Thriving downtowns are the heartbeat of every major city around the world and Jacksonville should be no different. Over the years, the momentum to (re)develop Jacksonville has had many starts and stops. Right now, Jacksonville is on the doorstep of a major change and Build Up Downtown was created to help facilitate that change.
We serve as a privately funded, nonprofit resource and supporter of the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) and Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI) to reinforce Downtown as the City’s unique epicenter for business, history, culture, education and entertainment.
The Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) was created to revitalize Jacksonville’s urban core by utilizing Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) resources and is guided by a nine-member board of directors. The DIA seeks to attract investment, facilitate job creation and increase residential density through capital investments, planning, marketing and public-private partnerships including the provision of incentives for the general community and Downtown stakeholders.
View upcoming meetings, meeting minutes, and meeting transcripts for both the Downtown Investment Authority and Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB).
The Downtown Investment Authority Board of Directors meets once a month ~ pretty interesting discussions if you like that sort of thing, which, of course, we do! Read the CEO Reports for the highlights.
Business Investment & Development Plan (BID Plan)
The Business Investment and Development Plan (“BID Plan”) is comprised of the Community Redevelopment Area Plan (“CRA Plan”) and Business Investment and Development Strategy (“BID Strategy”). Together, the CRA Plan and the BID Strategy strategically prioritize, shape the design of, and implement public infrastructure improvements and support private sector, market-based revitalization initiatives.
Community Redevelopment Area Plan (CRA Plan)
The CRA Plan is required by state statue and explains why the DIA exists, what rules the DIA operates under, and what the DIA wants to accomplish. It establishes redevelopment goals – which form the basis for the BID Strategy and provide continuity between the two documents – and includes redevelopment projects that implement the goals such as incentives, programs, marketing, and CRA and City capital projects.
Business Investment & Development Strategy
The BID Strategy identifies what the DIA is authorized to spend Tax Increment Finance (TIF) dollars on, strategies on how to spend said dollars, and benchmarks, tasks, and other data points to measure performance. The document also includes criteria for all DIA incentive programs, criteria for analyzing and evaluating unique projects to determine if they could be eligible for incentives, and a Years Tables that guides general phasing and timing for implementing proposed projects, programs, or other initiatives. The Years Tables are not static and can be updated as needed in conjunction with assessment of development activity, the development market, and City CIP Plan.
Downtown Vision is made up of place managers, connectors, strategists and activators for Downtown Jacksonville. They are dedicated to improving the heart of our city because a better Downtown means a better Northeast Florida. Founded in 2000, they are the Business Improvement District (BID) for Downtown Jacksonville. As a not-for-profit organization, they are funded mainly by Downtown’s commercial property owners through a self-assessment.
Each year, Downtown Vision tracks and analyzes Downtown’s performance in key indicators of urban revitalization, such as development and investment, residential demand, office market and employment base, transportation enhancements and tourism health. The 2022 State of Downtown Report tracks data from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
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