The Downtown Investment Authority (DIA), in partnership with the City of Jacksonville Parks Department, is developing a new restaurant at Friendship Fountain in St. Johns River Park. This project is part of a broader effort to revitalize the Southbank Riverwalk and enhance public spaces through strategic investment and community-driven design.
The restaurant will be a casual, family-friendly venue with approximately 2,400 square feet of indoor space, a 1,000-square-foot covered patio, and a rooftop bar and lounge. It will offer full-service and grab-and-go options, an indoor/outdoor bar, and an open kitchen—designed to reflect public preferences for open, accessible, and vibrant park amenities.
May 2025: As Jacksonville experiences a period of dynamic growth, the Museum of Science & History (MOSH) continues to focus its efforts on developing a new state-of-the-art facility that reflects the city’s energy and ambition. The current Museum location will close to the public by September 1, 2025, so that the MOSH organization can fully engage in shaping the vision for the new Museum.
Groundbreaking for the new Museum is scheduled for 2026, with completion anticipated in 2028. Once open, the new Museum will anchor the Northbank as a premier cultural destination and play a vital role in elevating Jacksonville’s presence on the global stage.
MOSH is part of a bigger transformation taking place across the Northbank shipyards. A new culture and entertainment hub will emerge with projects like the Stadium of the Future, the Four Seasons development and the Emerald Trail expansion reshaping the riverfront. The new Museum will serve as the Northbank’s cultural heartbeat — acting as a community space, educational resource and economic catalyst for Jacksonville’s revitalizing Downtown.
About MOSH: The Museum of Science & History is a museum in Jacksonville, Florida. It is a private, non-profit institution located on the Southbank Riverwalk, and the city’s most visited museum. It specializes in science and local history exhibits. After seeing the excitement at the museum make sure to come and check out our great educational merchandise. You will be able to find science kits, minerals, plush animals, books, t-shirts, and much more!
Starbucks will operate a ground-floor storefront at Bay and Laura Streets in the 42-story Bank of America tower. The coffee shop will also have an entrance directly on the sidewalk as well as seating.
A dedicated seven-story parking garage will serve the future Ambassador Hotel and Pearl Square. Previously approved as part of a former development attempt, improvements to the garage’s design and functionality were an amendment to a design approved in 2021 for renovation of the hotel. The block is bordered by Duval, Julia, Church, and Pearl streets. Together, the parcels in the block encompass 1.48 acres.
The precast concrete garage will offer 480 spaces for use by the hotel, other Pearl Square properties, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and the public.
Renderings show the north and west sides of the garage clad with perforated metal and louvered panels that give them a checkered facade. The south wall will be painted with a yet-to-be-designed mural, as future development on the parcel immediately south of the wall is undetermined. The lot abutting the mural will be activated in a passive way in the meantime. The east wall, which abuts the hotel, is unadorned, and will serve as the back-of-house operations side for the hotel.
The garage received final amended approval from the Downtown Development Review Board in June 2025. The DDRB’s vote on the garage constituted final action. Among the board’s purposes, it serves as a version of the planning commission for Downtown on design.
Situated in the heart of Downtown, the luxury hotel connects you with Jacksonville’s most popular cultural and business districts. Relax poolside with dramatic views of the river and skyline or at the J Bar and Juliette’s. With convenient access to EverBank Field, Times Union Center, VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena and other popular attractions, the Jacksonville River City Downtown Hotel puts you in the midst of the excitement of the River City.
Announced January 2025: Marriott Jacksonville Downtown received permitting approval for a $6 million facelift for guest rooms and corridors on floors four through 16. Plans show about 154,000 square feet of the 287,000-square-foot hotel will be renovated.
The Lofts at Southbank is a 10-story mixed-use building with ground floor retail, office, restaurant, or other commercial programming; personal property self-storage uses on floors three through six; and about 100 multi-family residential units on floors seven through 10. The $38.8 million project, led by Jacksonville-based Vestcor, is located at Prudential Drive and Hendricks Avenue at the site of a closed restaurant at 1004 Hendricks Ave.
Developer Jax-Lifestyle Hospitality LLC proposed 128 room hotel in the Brooklyn Neighborhood next to their existing Residence Inn. This proposal is for the new construction of a six story hotel with an associated two story parking structure. Investment $32 million.
Bordering the St. Johns River, this boardwalk is usually filled with joggers, tourists, folks sitting on benches, and lovers walking hand-in-hand, all of them watching the riverboats, the shorebirds, and downtown’s skyline reflected in the water. Here you can also find the water taxi dock near Chart House available for kayak launch.
About the Southbank Riverwalk Extension:
Approximately 1,900 feet of new riverfront bulkhead; a top of bank extension of the Southbank Riverwalk (approximately 1,900 linear feet); approximately 1,255 linear feet of new boardwalk; approximately 1,650 linear feet of new overland trail; parks with approximately 820 linear feet of river frontage and related amenities; a new water taxi stop; extensions of existing roadways and new roadways with enhanced sidewalks, enhanced landscaping, bike-lanes and on-street parking; and other facilities
The Hans Tanzler Marina, formerly known as the Liberty Street Marina, will be a significant addition to Downtown’s waterfront. Located at 330 E. Bay St., the public marina is designed to accomodate approximately 50 boats of varying sizes with designated water taxi landing, fuel dock, pump-out station, and marina office with restrooms/showers.
In 2023, the Jacksonville City Council officially named the marina in honor of Hans G. Tanzler, Jr., the City’s 39th Mayor.
