regional non-profits, and various art and cultural centers, making it the most concentrated area of focus for economic development on the Northbank. City Center's small walkable blocks are filled with historic architecture, cultural amenities, and public art. The City of Jacksonville was founded on the riverbank of City Center, and iconic cultural centers like the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Florida Theatre reside in City Center. Today, work is underway to re-establish key riverfront properties and enhance Jacksonville’s iconic skyline. The availability of several unique and historic properties provide significant opportunities for adaptive reuse.
NORTHCORE (formerly Church Overlay District)
Situated along the northern boundary of Downtown between City Center and the historic Springfield neighborhood, the NorthCore is on the threshold of a major transition. The area is experiencing a resurgence thanks to numerous adaptive reuse projects aimed at preserving the rich, historic building stock and at bringing residential, retail and a hotel to the district.
CATHEDRAL HILL
Anchored by five historic churches, Cathedral Hill connects City Center to the Sports & Entertainment District and is home to Billy Goat Hill, the highest point in Downtown Jacksonville. Beginning in 2016, the area has been championed by Cathedral District Jax-Inc. (CD-J), a nonprofit organized to foster growth as Jacksonville’s Downtown neighborhood. CD-J created a master plan for the area to support development and revitalization efforts, including the continued support of the senior residents who call the district home via affordable, quality housing and amenities.
SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sporting the biggest concentration of entertainment venues, the Sports & Entertainment District is home to five sports teams, major concerts, the annual Jacksonville Fair and much more. The district was once home to a thriving maritime industry, its riverfront lined with shipyards. Today, major mixed-use developments are planned to bring residents, employees, and visitors to the area.
In 2017, portions of the Cathedral District and the Sports & Entertainment District were designated as “Opportunity Zones.” Opportunity Zones were created as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and offer investors tax breaks designed to encourage economic development in economically distressed areas. For investors to gain the maximum tax break of 15%, the investment has to be held for seven years and completed by 2026.
WORKING WATERFRONT
The Working Waterfront sits on the eastern edge of Downtown beyond the Sports & Entertainment District. Home to the North Florida Shipyards, the district primarily supports industrial waterfront uses with a special district zoning overlay to accommodate the needs of shipping, lumber, concrete and oil businesses operating there.
SOUTHBANK
Home to tall riverfront office and residential towers, the Southbank sits between the St. Johns River and the San Marco neighborhood to the south. It features a wealth of hotels and premier medical campuses including Baptist Medical Center, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Nemours Specialty Care center. The community enjoys plentiful riverfront access via the Southbank riverwalk, a boat ramp, kayak launch and River Taxi stops.
Explore Downtown
Downtown is made up of eight districts, flanking the River’s Northeastern curve on both sides: Brooklyn, LaVilla, City Center, NorthCore, Cathedral Hill, Sports & Entertainment, Working Waterfront and Southbank. Each district offers a unique, captivating history. The map below showcases the boundaries of each Downtown district.
BROOKLYN
Modern and colorful, Brooklyn connects LaVilla and City Center to the historic Riverside neighborhood and 5Points shopping and entertainment district. Home to major corporate headquarters such as Haskell, Black Knight Financial and FIS, Brooklyn offers an ideal location for businesses and residents alike. The district has a mix of uses, including riverfront office, multi-family housing developments, condominiums, restaurants, retail and light industrial. The community enjoys plentiful river access, and with various major projects currently underway and strong economics, the Brooklyn district is well-positioned for continued growth and success.
LAVILLA
East of City Center, LaVilla is home to a rich cultural heritage. As Jacksonville’s oldest suburb, LaVilla was known as the Harlem of the South and the epicenter of Black culture and commerce in Northeast Florida, as well as Jacksonville’s railroad hub. LaVilla’s vibrant music and entertainment scene attracted many nationally renowned artists who came to play at the local clubs on and off Ashley Street. In 1929, the Ritz Theatre opened, becoming both an important stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit and LaVilla’s primary performance venue. Following a decline in population and quality of life in the 20th Century, the River City Renaissance (RCR) Plan aimed to revitalize the area in the 1990s, making room for future development through the acquisition and clearing of many acres. Recently, redevelopment has returned in the form of new workforce housing and transportation projects. The 2019 LaVilla Neighborhood Development Strategy calls for a LaVilla Heritage Trail that will engage and educate the public on LaVilla’s rich history and a Water Street road diet to connect the historic district to the riverfront.
CITY CENTER (Central Core Overlay District)
City Center encompasses many of Downtown’s office towers, government services, regional non-profits, and various art and cultural centers, making it the most concentrated area of focus for economic development on the Northbank. City Center's small walkable blocks are filled with historic architecture, cultural amenities, and public art. The City of Jacksonville was founded on the riverbank of City Center, and iconic cultural centers like the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Florida Theatre reside in City Center. Today, work is underway to re-establish key riverfront properties and enhance Jacksonville’s iconic skyline. The availability of several unique and historic properties provide significant opportunities for adaptive reuse.
NORTHCORE (formerly Church Overlay District)
Situated along the northern boundary of Downtown between City Center and the historic Springfield neighborhood, the NorthCore is on the threshold of a major transition. The area is experiencing a resurgence thanks to numerous adaptive reuse projects aimed at preserving the rich, historic building stock and at bringing residential, retail and a hotel to the district.
CATHEDRAL HILL
Anchored by five historic churches, Cathedral Hill connects City Center to the Sports & Entertainment District and is home to Billy Goat Hill, the highest point in Downtown Jacksonville. Beginning in 2016, the area has been championed by Cathedral District Jax-Inc. (CD-J), a nonprofit organized to foster growth as Jacksonville’s Downtown neighborhood. CD-J created a master plan for the area to support development and revitalization efforts, including the continued support of the senior residents who call the district home via affordable, quality housing and amenities.
SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sporting the biggest concentration of entertainment venues, the Sports & Entertainment District is home to five sports teams, major concerts, the annual Jacksonville Fair and much more. The district was once home to a thriving maritime industry, its riverfront lined with shipyards. Today, major mixed-use developments are planned to bring residents, employees, and visitors to the area.
In 2017, portions of the Cathedral District and the Sports & Entertainment District were designated as “Opportunity Zones.” Opportunity Zones were created as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and offer investors tax breaks designed to encourage economic development in economically distressed areas. For investors to gain the maximum tax break of 15%, the investment has to be held for seven years and completed by 2026.
WORKING WATERFRONT
The Working Waterfront sits on the eastern edge of Downtown beyond the Sports & Entertainment District. Home to the North Florida Shipyards, the district primarily supports industrial waterfront uses with a special district zoning overlay to accommodate the needs of shipping, lumber, concrete and oil businesses operating there.
SOUTHBANK
Home to tall riverfront office and residential towers, the Southbank sits between the St. Johns River and the San Marco neighborhood to the south. It features a wealth of hotels and premier medical campuses including Baptist Medical Center, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Nemours Specialty Care center. The community enjoys plentiful riverfront access via the Southbank riverwalk, a boat ramp, kayak launch and River Taxi stops.