Downtown Jacksonville Leaders Bet on a Billion-Dollar Revival

Key points:

• • Downtown Jacksonville is being reshaped by a $7 billion development pipeline.
• • Major projects are driving new residents, visitors, and investment into the urban core.
• • Local leaders see strong momentum building toward a transformed downtown by 2028.

June 2026 — Downtown Jacksonville is in the middle of a generational transformation, a major investment that is backed by a $7 billion development pipeline spanning luxury hospitality, workforce housing, institutional anchors, and world-class sports infrastructure. According to Downtown Vision’s latest State of Downtown Report, $809 million in development was completed in 2025 alone, $3 billion is currently under construction, and another $2.8 billion is under review or proposed.

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Headline projects are already reshaping the skyline, including the $1.4 billion “Stadium of the Future” renovation of EverBank Stadium, the $693 million RiversEdge development, the $500 million first phase of Gateway Jax’s Pearl Square, and the $387.6 million Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences rising along the St. Johns River. A new University of Florida graduate campus in LaVilla and a major Baptist Health expansion are adding the institutional density that keeps a downtown thriving beyond the event calendar.

The effect on population and the visitor economy is already measurable. According to Jacksonville Today, more than 9,000 people now call downtown Jacksonville home — nearly double the figure from a decade ago. In 2025, the urban core generated 4.3% of the city’s property tax revenue, 32% of its hotel tax revenue, and 8% of its sales tax revenue, per the State of Downtown report. Downtown also hosted 19.7 million visits through more than 3,100 events last year, drawing more than 5.3 million attendees. That activity reflects a core repositioning: from a daytime business district into a round-the-clock destination.

For international investors and tourists alike, the signals are hard to ignore. With a riverfront Four Seasons, a reimagined NFL venue set for completion ahead of the 2028 season, a 30-mile trail network connecting historic neighborhoods and thousands of new residential units coming online, Jacksonville is no longer a city on the verge of something. It is a city in the middle of it.

Invest: Jacksonville spoke with regional leaders from different sectors, including banking, sports, professional services, and community organizations, on the broader sentiment and attention they are putting into Downtown Jacksonville, and what developments are they most excited about.

Joseph Loretta, FL/GA Director – Planning and Landscape Architecture, Halff

The city of Jacksonville is also investing significant amounts of money into the downtown park system. We are hedging our bets that these investments will generate the desire for people to come downtown. That will open up opportunities for people to live there and really transform the area.

I feel as though downtown is very near success. The Pearl Street District is coming in, and that is close to a billion-dollar project. Assuming people move in, it is going to be transformational for the area. In 10 years, downtown Jacksonville is going to be completely different, but even in five years, it is going to be vastly different.

Luciano Noir-Jones, Jacksonville Market President, Ameris Bank

There is a lot of momentum downtown right now. You have the new stadium, the Four Seasons, new multifamily projects, Publix moving in, and when you add the port, the quality of life, and the fact that Jacksonville is still, relatively speaking, affordable, there is a lot going for the city.

We wanted to be downtown because we see a lot of growth there. We are also under construction on that office because we are adding a drive-through. We still believe customers want the option to come into a bank or use a drive-through for convenience. The branch itself is open, and the drive-through is under construction, but the investment reflects our confidence in where downtown Jacksonville is heading.

Mark Lamping, President, Jacksonville Jaguars

We have always believed that to be a great community, we need a great, vibrant downtown, and we are closer to that goal with every month that passes. 

The other primary objective of this investment in the Stadium of the Future is to attract even more significant international events to Jacksonville. Beyond the awareness that it creates for Jacksonville, it also creates a significant economic impact. It makes Jacksonville a more desirable place to invest, to visit, to work, and to live.

It is clear evidence of the ownership’s commitment to Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. We join many others in showing confidence in Jacksonville through investment.

When you combine that with strong investment from the City of Jacksonville and the riverfront park system that now has funding to be completed, the completion of the Riverwalk from downtown to the sports complex, and the Museum of Science and History that is coming to the Northbank as well, there has never been this much activity in and around downtown Jacksonville.

Richard Ramsey, Managing Partner, Wicker Smith

We see what Shad Khan is doing with the Four Seasons across from our football stadium, and it is impressive. We have a lot of potential here.

We want to see more development of shops, restaurants, apartments, and similar spaces. One key would be bringing a big grocery store chain, such as Publix or Winn-Dixie, into downtown, because I think people would then be more interested in moving in.

Suzanne Pickett, CEO, Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation

Jacksonville is booming, and as the Sports Entertainment District expands, as shipyard development moves forward, and as downtown investment radiates outward, the Eastside is the first neighborhood in that path.

That infusion of capital comes at a moment when there is major development happening all around us, including the stadium, the Downtown Entertainment District, the Cathedral District, Springfield, the Phoenix Arts District, and Pearl Plaza. All of that activity creates an opportunity to build a clear plan for the Eastside and ensure the neighborhood benefits from the investment surrounding it.

The major year everyone is looking toward is 2028, when the stadium is expected to reopen with larger seating and expanded activity. By then, the Armada Soccer Stadium, the Four Seasons Hotel, and waterfront activity are also expected to be part of the broader development landscape.

Want more? Read the Invest: Jacksonville report.