Driving along Riverside Avenue by the YMCA, you’ve probably seen the giant apartment building under construction. By the end of summer, this community, named 220 Riverside, is expected to open. The leasing office will open this month and interested tenants can begin booking tours.
All photographs by Downtown Vision, Inc.
Conveniently located just west of the Downtown core, 220 Riverside will include close to 300 upscale apartments with a parking garage and retail space on the west side of the building. Adjacent Unity Plaza is also under construction, an urban park that will feature regular cultural programming, food vendors and much more to be announced.
“Downtown Jacksonville is on the move. There is a buzz unlike we’ve felt in years and 220 Riverside is playing a major role in the rebirth of our city center,” said Mayor Alvin Brown in a 2012 interview with Metro Jacksonville. “Let this be a great example to show that private sector investment Downtown benefits us all.”
With demand in urban housing on the rise nationwide, Jacksonville’s urban core is following suit. In addition to 220 Riverside, The Brooklyn Riverside will be built nearby and encompasses seven buildings: four four-story buildings and three three-story buildings that house 310 apartments.
If these two high-impact developments aren’t exciting enough, the Shoppes on Riverside is a retail development currently under construction next to 220 Riverside that will help to cater to the everyday grocery needs of those nearby.
What’s unique about the almost 50,000 square-foot Shoppes is they’ll feature a brand new Fresh Market — which will be the first specialty grocer to serve Jacksonville’s urban core, opening in October — and Jacksonville’s first Corner Bakery.
Finally, after years of planning, the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast is poised to begin construction on a $21 million, three-story new Winston Family YMCA to replace the aging one, expand services throughout neighboring areas and help rejuvenate Downtown. Construction is expected to begin any day now.
Stay tuned for future updates on these Brooklyn projects as the developments progress.