Business Improvement District Expansion

Funding and ROI

Founded in 2000, Downtown Vision is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Downtown Jacksonville, a not-for-profit organization funded mainly by Downtown’s property owners through a self-assessment. We’re governed by a large board of directors representing diverse Downtown stakeholders in various sectors, including real estate, economic development, design/ build, retail and small business, finance, healthcare, government and non-profit, as well as Downtown residents. Our Annual Report and latest fiscal year is available here: FY 2025 Annual Report.

At the request of the City Council, including the Special Committee on the Future of Downtown, Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI), the non-profit Business Improvement District (BID) for Downtown Jacksonville, is proposing an expansion of its service area boundaries. Our goal is simple: to provide all 3.9 square miles of Downtown Jacksonville with the premier public realm services it deserves. For more information regarding DVI’s role as Downtown Jacksonville’s Business Improvement District, please visit our About page here.

Action and Impact

As we witness these transformative projects, we face a critical turning point. Areas that were once underserved are rapidly becoming hubs of commercial and cultural activity. However, history shows that development alone isn’t enough. For new projects to flourish, the surrounding public realm must be well-funded and managed with excellence. By expanding the BID boundaries today, we ensure that as new residents, businesses and visitors arrive, the resources and infrastructure necessary to maintain a clean, safe, hospitable and vibrant Downtown environment are already on the ground to meet their needs. 

To achieve this, DVI proposes aligning the BID Boundaries with full areas on the North- and Southbanks of the St. John’s River under the purview of the City of Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority, creating a unified treatment of Downtown Jacksonville. Specifically, these boundary adjustments include: 

• To the West: Expanding the western BID boundary from Lee Street and Riverside Avenue to Interstate 95, fully encompassing the historic LaVilla and Brooklyn districts.
• To the East: Expanding from Hogan’s Creek to the St. Johns River to include the entirety of the Sports & Entertainment and the Working Waterfront districts.

 This proposal would scale DVI’s comprehensive suite of public realm management, activation, and support services across the full 3.9 square miles of Downtown Jacksonville. While every individual Downtown district possesses a distinct character, DVI will leverage its 27-year legacy to provide each with a customized scope of services that aligns with specific stakeholder needs while maintaining a high standard of excellence across the expanded BID. DVI’s current competencies include:

• Building Strong Urban Systems and Stakeholder Partnerships: DVI builds and fosters collaborative relationships with Downtown stakeholders while developing systems that support a more connected, coordinated and thriving Downtown. Through ongoing communication and stakeholder support, DVI helps strengthen partnerships, address shared challenges and advance priorities across the Downtown community.
• Ensuring a Clean, Safe and Hospitable Downtown Environment: DVI’s 22-member Downtown Ambassador team provides a visible, seven-day-per-week presence serving as the “eyes and ears” of the streets. The team supports the public realm through litter removal, graffiti abatement, wayfinding assistance, safety escorts, proactive patrols and outreach referrals to individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Marketing Downtown as an Exciting Place to Live, Work, Visit and Invest: DVI serves as Downtown’s primary storyteller, shaping perceptions and highlighting the district’s economic and cultural momentum. Through digital campaigns, social media and DTJax.com, DVI promotes Downtown as a premier destination for urban living and business investment in the North Florida region.
• Market Analysis and Research: DVI provides data-driven insights to guide strategic decision-making, anchored by the annual State of Downtown Report. The organization also delivers specialized market analysis, demographic profiles and peer city comparisons to inform stakeholders and potential investors, and support continued revitalization.
• Activating the Public Realm: DVI drives foot traffic and supports local businesses through free monthly events and creative placemaking initiatives that reinforce Downtown’s role as Jacksonville’s cultural epicenter. Signature programs such as First Wednesday Art Walk, Sip & Stroll Presented by PNC Bank and PlacemakingJax Presented by VyStar Credit Union draw thousands of visitors each month and empower residents to activate underutilized spaces.
• Managing and Activating Downtown Parks: DVI manages and supports James Weldon Johnson Park as welcoming, vibrant public space through daily operations, programming, maintenance and community engagement. By fostering active, well-maintained spaces, DVI helps create inviting destinations that strengthen Downtown’s sense of place and bring people together.

Ensuring a Well-Funded and Well-Managed Public Realm

To fuel these enhanced services and ensure long-term sustainability, the proposed expansion would implement the following updates to the BID’s funding structure:

• Expanded Assessment Area: The 1.1 mils annual special assessment on non-exempt, private commercial and residential properties, which currently partially funds DVI’s core services within the existing BID, will be further applied throughout all areas newly included within the expanded BID boundaries.
• Immediate Residential Integration: To ensure public realm resources scale immediately with population growth, newly constructed or substantially renovated residential properties (both within the existing BID and newly served areas) will be included in the aforementioned 1.1 mils annual special assessment immediately upon completion, rather than following the current five-year exemption period.

***A 1.1 mils assessment equals an assessment of $1.10 for every thousand dollars of taxable value. For example, a 1.1 mils assessment of a property worth $300,000 would be $330. This assessment would be collected by the Duval County Tax Collector and included on a standard property tax notice. 

Hyper-Local Investment

The BID Special Assessment is a direct reinvestment by Downtown’s property owners into the value and vitality of their own assets. Unlike a general tax that is absorbed into a city-wide budget, these funds are legally restricted to stay within the neighborhood. By funding the maintenance, management, and activation of the surrounding public realm, owners ensure that as foot traffic and density increase, the quality of the Downtown environment keeps pace. This structure is essential to ensuring that as property values rise, the resources dedicated to keeping the district clean, safe, and vibrant grow in tandem, protecting the “curb appeal” and marketability of every Downtown investment.

Leveraging Philanthropic Support

DVI operates as a powerful force multiplier for property owner assessment resources. Currently, DVI leverages the $2.1 million in assessment revenue it receives from the existing district to generate more than $2.5 million in additional philanthropic dollars for investment in the Downtown public realm.

By using assessment funds as a stable foundation, DVI attracts significant private sponsorships, grants, public-sector and corporate partnerships, and earned project revenues that would not otherwise exist. This model effectively more than doubles the initial investment, funneling over $4.6 million annually into the management, improvement, and activation of Downtown Jacksonville, all driven by the initial “seed capital” provided by the BID’s stakeholders.

Accountability and Transparency

DVI operates as a transparent and responsible steward of these assessment funds, built upon a foundation of multi-layered oversight and stakeholder representation.

• Stakeholder Governance: DVI is governed by a Board of Directors composed of the very people invested in Downtown’s success, property owners, tenants, nonprofits, merchants, residents, and city officials. This ensures that those paying into the district have a direct seat at the table in determining how funds are deployed.
• Contractual Oversight: DVI operates under an Enhanced Municipal Services Agreement with the City of Jacksonville, which is managed by the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA). This relationship ensures that DVI’s objectives remain perfectly aligned with the city’s broader redevelopment goals.
• Public Approval: To ensure fiscal responsibility and public transparency, DVI’s budget undergoes a rigorous review and must be approved by its own Board of Directors, the Downtown Investment Authority Board of Directors, the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee, and Jacksonville City Council each year.

Implementation and Public Meetings

Implementation: If enacted, these changes will take effect Oct. 1, 2027.

Public Meetings: To ensure no action is taken without a thorough understanding of the potential impact on Downtown stakeholders, DVI will host two public meetings to hear directly from community members who may be affected by the proposed changes. We invite you to join us at one of these sessions to share your feedback, concerns and priorities. Meeting dates will be announced soon and are expected to take place in early 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us: For additional questions and concerns, please reach out to us at info@downtownjacksonville.org.
Media Inquiries: All media inquiries should be directed to Laken Gudzak at laken@downtownjacksonville.org.