A revised agreement to build a new Museum of Science & History on the Downtown Northbank is headed to a final vote by the Jacksonville City Council, but with a warning for MOSH not to expect the city to cover any cost increases in the project.
The amended agreement between MOSH, the city and the Downtown Investment Authority calls for the city to own the building and lease it to the museum over a 40-year term at $1 per year.
MOSH will construct the building and design a surrounding park, with the city providing $880,000 toward the park’s design. The city will build the park, provide roadway and utility improvements and construct a length of the Riverwalk on the property.
The museum site is part of 8.68 acres on the west bank of Hogans Creek where it meets the St. Johns River, south of VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and VyStar Ballpark.
The original agreement called for the city to provide a long-term ground lease to the museum at $1 a year and for MOSH to fully pay for the museum, but when MOSH sought taxpayer funding, the plan changed to having the city own the building.
The city has committed $50 million for the project plus the $880,000 for design, and MOSH has raised $50 million in private donations to move the museum from its Southbank location at 1025 Museum Circle. The museum has operated out of that building since 1969.
Legislation containing the revised agreement, Ordinance 2025-0103, cleared Council committees March 17 and March 18 and now is up for a vote March 25 by the full Council.
Votes were unanimous on both the Finance Committee and Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee.
The committee approvals came after the discussion of several concerns raised by Council auditors about the city’s risk on the projects, including the ramifications if MOSH couldn’t finish the project or went out of business after it was completed.
Another concern raised by auditors was that designs for the museum have yet to advance past the conceptual stage, meaning the project could change as the design process evolves.
“So what you’ve seen is not necessarily what you’ll get,” Phillip Peterson said.
Noting another auditor concern that MOSH is responsible for cost overruns and could seek additional funding for the city to cover them, Council member Ron Salem told former MOSH board Chair Christian Harden that MOSH shouldn’t expect the city to cover any increased costs in the building’s design and construction.
Harden, whose family donated $1 million for the project, is the chair of the project oversight committee for the new museum.
“I don’t want you coming back to the city down the road if you can’t build what you showed me,” Salem said, referring to conceptual plans for the project.
“That’s not the responsibility of the city. That’s the responsibility of MOSH," he said.
Salem said his concerns were rooted in design upgrades of city parks projects that raised their projected costs. He told Harden that if costs rise for the new museum, MOSH should either downscale its plans or raise more money to cover the overages.
Salem is chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee.
Harden said the museum had no intent of returning to the city for additional money but rather would work to find creative solutions or raise additional funding.
The legislation advances to the full Council with 20 new amendments, including requirements for Council approval of exterior naming rights on the building and for MOSH to demonstrate by February 2026 that it has the funding to launch and substantially complete the construction.
Regarding the auditor concern about MOSH failing to complete the project, DIA CEO Lori Boyer said the agreement required MOSH to provide a letter of credit to cover the city’s costs of demolishing the structure.
She said the agreement contained other safeguards for the city that were designed to provide enough funding to complete a partially finished project, if converting the building to another use is considered the best way forward.