Southbank Development Taking Shape

Development along Jacksonville’s Southbank is progressing as two of its projects – RiversEdge: Life on the St. Johns and Artea at Southbank – continue to evolve.

The highly anticipated RiversEdge project by Dallas-based developer Preston Hollow Community Capital LLC (PHCC) will finally start to see vertical construction as Toll Brothers, Inc. begins construction on the 40 luxury townhomes within the development.

In a joint press release last month, PHCC and Toll Brothers announced Toll Brothers’ purchase of 2.75 acres within the RiversEdge development for the two- to four-bedroom townhomes with three baths and two-car garages, ranging from 1,844 to 2,085-plus square feet. The townhomes will also include rooftop terraces with “an array of designer-appointed features.”

Jacksonville Toll Brothers Group President Greg Netro said, “Toll Brothers at RiversEdge is an exciting townhome community on the St. Johns River, coming soon to Jacksonville. The community is in a great location nearby the future Southbank Riverwalk extension.”

Netro added that sales for the townhomes will begin later this fall.

The Resident News inquired about the next phases of construction on the RiversEdge development with PHCC, including details on any additional partners for further vertical construction. In an e-mail, PHCC Associate Director Madeleine Rehfeld said Preston Hollow is “not quite ready to share additional details regarding the development at this time.”

When completed, RiversEdge will feature 1,130 high- and mid-rise residential units, 40 townhomes, a 125-slip marina, more than 100,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and entertainment space, and will be able to accommodate 200,000 square feet of office space. At PHCC’s unveiling event last November, plans were also shared to include a 200-room boutique hotel at RiversEdge.

Toll Brothers, Inc. is the first vertical developer to join the development.

Adjacent to RiversEdge, Corner Lot Development Group’s Artea at Southbank is expected to complete construction ahead of schedule.

While the initial overall completion date was initially anticipated for September 2025, Corner Lot Director of Construction Chris Anthony said it is “currently tracking for June 2025” with the first phase (consisting of the leasing office and 122 units) now anticipating an October 2024 completion date, up six months from its original April 2025 estimated date.

When completed, Artea at Southbank will feature 340 multi-family units ranging from studios to two-bedrooms across a four-story building. The development will also include a rooftop deck, pool, several amenity spaces and an “artistically screened-in” parking garage offering 425 spaces.

The Artea at Southbank development is facilitated through a partnership between Corner Lot Development Group and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) as part of the JTA’s Transit Oriented Development Program. It will connect to the authority’s San Marco Skyway rail station and new bike and pedestrian corridors.

Pre-leasing for Artea at Southbank is expected to begin in July.

District 5 City Councilmember Joe Carlucci said his office is working to add public spaces in the area following these projects to enhance residents’ and guests’ experience in the Southbank area. These spaces include playgrounds, splash pads, turf fields, pickleball and tennis courts and a dog park.

“RiversEdge and Artea are transforming our Southbank area,” he said. “The development community is stepping up and it’s time we do the same. I believe the go-outside-and-play type of experiences will only grow in the coming years and our city needs to provide that for those not living out in the suburbs.”

While he said he is “eager” to share plans for these public spaces with the community, Carlucci added he “wants to make sure we have a thoughtful design in place beforehand.”