{"id":934345,"date":"2026-07-14T13:25:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/934345\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T13:25:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:25:15","slug":"from-a-beloved-local-restaurant-to-a-culinary-campus-city-leaders-hope-downtown-projects-spur-even-more-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/934345\/","title":{"rendered":"From a beloved local restaurant to a culinary campus, city leaders hope downtown projects spur even more development"},"content":{"rendered":"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 For years, Jacksonville has been trying to answer an important question: What will downtown become?<\/p>\n

Now, several major projects are moving closer to reality \u2014 from a new riverfront destination where the Jacksonville Landing once stood, to a potential Culinary Institute of America campus and a proposed Publix-anchored development in Pearl Square.<\/p>\n

City leaders say each project plays a different role in creating a downtown that attracts more residents, visitors and businesses.<\/p>\n

But as construction moves forward, another question remains: Can these projects create enough momentum to bring more private investment downtown and reduce the city\u2019s role in helping fund future developments?<\/p>\n

A new chapter at the riverfront<\/b><\/p>\n

Nearly seven years after the Jacksonville Landing closed, Riverfront Plaza is beginning to take shape.<\/p>\n

The city recently selected European Street Cafe<\/a>, a beloved Jacksonville staple, as the first permanent restaurant at the new riverfront park.<\/p>\n

For owner Andy Zarka, the opportunity is personal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Landing meant so much to me growing up in Jacksonville. It was a place that I would come with my folks, and then in college we would come, and then after I had a daughter, we\u2019d come down here and sit on the river, watch the dolphins, watch the fountain,\u201d Zarka said. \u201cIt\u2019s a special, special place to me, and so to have the privilege and the honor of opening this location in that historic spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zarka says opening at Riverfront Plaza is a chance to help create those same memories for a new generation.<\/p>\n

The 2,400-square-foot caf\u00e9 is expected to open in late fall 2026. It will offer European Street favorites, along with coffee, desserts, beer and wine, while also providing grab-and-go options for downtown workers and a gathering place for families and visitors.<\/p>\n

Zarka says adding more activity, especially after business hours, is a key part of changing the way people experience downtown.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s make this more of an evening-time, nighttime location. There\u2019s always that stigma: It becomes a ghost town after the offices close. We\u2019ve been coming down here at night just to check it out, and that\u2019s changing,\u201d Zarka said. \u201cFamilies are coming down here. They\u2019re hanging out. They\u2019re here in the evening. Let\u2019s give them more to do, and more things to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Culinary Institute of America<\/b><\/p>\n

While Riverfront Plaza focuses on creating a gathering place along the river, city leaders say another project could help bring people to downtown from across the region: The proposed Culinary Institute of America campus.<\/p>\n

Jacksonville city council members confirmed with News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee<\/b><\/a> <\/b>and photojournalist Jesse Hanson that the school selected the city as its future Southeast hub.<\/p>\n

The project would be part of a larger riverfront development and is expected to include education, hospitality training and opportunities tied to tourism and conventions.<\/p>\n

RELATED | Did Jacksonville\u2019s $35M push work? Culinary Institute of America delays decision on campus<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The City Council previously approved up to $35 million in support for the project.<\/p>\n

Councilman Jimmy Peluso says those dollars have already been identified and would not come from the city\u2019s general fund or reserves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not any money coming out of any reserves or the general fund. These are dollars that were already set aside about a year ago, so this isn\u2019t affecting the taxpayer today,\u201d Peluso explained.<\/p>\n

The approval, however, does not mean the project is finished.<\/p>\n

The Downtown Investment Authority still has to negotiate the final agreement, including details about the campus design, the property and the construction timeline.<\/p>\n

Peluso says the impact could stretch far beyond Jacksonville.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just for Jacksonville, it\u2019s not just for Florida, it\u2019s pretty much for everything south of Virginia and as far west as I think for Mississippi,\u201d Peluso said. \u201cWe are going to be this massive hub for the Culinary Institute of America. We got selected; it\u2019s kind of putting the ball back in our court, or at least the Downtown Investment Authority\u2019s court, to negotiate a deal with CIA, to figure out, OK, we know CIA wants to come here, let\u2019s make sure we have a package that helps build out their campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl Square and the Publix question<\/b><\/p>\n

While Riverfront Plaza and the CIA project continue moving forward, city leaders say another development is critical to creating a complete downtown ecosystem: Pearl Square.<\/p>\n

The proposed nine-block development would include apartments, retail space and a Publix grocery store with a pharmacy \u2014 something downtown residents have long needed.<\/p>\n

RELATED | Pearl Square to bring apartments, restaurants, beer gardens & jobs to Downtown Jacksonville<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Peluso says the grocery store is more than just another business. It would serve as an anchor to help support the surrounding development.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the Publix deal and the tower they are building. Keep in mind it\u2019s not just a Publix, and a parking garage and a tower will have a ton of residents in them, so that\u2019s good for a couple of reasons,\u201d Peluso said. \u201cWe just can\u2019t do half measures. We can\u2019t do a few things here or there and then do other projects that really bring it all together. If we want downtown to succeed, let\u2019s just finish up this project of the Pearl Street District, and we will be in a great spot; we really would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED | \u2018More life to this side of Downtown\u2019: Local businesses excited as Downtown Jacksonville prepares for Pearl Square<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Unlike Riverfront Plaza and the CIA project, the Publix tower is still waiting on a final funding agreement.<\/p>\n

Peluso says completing projects like Pearl Square is important because downtown developments often rely on each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one project that we still haven\u2019t approved is that Publix project. Will it be a completion grant, or will it be a tax abatement? Will there be other options? I don\u2019t know yet, but I am confident in this council and the mayor\u2019s office that recognizes the value and the need to get this project completed,\u201d Peluso said.<\/p>\n

The bigger downtown question<\/b><\/p>\n

City leaders say public support has helped bring major projects to Jacksonville, but the long-term goal is to create enough momentum that developers and businesses invest without needing as much city assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to make it easier for banks to lend, which is a big deal when it comes to downtown projects; you need those banks to want to lend and want to see their return on investment,\u201d Peluso said. \u201cNow they are going to see progress firsthand. We are going to see less and less incentives coming from the city, and that\u2019s a big deal for us; things are going to become more self-sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Jacksonville, the challenge now is making sure these projects move forward together.<\/p>\n

Because city leaders say downtown\u2019s future will not be defined by one restaurant, one school or one development. It will depend on whether all the pieces work together.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 For years, Jacksonville has been trying to answer an important question: What will downtown become?…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":934346,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,2556,7236,18362,376676,3188,723,7310,376677,376675,109478,376678,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-934345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-america","tag-development","tag-downtown","tag-downtown-development","tag-downtown-revitalization-jacksonville","tag-fl","tag-florida","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-city-investment","tag-jacksonville-riverfront-projects","tag-pearl-square","tag-publix-downtown-jacksonville","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/934346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}