Jacksonville council members, developer press for downtown Publix incentives as city backs Oak Steakhouse and Fleet Landing tower

Two Jacksonville City Council members and the developer behind a long-promised downtown Publix made a public push this week for a $49.65 million incentive package that the council has twice put on hold, arguing the grocery-anchored project matters to the whole city. The renewed lobbying comes as the city's Downtown Investment Authority moved ahead on two other deals: a $400,000 forgivable loan for Oak Steakhouse in the historic Greenleaf building and a roughly $49 million tax rebate for a 31-story Fleet Landing senior living tower in Brooklyn.

Together, the three proposals show how much of downtown Jacksonville's next wave of development depends on public money, and how the Nov. 3 statewide vote on Amendment 3, a proposed homestead property tax exemption, is shaping the city's appetite for new commitments.

The Publix package: Block N7

The Publix would anchor Block N7, a $140 million development on West Beaver Street that Gateway Jax is building as part of Pearl Square, its more than $1 billion neighborhood on the northwest side of downtown near City Hall. Along with a full-service Publix, the project would include 259 apartments and additional retail space, according to News4JAX.

The incentive package totals about $49.65 million. It combines a property tax rebate of roughly $21 million, paid to the developer over time as the project generates new taxes, with a cash completion grant of about $28 million from city reserves that would be paid only after construction is finished. The DIA board first voted unanimously to recommend the package in December 2025, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Gateway Jax CEO Bryon Moll said the project would not happen without public support. "This is not just a request we're making for one block in Downtown but it's for the entire city," Moll said, according to News4JAX. He added, "And the project would not be possible without the investment."

At-large Council member Matt Carlucci and District 7 Council member Jimmy Peluso joined the push. Carlucci said he takes no position on Amendment 3 but urged colleagues to approve the incentives regardless of how the vote turns out. "I believe it's important that we pass this ordinance and we honor this incentive because this project is so key," he said. Peluso pointed to downtown's long history of unrealized plans. "We've seen a lot of renderings in the past and a lot of things have never been built," he said.

Why the council keeps deferring

The package has stalled twice in the council's Finance Committee. In August, the committee deferred the ordinance at the DIA's request so the deal could be restructured. Finance Committee Chair Will Lahnen said at the time that he hoped the DIA and Gateway Jax would "find a way to where we can avoid a big cash completion grant," according to the Jacksonville Daily Record.

No alternative emerged, and on Oct. 6 the committee voted to defer again until after the election. Council President Nick Howland said approving the deal before voters decide Amendment 3 would be fiscally irresponsible. The City Council Auditor's Office estimates that if the amendment passes, the city's revenue would drop by $200 million in fiscal 2027-28 and by $300 million by 2028-29.

Lahnen, a Republican who represents District 3, has said he plans to vote no whether or not Amendment 3 passes, citing the completion grants the city already owes. He said the city has about $68 million in unbudgeted completion grants coming due in the next few years, and Action News Jax reported that approving Block N7 would push the city's total obligation to Gateway close to $70 million. "And that is a significant amount of money to go into just one area," Lahnen said.

Moll agreed to the October delay on the condition that a final vote happen in early November. He told Action News Jax that investors are growing anxious and that rising interest rates add pressure to move quickly.

Oak Steakhouse gets a $400,000 loan

On Wednesday, the DIA board voted 7-0, without discussion, to approve a $400,000 interest-free, forgivable loan for Oak Steakhouse, which plans to open on the ground floor of the Greenleaf building at Laura and Adams streets, News4JAX reported. The loan would be forgiven over five years, with 20% written off each year as long as the restaurant keeps operating as proposed and meets the agreement's conditions.

In exchange, Oak must invest at least $2.31 million to build out its space, which covers about 4,100 square feet on the ground floor plus basement space. The restaurant is expected to create about 70 full- and part-time jobs. Charleston, South Carolina-based Indigo Road Hospitality Group announced the Jacksonville location in 2024, and it still has no confirmed opening date.

The Greenleaf building, completed in 1926 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was bought in 2022 by JWB Real Estate Capital, which led a renovation of roughly $17 million. The DIA previously approved about $4.79 million for that broader renovation, and the new restaurant loan is separate. Offices and a fitness studio are already open in the building.

Nearby businesses see a dinner destination as a way to fill downtown after hours. "Obviously nights and weekends are really slow for us," Adrian Gammill, a regional director for Jimmy John's, told News4JAX.

Fleet Landing tower clears the DIA

The DIA board also voted 7-0 on Oct. 21 to endorse a 20-year Recapture Enhanced Value Grant of up to $49.27 million for Fleet Landing Riverside, a proposed $372 million, 31-story senior living tower at 111 Riverside Ave. in Brooklyn, the former Haskell headquarters site on the north bank of the St. Johns River, according to Jacksonville Today. The grant would rebate 75% of the new property taxes the completed project generates, rather than paying money upfront.

The tower would hold 284 senior living residences, including 238 independent living units and 46 units with additional levels of care, News4JAX reported. Plans also call for a 5,000-square-foot public riverfront restaurant, more than 3,200 square feet of street-level retail, public gathering space, public parking and a 40-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle corridor linking Riverside Avenue to the Riverwalk. The DIA's financial analysis projects a return of $1.35 to the city for every $1 in incentives.

The proposal follows Fleet Landing's failed bid for the Duval County Public Schools headquarters on the Southbank. In October 2025, the School Board unanimously rejected the company's $20 million offer for that property, where it had planned a high-rise retirement community. The Downtown Development Review Board gave the Brooklyn tower preliminary design approval with conditions in March.

The deals side by side

Here is how the three incentive requests compare.

What's next

Voters statewide decide Amendment 3 on Nov. 3. The Publix incentives return to the Finance Committee on Nov. 4, and if they advance, the full City Council is scheduled to vote Nov. 10. The Fleet Landing grant still requires City Council approval, along with final design approval, before construction can begin. Oak Steakhouse must finish its build-out and meet the loan's conditions, and no opening date has been announced.