JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Often called the “City of Renderings,” Jacksonville is working to shed that nickname as officials on Monday provided an update on several downtown projects and riverfront parks that will soon be a reality.
One big project is the former Landing site on the city’s riverfront, dubbed “Riverfront Plaza.”
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Multiple studies were done to learn what the people of Jacksonville wanted in the space. Overwhelmingly, restaurants were the top choice out of all the studies and analyses.
“Making real progress toward a vibrant and thriving downtown,” Mayor Donna Deegan said during Monday’s news conference.
Deegan announced the launch of a new campaign called “I Dig Jax,” a website that includes a list and description of all current projects around downtown.
Phase 1 of the Riverfront Plaza project is now under construction and includes an elevated destination playground on top of a park pavilion building, a large flexible event lawn, as well as a new bulkhead, riverwalk, and a plaza space connecting Riverfront Plaza to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
The park pavilion building will include a small café space, restrooms, mechanical rooms and storage space to support the park. Phase 1 is scheduled to be completed by late 2025.
Phase 2, which is expected to begin construction in early 2026 and be done by 2027, is slated to include a beer garden, rain garden, and a bike or pedestrian connection to the Main Street Bridge.
“After years of feeling like we are stuck when it comes to this kind of progress. Cranes in the air is what we like to see,” Deegan said.
To learn more about the downtown projects in progress, visit this website.
