Phase 1 of 8.3-Acre Development Celebrates Important Milestone in Regenerative Placemaking Project
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — October 30, 2024 — Phoenix Arts & Innovation District (PHX JAX), a Future of Cities (FoC) development, announced today the opening of the Emerald Station. In a celebration of community revitalization, PHX JAX hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the property located at 2320 N. Liberty Street in the North Springfield neighborhood. The event featured notable speakers, including Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, Jacksonville City Council President Randy White, Jacksonville City Council District 7 Representative Jimmy Peluso and Tony Cho, CEO of Future of Cities.
The 17,000-square-foot Emerald Station is an adaptive reuse project. The renovated warehouse now features 7,000 square feet of creative offices, conference rooms, a community lounge, event space, furniture rental options and an in-house catering kitchen. The property also features a 10,000-square-foot event venue managed by the Twinkle Collective. The City of Jacksonville’s Small and Emerging Business (JSEB) incubator is a tenant, and will provide support to local entrepreneurs.
“The opening of the Emerald Station is the next important milestone of many important milestones of the Phoenix Arts & Innovation District, and a powerful demonstration of public-private partnership,” said Future of Cities CEO Tony Cho. “We are grateful to the City of Jacksonville, as well as the Springfield and Historic Eastside communities, for their support in helping us complete this first phase of the project. We look forward to continuing our partnership in uplifting this incredible community.”
PHX JAX is a regenerative placemaking project comprising 10 separate properties across 8.3 acres, located in a federally designated Opportunity Zone in the North Springfield neighborhood of Jacksonville. The district encompasses a total of 120,000 square feet of adaptively repurposed warehouse spaces.
The first phase of the development began in December of 2023 with the commencement of construction of the Emerald Station. The Economic Development Agreement between Future of Cities and the City of Jacksonville provided funds as a Completion Grant in two phases, each in the amount of $2 million, for the adaptive rehabilitation of four warehouses and public green space. It also authorized a 50%, 15-year recaptured enhanced value (REV) grant not to exceed $1.5 million. PHX JAX provided office space at the Emerald Station to the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business (JSEB) incubator, which is run by the City of Jacksonville. This public-private partnership includes a nearly $38 million investment by FoC into the community-focused development.
“The Phoenix Arts & Innovation District is an important piece of the efforts to revitalize Jacksonville’s urban core and bring new development to the historic Springfield and Eastside neighborhoods,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “I am particularly excited that a Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business incubator will be housed in the Emerald Station portion of the development. It will bring economic growth to the neighborhood and provide opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive.”
FoC assembled a team of local vendors and contractors to bring the Emerald Station to life, including JAA Architecture, Hota Design, Prosser Inc. and Avant Construction. Leasing opportunities for office spaces are now available. For more information on leasing, visit phxjax.com.
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About PHX JAX | The Phoenix Arts & Innovation District in Jacksonville, FL, is a regenerative placemaking project dedicated to building equity through community, arts, and culture, aiming to provide a global platform for artists and business incubation in Jacksonville's North Springfield neighborhood. Collaborating with artists, residents, cultural instigators, and change makers in Jacksonville, the initiative by the Future of Cities team focuses on creating a vibrant, diverse neighborhood. The non-profit arm of the project, Friends of Phoenix, is committed to fostering community engagement, enhancing educational opportunities and cultural experiences, by driving innovation. Aligning with the broader mission of the Phoenix Arts & Innovation District, Friends of Phoenix operates through four pillars: Arts and Culture, Sustainability, Technology, and Financial Stability. To learn more about upcoming events and opportunities to get involved, visit phxjax.com.
About Future of Cities | Future of Cities was created to reimagine how we live, work, play and learn. As a mission-driven consortium invested in transforming the built environment, we take a holistic place-based approach to regenerative development to adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies that improve the quality of urban living across the globe.