Zoning change to incentivize development in Jacksonville's core

[Charles Hunter]

From the Business Journal, there's a bill making its way through City Council to allowed increased density along certain corridors.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2026/06/08/zoning-incentivize-development.html?ana=e_JA_me&j=46078315&senddate=2026-06-09&empos=p6

This proposal would allow for increased density developments in urban areas the city has identified as places where growth can be further maximized. These areas include high-traffic corridors, such as along the Arlington Expressway, Philips Highway, Interstate 10 West, Interstate 95 North and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.

"We need more housing and we need more housing supply," Anne Coglianese, chief resilience officer for the City of Jacksonville, told the Business Journal. "The goal with this is to make sure that housing is coming online where we want it, where we already have resources and infrastructure in place ... we want to make it attractive, and we want to make it profitable for developers to do this type of infill, because we all benefit when housing is happening in the right place."

The city has a deficit of approximately 50,000 units of homes for low-income residents.

The city worked with the Jacksonville Transit Authority to identify areas that are not only outside of FEMA flood zones, but also close to high-ridership JTA routes and the Emerald Trail development.

In several zoning categories, the Comp Plan / Zoning change would increase maximum density (number of units) by 50% in the Urban Priority Areas.

The bill number is 2026-0311

And, how's that linkage to JTA working out with their impending slashing of bus service?

[marcuscnelson]

As a matter of principle, this is a good idea. The previous policy of onerous charettes and plans upon plans in order to build TOD was clearly ineffective, hence basically no developers making use of it. Between this and the work with EPICS to simplify permitting, these are key steps in the right direction. If the demand is there for density, the ability to deliver it should exist.

But yes, ultimately the thing about Transit-Oriented Development is the transit, because the value proposition of building homes that aren't reliant on car parking for every trip relies on the likelihood that people will actually be able to get around in ways that aren't just driving. JTA's leadership over the last decade and a half has done almost everything possible to not actually run a transit system in service of that goal, and the impending cuts only further demonstrate a a lack of trust to justify building around them.

Looking at the map linked in the bill (Exhibit 3) as well, these are all areas that would benefit from economic development, but areas that are likely going to respond negatively if such development feels more like added traffic and parking demand. There are ways to make growth that aren't zero-sum, but more suburban development is not one of them.

[MakeDTjaxGre@tAgain]

One can only hope this is a push for a launch of commuter rail down Philips at least to St Aug. I may be mistaken, but Philips may be the fastest growing corridor now.

Pushing for density towards the core seems to make it more feasible. There's lots of commercial and vacant ran down lots along with at least 2 mobile home parks. Walmart and Aldi also nearby. Wonder if it does grow what is the outcome of the gentlemen clubs. 🤔

Just my opinion. Would be interested to hear others thoughts.

[thelakelander]

^Its not a push for commuter rail. Its something thats been periodically discussed since the first COJ Mobility Plan effort back in 2010. The political support wasn't there back in those days.