JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 For years, parts of Downtown Jacksonville have been quiet, with empty lots, underused streets, and historic buildings waiting for a purpose. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s beginning to change with Pearl Street Square, a nine-block development designed to bring residents, businesses, and community life back to the city\u2019s urban core.<\/p>\n
Gateway Jax\u2019s CEO, Bryan Moll, gave News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee and photojournalist Jesse Hanson a look around the site, explaining how the first phase is designed to create a neighborhood that functions morning, noon and night.<\/p>\n
Phase 1 is designed as the core of the new downtown neighborhood, providing a mix of residential, retail, parks, and entertainment. (Jesse Hanson\/News4JAX photojournalist)<\/p>\n
\u201cBuild more residential downtown,\u201d Moll said. \u201cWhen you have people who live here, the things that sustain businesses, people, and shopping, those are now not just 9-to-5 when people are at work; now you are getting customers at night and in the mornings, and then you truly start to create an 18-hour environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phase 1: Foundations of a neighborhood<\/p>\n
Phase 1 is designed as the core of the new downtown neighborhood, providing a mix of residential, retail, parks, and entertainment. <\/p>\n
The first building to open is Vandeveer, expected as early as August, delivering 205 apartments above 22,000 square feet of retail, including a chef-driven Japanese restaurant, giving residents and visitors immediate access to dining, shops, and community space.<\/p>\n
But Vandeveer is just the beginning. Phase 1 as a whole will include over 200,000 square feet of additional retail across multiple streets, offering everyday services and shops like:<\/p>\n
Publix grocery store <\/p>\n
Hair salons and barbershops <\/p>\n
Dry cleaners and boutique retailers<\/p>\n
Peart Street Square Publix Tower (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
\u201cThis area was a food desert, food desert meaning there were no grocery stores over here,\u201d Moll said. \u201cGiving people access to food, you are also creating a thriving neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n