For the first time in more than 20 years, Downtown Jacksonville welcomed new homeowners to the area.

Offering walkability and access to JTA’s transportation hub, Johnson Commons at LaVilla on Farwell Street is breathing new life into the urban core of Downtown Jacksonville.

The arrival of its first homeowners marked a significant milestone in the revitalization efforts of the historic neighborhood.

“This popped up. And I said, let’s take the risk. And I think it was worth it,” LaVilla Townhome resident Austin Mackey said. “The property value, especially being in the first phase of development for a new community, it’s tremendous.”

Stephen Wiley moved into the property Thursday.

“So far the area is great,” Wiley said.

Johnson Commons at LaVilla is situated next to the new Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park, the Emerald Trail and the JTA transportation center, making it one of the few places in the city where you might not even need a car.

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“One of the features that I do like about it in regard to the location is the transportation that you have here,” Wiley said.

Johnson Commons has 91 townhomes, and they’re relatively affordable too — especially for first-time homebuyers. Prices start at under $300,000.

“So it’s extremely hard to buy to find a new construction home for 300 grand or less in Duval County. In fact, there were only 405 homes in Duval County sold less for $300,000 last year,” JWB Real Estate President Alex Sifakis said.

The median home price in Duval County is $348,000, according to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, 

The townhomes are eligible for the newly announced down payment assistance from the city of Jacksonville,m and there are some builder incentives available through Breeze Homes, providing up to $20,000 to homebuyers interested in the LaVilla area.

New homeowners like Mackey are optimistic about the future of Downtown and are hoping for a return on their investment.

“I’ve lived in cities where Charleston, you know, everything is on King Street. Everybody goes down there,” Mackey said. “But I’m from Greenville, South Carolina, too. And their downtown used to be kind of the same way Jacksonville is. It used to be a place where people said ‘Don’t go down there, don’t walk at night.’ And now there’s a Lululemon down the street, and it’s a tourist destination. It has changed so much, but it’s so big for that area of South Carolina. Jacksonville is gonna be the same way.”

Lead image: The new Johnson Commons at LaVilla townhomes are situated next to the new Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park. | News4Jax

This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.