JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For years, parts of Downtown Jacksonville have been quiet, with empty lots, underused streets, and historic buildings waiting for a purpose.
That’s beginning to change with Pearl Street Square, a nine-block development designed to bring residents, businesses, and community life back to the city’s urban core.
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Gateway Jax’s CEO, Bryan Moll, gave News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee and photojournalist Jesse Hanson a look around the site, explaining how the first phase is designed to create a neighborhood that functions morning, noon and night.
“Build more residential downtown,” Moll said. “When you have people who live here, the things that sustain businesses, people, and shopping, those are now not just 9-to-5 when people are at work; now you are getting customers at night and in the mornings, and then you truly start to create an 18-hour environment.”
Phase 1: Foundations of a neighborhood
Phase 1 is designed as the core of the new downtown neighborhood, providing a mix of residential, retail, parks, and entertainment.
The first building to open is Vandeveer, expected as early as August, delivering 205 apartments above 22,000 square feet of retail, including a chef-driven Japanese restaurant, giving residents and visitors immediate access to dining, shops, and community space.
But Vandeveer is just the beginning. Phase 1 as a whole will include over 200,000 square feet of additional retail across multiple streets, offering everyday services and shops like:
- Publix grocery store
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Dry cleaners and boutique retailers
“This area was a food desert, food desert meaning there were no grocery stores over here,” Moll said. “Giving people access to food, you are also creating a thriving neighborhood.”
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Moll also said Phase 1 will create thousands of jobs, from retail and service positions to roles in restaurants, parks, and property management.
Parks, open spaces and community areas
Phase 1 emphasizes green space and public gathering areas, including:
- Lawns for yoga in the park and farmers’ markets
- A kiosk with wine and beer
- Planned beer gardens, pickleball courts, and a dog park
Moll says these spaces are designed to encourage residents and visitors to spend time outside, making downtown a vibrant hub morning, noon, and night.
He also hopes the area will host major events, including a potential Super Bowl fan experience, which would draw even more visitors to the neighborhood.
Hotel and dining destinations
Phase 1 will also feature a new hotel with a ground-floor Italian restaurant, adding another dining destination to complement Vandeveer’s Japanese restaurant.
Moll also hinted at more restaurants and retail to come, though specific names haven’t been announced yet.
“You have to have people living downtown, working downtown, and shopping downtown. Playing downtown, going to a Jags game, hanging out in the park. Those things are really critical,” Moll said. “We kind of forgot that about 20 to 30 years ago, or 40 years ago, when we demolished some of those really cool old residential buildings.”
Phase 2: Entertainment and destination retail
While Phase 1 focuses on residential life, retail, and essential amenities, Phase 2 is planned as an entertainment-focused development.
Moll described it as destination retail with nightlife and lifestyle experiences, including a lifestyle hotel, with more announcements expected in the near future.