Four years after Jacksonville’s iconic River City Brewing Co. was demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development, Mayor Donna Deegan and several other city officials joined the development team to break ground on Related Group’s incoming high-rise on the Southbank.
Held on Wednesday, May 20, the groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction of Southbank Residences. The $200-plus million development will feature the 25-story Icon Tower and eight-story Manor Tower, with just under 400 residences between the pair and approximately 4,500 square feet of ground-floor retail. It was designed by world-renowned architect Carlos Ott, whose work includes the Opéra Bastille in Paris and other major projects around the globe.
Plans for this development date back to 2021, and Related Development President and CEO Steve Patterson remarked on that passage of time as he stepped up to the podium.
“Mayor Deegan, I love it when plans come together,” Patterson said. “Five years, a couple bucks for attorneys’ fees. Look what we did.”
With additional amenities including a riverfront restaurant, a speakeasy, a rooftop resident lounge, resort-style pool, spa, fitness centers, and sports simulators, Patterson said Southbank Residences will have it all.
“It’s not a building, this is a village,” Patterson said.
Deegan shared her excitement for this project with those gathered at the May groundbreaking for what she said will be a “catalytic project” for the City as it continues to see development take shape in different parts of Downtown and the surrounding areas.
“It is a time for our downtown that many of us have dreamed of for many, many decades, and to see the renderings become reality has been absolutely incredible, and this is just another piece of that,” Deegan said.
This incoming development marks continued activation along the Southbank, as crews have roped off the former MOSH building in preparation for demolition, and Haskell continues work on its new headquarters just next door. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, District 5 City Council Member Joe Carlucci said bringing this landmark development to the riverfront marks a new chapter for Jacksonville – one in which riverfront residents are needed.
“It just means Jacksonville is moving in the right direction. The last chapter of Jacksonville – River City Brewing – that was a great chapter, but the new chapter that we’re in is going to be even better,” Carlucci said. “Same with MOSH – that was a great chapter, lots of memories there…but there’s a lot of things that are going to be complementing each other over here to where new memories can be made, even more experiences and residents on the river are one thing that we need more of.”
Related Group Founding Executive Chairman Jorge Perez is looking forward to bringing the same momentum to Jacksonville that the Miami-based development company has brought to other major cities in Florida, including Miami and Tampa.
“Related is not a company that builds buildings; it builds cities,” Perez said during his address. “We are so proud that we have changed neighborhoods, that we have changed cities, that we have made it inclusive, and that’s part of our DNA.”
The development team also includes MSA Architects, Coastal Construction and ID & Design International.
