The waterfront of the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts is being transformed into an engaging, dynamic park that celebrates Jacksonville’s rich musical heritage. Planned features include the Musical Heritage Garden, which honors local musicians and composers through interactive art elements and a dedicated Walk of Fame. The park will also offer a children’s music play area and a cutting-edge outdoor projection venue highlighted by a sculptural projection tower.
To further enrich the experience, the DIA is curating a nightly projection show and acquiring interactive artworks that pay tribute to the city’s storied music legacy, creating a vibrant destination for residents and visitors alike.
The Walk of Fame will be a pathway embedded with the names of artists and composers who have ties to Jacksonville, ensuring their contributions are permanently celebrated within the park’s landscape. To guide this effort, the DIA assembled a committee of local historians, musicians, authors, and industry professionals to develop selection criteria and recommend honorees. The inaugural class of inductees for the Jacksonville Music Walk of Fame is as follows:
1. 38 Special 2. 69 Boys 3. 95 South 4. Allman Brothers Band 5. Blind Blake 6. Charlie “Hoss” Singleton 7. Classics IV 8. Frederick Delius 9. Glenn Jones 10. Gram Parsons 11. Jahaan Sweet 12. JJ Grey & Mofro 13. Johnson Brothers (James Weldon Johnson & John Rosamond Johnson) 14. Lil Duval 15. Limp Bizkit 16. Longineu Parsons II 17. Lynyrd Skynyrd 18. Ma Rainey 19. Mae Axton 20. Marcus Roberts 21. Molly Hatchet 22. Pat Chappelle 23. Quad City DJs 24. Ray Charles 25. Shinedown 26. Tedeschi Trucks Band 27. Tim McGraw 28. Ulysses Owens, Jr. 29. Walter Orange 30. Yellowcard
Together, these elements will create an inspiring public space that honors Jacksonville’s influential role in music history and invites the community to celebrate it for generations to come.
Status: In Design; Construction Commenced Early 2025 Expected Completion: Spring 2026
The first site to break ground in Pearl Square, Block N11 will be a seven-story building at 515 N. Pearl St. to emerge as a 21,000-square-foot mixed-use project with ground-floor retail and 205 apartment units. It broke ground in October 2024. This first parcel marks the start of construction of Gateway Jax’s Pearl Street District, which covers five blocks in Downtown’s NorthCore.
Block N11 received a $9.06 million REV grant and $4.63 million completion grant from the Downtown Investment Authority for a minimum six-story building with at least 194 residential units and 21,333 square feet of leasable retail space. The block is bounded by Ashley, Pearl, and Church streets, as well as the historic Porter Mansion.
The owners of the Decca Live in Downtown Jacksonville are seeking to open a new Irish pub next door, according to the Downtown Investment Authority.
The DIA has approved a request from co-applicants 323 E Bay Street LLC and Bay Street Warehousing LLC for a $200,000 incentive to establish Keane’s Irish Pub at 315 E. Bay St.
An interior plan of the project shows 13 bar seats, two rows of wall-mounted bench seating with 17 accompanying chairs, 12 tables, a lobby and kitchen.
Construction is now underway on Pearl Square’s second major development site at 425 W. Beaver St. This 286-unit mixed-use project is poised to reshape the city center with new apartments, retail, and a pedestrian-friendly design. This site is projected to be completed in 2027 and will cost approximately $110 million. Block N4 broke ground in May 2025.
Block N4 received a $14.1 million Recapture Enhanced Value Grant and $6.84 million completion grant from the Downtown Investment Authority for a minimum six-story building to include at least 266 residential units and 19,155 square feet of leasable retail space. The block is bounded by Union, Pearl, Beaver, and Clay streets.
In October 2021, the Jacksonville City Council approved plans for a 176-room Four Seasons hotel with 25 private residences, a 137,000-square-foot Class A office tower, and City-owned marina. One Shipyards Place is a six-story office building under construction by Iguana Investments across Gator Bowl Boulevard from EverBank Stadium. Office space is available and currently leasing on the building’s fifth and sixth floors.
Total Project Investment $387.6 Million Expected Completion: April 2026
In October 2021, the Jacksonville City Council approved plans for a 176-room Four Seasons hotel with 25 private residences, a 156,000-square-foot Class A office tower, and City-owned marina. The five-star hotel will tout resort amenities including a pool, spa, ballroom, meeting spaces, signature roof-top restaurant, and other dining options. The marina will feature a marina support building that contains a ship store, public restaurant, restrooms, and shower facilities.
Plans include a $4 million investment over 20 years to neighboring Metropolitan Park.
Investment $387.6 Million Expected Completion: February 2027
Preston Hollow Capital LLC has begun work on this healthy-living-inspired mixed-use project on 30-acres along the riverfront. The development is slated to bring 950 residential units, 147 hotel rooms, 200,000 SF of office space, 134,000 SF of retail, and a 125-slip marina. The project will include more than four acres of public park space and active water access.
The public space will include more than four acres of public park spaces, including a large central riverfront Park, and will tell the story of Jacksonville’s extraordinary medical facilities through art, exercise, gardens and interactive features. Active water access abounds with a marsh boardwalk and an extension of the Southbank Riverwalk, as well as transient boater slips and a kayak launch site.
With scenic views of both the river and the Downtown skyline, this unique setting will be a place that empowers residents and visitors to pursue and achieve wellness in their everyday lives.
Investment: $693 million Status: Under construction
Gateway Jax LLC is planning a multiphase, mixed-use development across 20 blocks in the NorthCore to include 1,160 apartments, office, 120,000 of grocery-anchored retail space, and parking. The first block to break ground, known as N11 (located at 515 N. Pearl St.), kicked off the project’s construction of Phase 1A in October 2024. Block N4 broke ground in May 2025.
Investment: $500 million Status: Phase 1A is under construction; subsequent phases are in review
The June Social Club will occupy the entire historic Federal Reserve Building at 424 N. Hogan St. in the Downtown NorthCore. It is part of the Gateway Jax project to redevelop more than 20 blocks Downtown primarily assembled by Jacksonville-based JWB Real Estate Capital.
A companion to the adjacent Four Seasons development, the development includes a mixed-use marina support building with a dockmaster office, restrooms, storage, retail space, a laundry room, a manager’s office, other office area, and a restaurant. It will be a roughly 6,000-square-foot building that included a 1,847-square-foot restaurant space with 72 indoor seats and 40 outdoor seats. An event lawn, located in between the office tower and support building, and adjacent Riverwalk improvements are also included. Access to the marina will be via the Riverwalk, hotel, event lawn, and office tower.
