JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – City leaders and the Downtown Investment Authority gathered on Monday to discuss the future of downtown Jacksonville and celebrate the opening of the new RiversEdge park on the SouthBank.
The project includes more than four acres of public park space, featuring a central riverfront park with an iconic sculpture, flexible event lawn, walking track and pavilion. It will also add a destination playground, a yoga lawn, a marsh boardwalk, an extended Southbank Riverwalk, boater slips and a kayak launch.
“This is an opportunity for people to be outside, to participate in all sorts of fitness and wellness activities. And I think that the idea of this being Jacksonville’s front porch, both sides of the river thinking of as being filled with our residents. I just can’t think of anything that’s going to bring us together more,” Mayor Donna Deegan said.
Nearly a week after Downtown Vision, Inc., released its 2025 State of Downtown comprehensive report, the Special Committee on the Future of Downtown held a meeting Monday to get an update from the Downtown Investment Authority.
CEO Colin Tarbet said DIA’s presentation for the committee, chaired by councilmember Joe Carlucci focused on the potential reuse of Snyder Memorial Church, what’s next for the Ford on Bay area, and development of the site occupied by MOSH before its move across the river.
According to Tarbet, Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church at 226 N. Laura St. could be repurposed as entertainment, food and beverage space with a target to request proposals from developers in early 2026.
Tarbet said while Ford on Bay will continue to be used in the short term for special events, long-term plans could include residential, retail or parking. A study is in progress to determine what best suits the space.
Future plans for the old MOSH site are still in the works, but the goal is to redevelop the space, and Tarbet said it could take half a million dollars to demolish the current building.
Last week’s report from Downtown Vision assessed downtown Jacksonville’s development from Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
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According to the report, $2.84 billion in projects have been either completed or are under construction throughout downtown’s eight neighborhoods: Brooklyn, LaVilla, City Center, Northcore, Cathedral Hill, Sports and Entertainment, Working Waterfront, and Southbank.
That list of projects that will transform downtown’s landscape includes major additions such as
- Pearl Square - includes housing, lodging, restaurants and retail across nine blocks
- RiversEdge - includes riverfront housing and parks
- One Riverside - includes riverfront residential units, dining, and retail
“Over the past year, Downtown has continued its evolution into a vibrant center of culture, innovation, education, and opportunity,” Mayor Donna Deegan said in a letter about the report. “These investments are creating a Downtown that reflects the best of who we are: forward-looking, resilient, and full of energy. All of this progress builds toward one clear outcome: a Downtown that is connected, accessible, and alive.”
The report also highlighted efforts to enhance transportation and infrastructure with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation program and the conversion of Adams and Forsyth streets from one-way to two-way streets.