Jacksonville City Hall. | Jacksonville Daily Record
Published on June 26, 2025 at 2:51 pm
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Jacksonville could see more public money available for residential development on Downtown’s Bay Street riverfront and affordable housing across Duval County.
City lawmakers approved a $45 million package Tuesday that sets aside $30 million as development incentives for several properties including the Berkman Plaza II site; the former City Hall and courthouse sites now known as the Ford on Bay; the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel and its parking garage; and a city-owned surface parking lot parcel.
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City Council’s 14-1 vote on Ordinance 2025-0385 also reserves $12 million for workforce development programs at Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville University Youth Sports project and the Downtown Preservation and Revitalization Program and others, and $3 million for affordable housing.
During the final meeting of its 2024-25 term and member Randy White’s presidency, council also signed off on legislation advancing $12 million for planned capital improvements at the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
Downtown and affordable housing
The bill’s $3 million affordable housing component has raised the possibility again of the city joining an affordable housing fund launched last year by the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and Northern Trust Co. to provide gap financing for affordable housing projects.
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Carving out $3 million for affordable housing from the bill’s $45 million taken from excess funds in the city’s self-insurance account came as “a little bit of a surprise,” to the Community Foundation and officials in Mayor Donna Deegan’s administration, they both told Jacksonville Today.
Council removed $10 million in Deegan’s 2024-25 city budget proposal meant to be the city’s buy-in to the fund. A city investment into the fund would generate a 3 to 1 match through philanthropic donations and create a sustainable revenue source to provide public gap funding, according to city Affordable Housing Director Joshua Hicks.
The bill doesn’t guarantee the money to any one project, but puts it into a special fund that would require an additional two-thirds vote to appropriate as requests reach council.
Council member Rory Diamond was the only no vote with Joe Carlucci, Terrance Freeman, Ken Amaro and Rahman Johnson absent for the vote.
The zoo’s need
Officials with the Jacksonville Zoological Society Inc. approached council to advance funds already approved for improvement projects at its facility on Zoo Parkway over the next four years.
The nonprofit operator told council members that increased costs related to construction were rising and they needed the $12 million in this fiscal year to cover project expenses. The money was scheduled in the 2024-25 city budget’s Capital Improvement Plan to be allocated to the zoo in $4 million annual increments through 2029.
City lawmakers approved the advance 15-0.
