Over the past week, shoppers have been getting used to the new ALDI at Market and Union. At the same time, Jacksonville City Council members are preparing to take up an incentives proposal tied to Gateway Jax’s planned N7 development at 119 W. Beaver St., a mixed-use tower that would set aside space for a Publix-sized grocery store downtown.

The fate of incentives for a Downtown Publix has yet to be decided, but developer Gateway Jax is moving ahead with plans to demolish the former First Baptist Church main auditorium to make way for it, according to our news partners at the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Plans for a full-service Publix grocery store in Downtown Jacksonville remain on track, but questions are emerging about whether the city will ultimately be able to fund millions of dollars in incentives tied to the project.

A stretch of downtown Jacksonville that has long seen empty lots and quiet sidewalks is beginning to change as construction and planning ramp up around the Pearl Square development.

Downtown Jacksonville is seeing billions of dollars in development and millions of visitors each year, but some business owners said the next phase of growth is creating more consistent day-to-day activity outside of major events. Downtown Vision says the shift comes as downtown continues adjusting to changes in office work and visitor trends following the pandemic.

Downtown Jacksonville business owners say change is finally reaching a long-quiet stretch of the Core Business District — and the latest development could bring some of the biggest momentum yet.

Gateway Jax broke ground Wednesday on 721 North Pearl Street, launching work to convert an existing parking garage into a retail-oriented anchor that will help form a new pedestrian shopping corridor along Beaver Street in the Pearl Square neighborhood.

Publix is officially coming to Downtown Jacksonville.

Springfield has historic homes and neighborhoods that give it a charming feel, but the area has also seen a major boom in new construction, growth and potential.

The development of Pearl Square will feature housing, restaurants and retail across nine blocks.

A new project slated for completion within the next two years in downtown Jacksonville took a major step on Tuesday, providing further evidence of the city’s priority to develop the area.