DCPS plan move from Southbank to Baymeadows, raising accessibility concerns

[Ken_FSU]

Very clear summary of the situation, Skybox.

Two questions
1. How much is the CDD encumbrance?
1a. What is the annual payment, and for how much longer?
2. Why didn't the DCPS consultant know about the encumbrance?
2a. Do they face any consequences, financial or otherwise?

If I'm understanding all of this correctly, it seems like a failure on all fronts. If the property is inside the RiversEdge CDD (e.g. encumbered), isn't it Florida Law that Chase would inherit a share of the CDD's bond obligation for shared infrastructure? How would all parties involved not know this and adjust for it in a deal?

[acme54321]

I'm really confused how the dcps property ended up in the cdd and if in fact it is in the cdd, how did no one know about it??

[Ken_FSU]

I'm really confused how the dcps property ended up in the cdd and if in fact it is in the cdd, how did no one know about it??

JaxToday had a good summary:

Part of Duval Schools' headquarters property — 1.73 acres — is a parking lot along the river and east of the building itself.

Almost a decade ago, board members agreed to swap some of the school district's land with Elements Development. According to School Board meeting minutes, they finalized the land swap in June 2018.

That contract foreshadows today's dispute; it details Elements' plan to create a community development district.

In this case, one of the things The District CDD paid for was the Duval school district's new parking lot — to the tune of nearly $1 million. Although Duval Schools was never going to have to pay CDD fees, documents show the expectation was that a future owner might have to.

https://jaxtoday.org/2026/02/12/duval-schools-headquarters-sale/

[thelakelander]

All of this was recent (i.e. less than a decade ago). I don't understand why the CDD element was unknown. Nevertheless, from the Duval County taxpayer's perspective, DCPS just failed up and downtown keeps 800 plus workers there for the foreseeable future. Whatever benefit would have came from the sale was immediately lost with the Baymeadows purchase.

Call it a day, revamp the freaking building and move on. Sell off the parking lot between the building and Prudential Drive for infill development or partner for some infill development on those lots to make a little revenue.

[jaxlongtimer]

I have yet to be convinced it was financially appropriate to move from their current building.  Everything I have picked up on appears to indicate the move was driven more by political optics (get them off the river) rather than a real need or financial rationale to move.  It has always been questionable about whether the numbers added up to saving any significant dollars, if any at all, by moving.

So, I think this is a blessing, perhaps.  I don't see an urgent demand for more riverfront property to be put in the hands of developers when there is already so much that is going begging.  Let developers deliver on the existing and past promises first.  School board is going to get far less dollars today than if they can hold off until most or all existing land inventory is spoken for.

Sorry for Mr. Balanky & Co. getting taken for a ride.  Someone should be shamed for failure to uncover or disclose this lien up front.  That said, I wonder how $1 million, if that is the issue, would be enough to kill a multi-$100 million project.

I don't see this as a monkey wrench in the area's development, again, given that River's Edge and other real estate is in a holding pattern, it appears.  Add this to the false narrative that Downtown on either bank is headed toward smooth sailing at the moment.

[tufsu1]

Once again, we'll always have the renderings

Likely that's all you would have had from Balanky anyway

[Ken_FSU]

I have yet to be convinced it was financially appropriate to move from their current building.  Everything I have picked up on appears to indicate the move was driven more by political optics (get them off the river) rather than a real need or financial rationale to move.  It has always been questionable about whether the numbers added up to saving any significant dollars, if any at all, by moving.

So, I think this is a blessing, perhaps.  I don't see an urgent demand for more riverfront property to be put in the hands of developers when there is already so much that is going begging.  Let developers deliver on the existing and past promises first.  School board is going to far less dollars today than if they can hold off until most or all existing land inventory is spoken for.

Sorry for Mr. Balanky & Co. getting taken for a ride.  Someone should be shamed for failure to uncover or disclose this lien up front.  That said, I wonder how $1 million, if that is the issue, would be enough to kill a multi-$100 million project.

I don't see this as a monkey wrench in the area's development, again, given that River's Edge and other real estate is in a holding pattern, it appears.  Add this to the false narrative that Downtown on either bank is headed toward smooth sailing at the moment.

Agree with all of this.

Sucks for Balanky (though I will say, he did himself no favors by publicly saying that he looked forward to leveraging Rivers Edge's amenities without sharing the cost on infrastructure), but I think it's good for the taxpayers, and for the downtown workforce, to have DCPS stick around.

End result of this move would have been another $20 million+ ask from the general fund for luxury living on the riverfront. Hard pass, at the moment.

[landfall]

Would be awesome if Gateway Jax could partner with them on a purpose built HQ on the Northbank.

[thelakelander]

I know much of the DCPS focus is on the future of their downtown headquarters, but they are closing schools all over. All tend to be large tracks of land where various projects from adaptive reuse to infill mixed-income and affordable housing could be viable revenue generating options for them. Thinking of LaVilla, that school property consumes 9 urban city blocks, four of which they don't and have not used since the school was built two decades ago. JEA is also sitting on a couple of blocks of prime undeveloped property across Davis Street and COJ has three undeveloped blocks immediately to the north. Three local public entities sitting on 9 undeveloped connected blocks in the middle of the Northbank CRA. Partner development, sell it off or build your own headquarters on your own property. So many options to explore but finding the best solutions forward means breaking down silos and everyone working together.

[heights unknown]

I know much of the DCPS focus is on the future of their downtown headquarters, but they are closing schools all over. All tend to be large tracks of land where various projects from adaptive reuse to infill mixed-income and affordable housing could be viable revenue generating options for them. Thinking of LaVilla, that school property consumes 9 urban city blocks, four of which they don't and have not used since the school was built two decades ago. JEA is also sitting on a couple of blocks of prime undeveloped property across Davis Street and COJ has three undeveloped blocks immediately to the north. Three local public entities sitting on 9 undeveloped connected blocks in the middle of the Northbank CRA. Partner development, sell it off or build your own headquarters on your own property. So many options to explore but finding the best solutions forward means breaking down silos and everyone working together.

Those parcels and blocks of land in LaVilla is my old Childhood Neighborhood. Being that they razed the old residential homes back in '99 I believe, it would be nice to see new residential, and some office and commercial pop back up in that Neighborhood. And whoever thought up the idea of closing off Ashley Street and building commercial there, needs to be............(I won't even say it; I would be kicked off the forum).

[thelakelander]

^Whatever they do, re-establishing the missing portion of Ashley Street is a must!

[Charles Hunter]

Hmmm, reconnecting Ashley Street looks like it would require knocking down the east north wing of the LaVilla School of the Arts.

[thelakelander]

There's enough space to get a street back in there without knocking any part of the building there. I know that DCPS is considering selling off various properties and possibly some of the LaVilla school site.  That was one of the discussions I had with them when their representatives reached out several months back.

[Charles Hunter]

OK, perhaps I was being overly dramatic. But it will wipe out most of the school's parking.

Would the remainder between New Ashley and Beaver Street be wide enough for commercial development?

[thelakelander]

^It just means urban redevelopment should be coordinated so that the school's needs are still being met. Yes, the remaining land would be wide enough for mixed-use development.