DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools is moving forward with the sale of its Southbank headquarters after the School Board voted Tuesday night unanimously to approve a $15 million agreement with Ashco Inc.
The vote clears the way for a third attempt to transfer the district’s nearly five-acre riverfront property to a private buyer — and potentially transform one of Jacksonville’s most prominent stretches of riverfront.
A hotel. Condominiums. Retail. Residential space. Those are among the possibilities outlined in the proposed agreement between DCPS and Ashco, though the deal does not commit the company to any single development.
What happens next
The unanimous approval kicks off a process that could take months — or years — to complete.
Under the agreement, Ashco has five days to put $1 million into escrow. That triggers a 120-day investigation period, giving the company time to review the property’s zoning, soil, environmental conditions, and other factors that could affect redevelopment.
During those four months, Ashco can back out for any reason and have its deposit returned.
Even if Ashco moves forward, closing may not happen quickly. The agreement allows an outside closing date as far as three years after the investigation period ends.
Third time’s the charm?
Tuesday’s vote marks the third major attempt in roughly a year to get the property sold.
Fleet Landing offered $20 million in 2025 with plans to build a retirement community on the site. The School Board rejected that deal.
Chase Properties got the next shot, with the board approving its $17.2 million offer in November 2025. Chase’s vision included luxury condominiums, apartments, hospitality, restaurants, and other commercial space. But Chase withdrew from the deal in February, and DCPS also terminated its agreement to purchase a new headquarters on Prominence Parkway.
The final sale price with Ashco also came in lower than initially reported. In September, district officials said Ashco offered $15.6 million, narrowly topping a $15.5 million offer from Bainbridge Communities. The agreement approved Tuesday lists the purchase price at $15.132 million — $468,000 less than the September figure. The district said two independent appraisals confirmed the price meets or exceeds the property’s appraised value.
Where does DCPS go?
If the sale closes, the district still needs a place to land. DCPS has narrowed its headquarters search to Baymeadows and Midtown, but neither option is without trade-offs.
Baymeadows has enough space for the district’s workforce, but the location has drawn concerns from staff.
“It’s so far away. A lot of the employees who are currently working at this building would then have to travel,” said DCPS Chief Operating Officer Jim Culbert during a September discussion. “We really wanted to be downtown, and that would be the perfect place for us to be, but the problem is just the overall cost.”
The district has not finalized a site for its new headquarters.
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