Groundbreaking scheduled Oct. 29 for Gateway Jax project Downtown

Government

Groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 29 for the first phase of the Gateway Jax development in Downtown Jacksonville.

Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer announced the groundbreaking Oct. 16 during a report to the DIA board.

The Gateway Jax Pearl Street District in Downtown Jacksonville.

The event will ceremonially mark the start of construction of $419 million Pearl Street District, which covers five blocks in Downtown’s NorthCore district.

In August 2024, the Jacksonville City Council approved a $98.58 million incentive package for the district, which comprised:

Block N4 in the Gateway Jax Pearl Street District is a seven-story mixed-use building with ground-floor retail, 270 residential units and two partial levels of parking. — Block N4 in the Gateway Jax Pearl Street District is a seven-story mixed-use building.

• Block N4: A $14.1 million Recapture Enhanced Value Grant and $6.84 million completion grant 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.

Pearl Street District Block N5 is the "lighthouse" parking garage structure Downtown.

• Block N5: A $2.57 million REV grant and $1.9 million completion grant for redesign and redevelopment of the 800-space former First Baptist Church lighthouse garage bounded by Union, Julia, Beaver and Pearl streets. The repurposed garage would include 15,000 square feet of leasable space.

The view from the southwest corner of the Block N8 building in the Gateway Jax Pearl Street District. Gateway Jax includes apartments, a grocery and retail space.

• Block N8: A $33.88 million REV grant and $25.55 million completion grant for a minimum 21-story building with at least 508 residential units and about 30,000 square feet of ground floor leasable retail space. The block is bounded by Beaver, Pearl, Ashley and Clay streets.

Gateway Jax’s Block N11 is a seven-story building at 515 N. Pearl St. that will comprise 205 apartment units and 24,086 square feet of retail, commercial and storage space.

• Block N11: A $9.06 million REV grant and $4.63 million completion grant 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 and the Porter Mansion property.

The Gateway Jax development is a partnership between lead developer Bryan Moll, DLP Capital LLC and JWB Real Estate Capital.

The partners said the full project could grow to 22 acres and more than 20 blocks with a more than $2 billion investment over the next decade.

The city issued a construction permit Oct. 15 for Block N11 after the St. Johns River Water Management District issued an environmental resource permit Sept. 25.