Downtown Investment Authority
dia.coj.net and investdtjax.com
The Downtown Investment Authority is the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Economic Development arm of the City for Downtown Jacksonville. 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.
Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services
coj.net/departments/parks-and-recreation
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) serves diverse populations of all ages and abilities through recreation activities and programs, conservation and marine resources, sports and entertainment, senior services, social services, disabled services, and extension services serving approximately 900,000 residents in Duval County. PRCS offers over 400 parks and recreational spaces.
Build Up Downtown
Build Up Downtown facilitates and advocates for preservation, smart development and great public spaces in Downtown Jacksonville through communicating, connecting and informing current and future businesses and stakeholders. We envision a Downtown Jacksonville that we can all be proud to call our own. Thriving downtowns are the heartbeat of every major city around the world, and Jacksonville should be no different. 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.
Jessie Ball duPont Fund
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund is a private foundation that works to expand access to opportunity and create inclusive growth for the people, organizations and communities that Jessie Ball duPont knew and loved. We envision a world in which every member of those communities feels they belong, and is engaged in shaping the future of their community. We use our grantmaking, investments, research and partnerships to increase equitable access to opportunities and resources for members of society who have historically been excluded, and placemaking to build stronger communities where all voices are heard and valued.
Riverfont Parks Now
Riverfront Parks Now is a coalition of fourteen nonprofit organizations who have come together to advocate for and engage the community in creating “A Riverfront for All” to include an extensive network of world class public green spaces and active parks along the riverfront that prioritizes public access, improves health and quality of life, catalyzes surrounding development, and helps create a more resilient downtown. Riverfront Parks Now partnered with the duPont Fund’s Riverfront Activation Study to benchmark cities around the world whose investment in waterfront public spaces played a key role in their downtown revitalization.
Riverfont Parks Conservancy
The Riverfront Parks Conservancy is a private, non-profit organization formed to address the needs for stewardship, activation, enjoyment and ongoing improvement of the downtown riverfront parks. This is a model proven to be successful in many urban park systems and an outgrowth of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund’s Riverfront Activation Benchmark study conducted in partnership with Riverfront Parks Now. Through a Friends of the Park agreement, the Conservancy will partner with the City of Jacksonville’s Parks and Recreation Department, and we work closely with the Downtown Investment Authority, Downtown Vision, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Build Up Downtown, as well as with business, community and cultural groups. The Conservancy will begin with a focus on Friendship Park and St. Johns River Park with a scheduled Phase I opening in 2023 and Phase 2 in 2024. We seek to engage the area’s business and philanthropic community to partner in this important, long-term endeavor that will protect and enhance the public assets and provide value to our community for generations to come. It is our goal to be a trusted partner who ensures commitments are upheld and high standards are implemented and maintained. We also aim to be the focal point for inclusive and meaningful community conversations with effective, ongoing feedback loops.