Jacksonville turns its focus toward Downtown and Eastside revitalization
Writer: Pablo Marquez
February 2025 — Jacksonville’s story of growth is reflected on all the revitalization projects that are taking place across the city’s Downtown and Eastside neighborhoods. With a considerable rise in population increase, corporate relocations, and business expansions, the city is doubling down on revitalizing these specific areas in order to satisfy the region’s growing demands. Pushing these efforts, multiple local organizations and entities have stepped up to drive Jacksonville’s revitalization projects forward.
The Downtown Preservation and Revitalization Program (DPRP) is one of the main initiatives being pushed by the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) with the goal of promoting the preservation and revitalization of vacant, underused, or deteriorating historic and eligible non-historic buildings in downtown Jacksonville. This initiative is intended to promote historic projects seeking over $100,000 in funding and non-historic code compliance projects, and eligible projects must promote the overarching goals of the Community Redevelopment Area.
One of the main initiatives being pushed forward to support Jacksonville’s Historic Eastside has been the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). The agreement that was settled back in September 2024 between Mayor Donna Deagan’s administration and the Jacksonville Jaguars outlines the benefits that the community will receive in exchange for supporting the development project. The $150 million investment to the Eastside is an unprecedented financial infusion in local infrastructure that has not been seen in decades.
Florida Avenue Main Street (FAMS) is a nonprofit organization that is also trying to work in Jacksonville’s Eastside by revitalizing an area with 60% commercial vacancy. Their goal is to drive economic growth and community development along the A. Philip Randolph Blvd. corridor by providing business and retail growth opportunities in the area. The nonprofit is also building partnerships with other organizations that are seeking to revitalize the Eastside, such as LIFT JAX, the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation (HECDC), and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation Jacksonville (LISC).
Business leaders in Jacksonville, including Lori Boyer, CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority; David Garfunkel, president and CEO of LIFT JAX; Suzanne Pickett, CEO of the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation; and Michael Haskins, executive director SPAR Council, shared their insights on the latest market trends and market dynamics surrounding the revitalization of downtown and eastside Jacksonville.
Lori Boyer, CEO, Downtown Investment Authority
We have some major projects coming to Downtown, with four new projects in the pipeline. These include the Gateway project, which we call the Pearl Street District, comprising over 1,000 units and covering four city blocks, with additional parcels to follow. Another exciting, large-scale project is on the South Bank – a high-rise product. Both projects are asking for substantial incentives, have passed our board, and are now in the hands of the Jacksonville City Council. As of today, over a thousand residential units are under construction, many of which will be delivered within the next six months. With the influx of new units, we are seeing roughly a 95% absorption rate with no adverse impact on rental rates. This is probably the largest tranche of units that will come online simultaneously, so we will see what impact that brings. Recent market studies have indicated a pent-up demand for over 7,000 units, suggesting that the thousand units coming available will not adversely affect Downtown’s rental market.
David Garfunkel, President & CEO, LIFT JAX
Over the next three to five years, we’ll be focusing on a couple of key areas. First, we aim to revitalize the commercial corridors and support small-business development, particularly along A. Philip Randolph Blvd. This effort will complement the exciting developments around the stadium and rebuild vibrant business corridors that benefit small businesses and their patrons. This is a multi-year priority, and we’ve recently helped set up Jacksonville’s first Main Street, leveraging national and state platforms to preserve and revitalize these corridors. Second, we are committed to housing stability, ensuring that current residents can stay in their homes and prosper as the neighborhood improves. Preventing displacement is critical. We will double down on our home repair program, assist residents in securing clear titles to their homes, and educate them about available tools and resources. Our focus on economic development and housing will drive our efforts to ensure that new investments benefit those who are already part of the community.
Suzanne Pickett, CEO, Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation
We are the leading organization in the revitalization and investment efforts on the Eastside. Before our arrival, the community had been without such an organization and had almost no investment for over a decade. The CDC was formed in response to the need to act as a resource and liaison for residents as investment interests increased into surrounding neighborhoods, including the Eastside, but with no organization in place to direct those funds. That’s how we got started, and our impact has been significant, serving as a catalyst for where we are today. Moving forward, with the Community Benefits Agreement and a major investment from the city of Jacksonville and the Jaguars, we are seeing a substantial infusion of resources connected to the stadium of the future, which also benefits the historic neighborhoods around us.
Michael Haskins, Executive Director, SPAR Council
Springfield is a locally and nationally designated historic district in the city of Jacksonville. As a result of those designations, it requires additional permitting to make changes to exteriors of currently existing structures, as well as some additional review for new development. SPAR works with homeowners, property owners, and developers to ensure that they’re able to meet those requirements, while also encouraging new developments and revitalization of the neighborhood. In the past decade we’ve seen significant interest in development along our commercial corridors. We’ve worked closely with several developers to work on projects they’d like to see come to fruition in the neighborhood. That type of growth and development brings in new residents, and helps generate revenue for the businesses in the neighborhood. We’re excited to see other people in the city of Jacksonville, who may not have heard of Springfield, come to discover it as a gem within our city.
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Top image via Matthew Williams/Unsplash
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