While Downtown observers have heard it for years, developers say this time, it’s real.
They say you won’t recognize Downtown in three to four – maybe seven – years. That it is at a tipping point in development and attracting residents and capital investment.
That Jacksonville is 20 years behind Tampa’s resurgence, but it’s time is now.
They say it’s real because they all are working together and that the city is, too. They used the words “collaboration” and “harmony.”
Another common word is “intentionality.”
They cited the need for “passion” for development, especially historic redevelopment with its unexpected discoveries after work starts.
Of course, they said, the key is to make a development deal “pencil” – or make financial sense to lenders and investors – and that is where the city and the Downtown Investment Authority factor into the equation by granting incentives.
A panel of five developers headlined the Bisnow “Urban Resurgence: Exploring Commercial Real Estate Developments in Downtown Jacksonville” discussion Feb. 29 at the Southbank Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront.
Four of them are active Downtown developers and the recipients of DIA incentive agreements.
Gunster shareholder Julia Holden Davis moderated the panel.
Bisnow, a Washington, D.C.-based digital media company that reports about the commercial real estate industry and sponsors events, hosted the “Jacksonville State of the Market Urban Resurgence, Investment Insights, & Infrastructure Innovations” event.
The Downtown panelists comprised Alex Sifakis, president of JWB Real Estate Capital; Bryan Moll, CEO of Gateway Jax; Billy Zeits, vice president of government affairs with Corner Lot; Matt Marshall, senior vice president of Rise: A Real Estate Company; and Ken Thomas, project executive of Catamount Constructors Inc.
The Downtown discussion was the first of three panels, with the others covering investment trends and community impact.
Read the full story at the Jacksonville Daily Record.