JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County Public Schools Board is expected to vote in September on selling its administrative headquarters and buying a new home for district staff in Baymeadows.
The Sept. 2 school board agenda includes an item for consideration involving the purchase of 8928 Prominence Parkway, from Dream Finders Homes Providence LLC.
Property appraiser records show that the building is one of several in the office complex that Dream Finders purchased in 2024 for $22 million.
The Jacksonville Daily Record reported that Dream Finders submitted a demolition permit for another one of the buildings there, which is not the one DCPS is looking to buy. Dream Finders planned to redevelop the office park for “offices and multifamily uses.”
It should be noted that 8928 Prominence Parkway is currently the office of Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie & Harveys.
The board has long expressed its intent to sell its current office building at 1701 Prudential Drive along the St. Johns River and relocate.
In December 2024, the board approved the district entering a five-year contract with the Trinity Commercial Group to facilitate real estate transactions, including the potential sale of its current headquarters.
During a Tuesday workshop with the school board members, Duval County Schools Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier cited the ongoing development of the Southbank as an indicator of the land’s value. Bernier said the district can use the money from a sale to support classrooms and reserve funds while supporting economic development.
“Currently, we have a potential sale of the building of $20,000,000,” Bernier said. “The sale would potentially close on August of 2026.”
Bernier went on to explain that of the $20 million, $12.5 million would come at closing, and the additional $7.5 million would come 36 months after closing. He went on to share with board members the purchase price for the building on Prominence Parkway would not exceed $14,000,000. Bernier said this would be the best deal to meet the districts’ needs.
“The school board has asked me to make a determination about getting off the river, they asked me over a year ago,” Bernier said. “We’ve come with what we believe is a good deal for them (the school board) to consider.”
One of the main arguments for relocating is the fact that the current school board office building sits on prime real estate, with new development popping up. Including apartments and townhomes. Shankar Eswaran lives in the apartments nearby. He said he’d like to see the space open up for more leisure activity.
“You have a Riverwalk, but that’s pretty much it,” Eswaran. “There’s absolutely no green area. Maybe some green area, something for some type of community activity.”
Council Member Matt Carlucci filed a resolution in July urging the board to keep its headquarters in Downtown Jacksonville. Carlucci said this is an opportunity for DCPS to consolidate its multiple administrative sites into one modern, centralized facility that serves the district’s needs while supporting the revitalization of Downtown.
Anthony Andrews owns the food truck aptly named “Where’s the Food?” It’s routinely parked just outside of the Duval County School headquarters building. He said many of his customers are school district employees. He said if the district headquarters relocates, he’d consider following suit.
“If they move on the Southside, I may be trying to head to the southside also to keep my business going,” Andrews said. “As a small business owner, you’ve got to go where the money is.”
Though the board is expected to vote in two weeks, the superintendent said there are still some options for a potential Plan B.
“We looked downtown, we will continue to look downtown, until the board makes the final decision,” Dr. Bernier said. “We have to find a place that is affordable for a school district.”
The mayor’s office released a statement about the possible move out of the downtown area.
It’s part of our downtown revitalization strategy to bring more people to live and work downtown. So, our message to any existing employers, including DCPS, is that we want you to stay downtown for the good of your employees and the city. There is already a lot to offer now and there will be even more in the years ahead as downtown grows and develops further.
Mayor Donna Deegan's Office
