Multiple projects aimed at bringing new riverfront dining options to Jacksonville’s Northbank and Southbank are moving forward as part of broader downtown redevelopment efforts.
On the Southbank, plans for a restaurant next to Friendship Fountain are progressing through the design phase. According to the Downtown Investment Authority, which oversees the city’s Community Redevelopment Area, the design is about 70 percent complete and a procurement process is underway to select an operator. Once an operator is chosen, they will help finalize the remaining design details before construction begins. The proposed restaurant will include about 2,400 square feet of indoor space, a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio and additional upstairs seating. The city plans to fund construction of the building shell, estimated at about $3 million, while the operator will complete the interior build-out.
Nearby, a separate project from Miami-based developer Related Group is also advancing. The company plans to break ground this year on a 25-story mixed-use residential tower on the former River City Brewing Company site. The project will include a ground-floor restaurant and received nearly $59 million in public incentives approved by Jacksonville City Council in 2024.
Across the river on the Northbank, the Downtown Investment Authority has identified a parcel within Riverfront Plaza as the preferred location for a signature riverfront restaurant. The agency has issued a request for proposals from experienced food and beverage operators to design, lease and operate the space. Plans envision a larger two-story restaurant of roughly 10,000 square feet that could serve families, downtown workers and visitors.
The effort is being supported through the city’s Community Redevelopment Area resources managed by the Downtown Investment Authority, which is prioritizing projects that activate the riverfront and expand amenities in downtown parks.
Additional dining options are also planned as part of Riverfront Plaza’s second phase, including a beer garden scheduled for completion later in the decade and a café space already built near the park’s playground. Together, the projects are intended to create more activity and gathering spaces along Jacksonville’s riverfront while strengthening downtown redevelopment.