JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An ordinance to allow some downtown bars an extra hour to serve alcohol is moving forward.
According to our news partners at the Jacksonville Daily Record, two Jacksonville City Council committees approved legislation on Tuesday that would allow bars in some areas of downtown to remain open until 3 a.m.
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Ordinance 2026-0063, proposed by Council member Raul Arias, would grant bars in the NorthCore, Central Core and Sports and Entertainment District an extra hour past the current 2 a.m. cutoff to serve alcoholic beverages. An amendment would include the Brooklyn area.
“Downtown, even though it’s not my district, it’s the heart of any city. This will be another step. It just brings light and energy to downtown,” Arias said in January.
RELATED | City Council to consider ordinance to allow downtown Jacksonville bars to serve alcohol until 3 a.m.
Jacksonville’s NorthCore is bordered by Broad and Main streets to the east and west, and by State and Church streets to the north and south.
The Central Core, which is identified by the Downtown Investment Authority as City Center, is bordered by Broad Street to the east, Church Street to the north, the St. Johns River to the south until Main Street, and to the west by the river and Adams Street until Liberty Street.
When asked about concerns related to crime, Arias responded, “We’re going to look at the models that work right now in Tampa and see what they’re doing to mitigate those concerns. I don’t mind holding this up for another two or three weeks to make sure everyone feels safe about this decision.”