JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three years after the Jacksonville Housing Authority bought the troubled Franklin Arms apartments with plans to renovate them, the agency is abandoning that strategy and starting over.
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Long associated with crime and deteriorating living conditions, the Jacksonville City Council has approved a $1 million loan to help demolish the deteriorating downtown complex, with housing officials now pursuing a $50 million redevelopment that would create 130 affordable apartments for seniors.
The Jacksonville Housing Authority plans to replace the aging 98-unit complex with a new affordable housing community for residents age 55 and older. The project is expected to cost about $50 million and will require a mix of public and private financing before construction can begin.
The property, located in Jacksonville’s Downtown East neighborhood, was declared a public nuisance in 2022 because of unsafe conditions, including mold, rodent infestations and violent crime. In 2023, the Jacksonville Housing Authority purchased the complex for $8 million with plans to renovate it.
Under the agency’s current leadership, however, those plans have changed.
“We’re going to be doing demolition early fall of 2026,” Jacksonville Housing Authority CEO Cheron Corbett said. “We’re really excited about this.”
Corbett said an architectural assessment determined it no longer made financial sense to renovate the aging buildings.
“When the asset was purchased historically, it made sense at that time to potentially rehab the entire asset,” Corbett said. “But now we’re in 2026 and we recognize that labor costs have increased, also material costs have increased. Those dynamics have changed, so it’s more advantageous for us to demolish the entire structure and redevelop.”
The redevelopment would increase the number of apartments from 98 to 130 while creating housing designed specifically for seniors.
“We want to be able to bring a structure here that allows individuals to age in place,” Corbett said. “That’s one of the key things that’s really missing here on the Eastside.”
The project comes as demand for affordable housing continues to outpace supply across Jacksonville. Corbett said thousands of people remain on the Jacksonville Housing Authority’s waiting list for housing assistance.
“We need more affordable units, but there’s just not enough supply and so much demand,” she said.
While the City Council’s $1 million loan will help move the project forward, it represents only a small portion of the overall cost.
Corbett said the housing authority plans to assemble financing through several sources, including 4% low-income housing tax credit bonds, financial institutions, local government funding and other gap financing.
“It’s going to be a lot of partners that are going to be in play in regards to making this a total success from a financial standpoint,” she said.
Before construction can begin, the project must receive rezoning approval. The first public hearing is scheduled for July 23 before the Jacksonville Planning Commission.
Corbett said community response has largely been positive.
“Franklin Arms has had so much negative history historically,” she said. “This is just an opportunity to pretty much reboot.”
She added that redeveloping Franklin Arms is only the beginning of the housing authority’s broader plans.
“This is just phase one for us,” Corbett said. “We’re serious about this. We purchased this asset many years ago, been here for a year, and we’re moving this initiative forward as we’re going to do with so many more initiatives here in the city of Jacksonville.”
Upcoming public hearings
- Planning Commission: July 23, 2026, at 1 p.m., Ed Ball Building, 214 N. Hogan St., Room 1002
- City Council first public hearing: July 28, 2026, at 5 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers, 117 W. Duval St.
- Land Use and Zoning Committee: Aug. 4, 2026, at 5 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers, 117 W. Duval St.
- City Council final public hearing: Aug. 11, 2026, at 5 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers, 117 W. Duval St.