The 2010s was a busy decade for development in the Jacksonville area. It saw major expansion at and around the Town Center, several new projects in Brooklyn and LaVilla, and several urban core restoration and revitalization projects.
The upcoming decade is likely to continue the trend of construction and expansion, with several new development projects expected to kick off next year and others – such as the Shipyards redevelopment and Florida Theatre renovations – are slated for later on in the decade.
For now, the focus is on 2020. What proposed projects are expected to begin construction? What new projects will be revealed?
We’ve highlighted five key projects that you’ll likely hear about frequently in 2020 – most of which are also likely to begin construction in the new year. Once completed, these projects will help shape modern-day Jacksonville in the same way this past decade’s major projects did.
When the city demolished its old city hall annex and courthouse buildings, they did so without any firm plans to reutilize its newly-vacant riverfront property.
Initially, the idea was to find a developer to build a new convention center and hotel on the land. But those plans were put to the side when it was indicated that a convention center may be part of Shad Khan’s plans for the Shipyards property.
For the past few months, the city has been marketing The Ford on Bay, as they’ve dubbed the five-acre property, to developers. The bidding process is expected to open in late January, but the proposals will likely not be available to the public until at least February.
Once a winning proposal has been selected, it will move to final review by Downtown Investment Authority and then to city council for a vote.
It’s pretty unlikely that any construction will be happening at The Ford on Bay in the coming year, but we should at least get an idea of what will eventually be built there.