A sign at the former First Baptist Church auditorium at 119 W. Beaver St. lists a Publix as coming soon. | Ric Anderson, Jacksonville Daily Record
Published on June 18, 2026 at 1:15 pm
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The fate of incentives for a Downtown Publix has yet to be decided, but developer Gateway Jax is moving ahead with plans to demolish the former First Baptist Church main auditorium to make way for it.
The city issued a demolition permit for 119 W. Beaver St., where Gateway Jax plans a mixed-use, 14-story tower that would include apartments and the grocery store. PCL Construction LLC is the contractor for the demolition, as listed in the permit.
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During a tour of Gateway Jax’s projects on May 19, CEO Bryan Moll said the Publix was critical to the success of the developers’ more than $750 million Pearl Square district. Without a full-service grocery store, he said, “it would be much more difficult, if not impossible, to do what we’re doing at this scale.”
Read the rest of this story at the Jacksonville Daily Record, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
