It’s been an eventful decade for Jacksonville.
The city experienced growth both in its population and in the form of dozens of major development projects. It moved closer to achieving the long-awaited revitalization of downtown and toward forming a city-wide identity.
The Coastal began publishing in December 2015, so we were around for just under half of the decade. But to honor the 2010s in Jax, we put together our collection of what we believe to be the biggest stories in Jacksonville from the past decade.
Check out our list below and be sure to let us know your thoughts on the decade’s most important events.
Jacksonville finally got some love from a few major national brands in the ‘10s.
This past decade saw the arrival of shipping giants Amazon, which opened multiple fulfillment and distribution centers, and Wayfair. Near the Town Center, the city now boasts TopGolf, iFLY, Nordstrom, and IKEA – all new-to-market brands added this decade. And the popular Philly-based convenience store chain Wawa has opened several area locations, with plans for even more.
The addition of IKEA was particularly meaningful to the city, given the chain’s standards for building a new store in any given market. More than any other addition, it represents a major step forward in the city’s ability to lure in desirable businesses.
We may still not any closer to landing a Macy’s, but hey, we aren’t doing too bad!