City of Jacksonville

ICYMI: Our Military Affairs & Veterans Department, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, presented grants to several military non-profits to kick off our Celebration of Valor. Congratulations and thank you to the following organizations for all that you do for our local veterans. -Five STAR Veterans Center -K9s For Warriors -Here Tomorrow -Operation New Uniform -United Way of Northeast Florida -Northeast Florida Women Veterans, Inc. -Florida National Guard Foundation -Hope4Veterans -Friends of Jacksonville Veterans Treatment Court -Task Force Hydro -Jacksonville Humane Society -Operation Barnabas -First Coast Honor Flight, Inc. -SUPPORT COMMITTEE AT JACKSONVILLE NATIONAL CEMETERY INC -Marine Corps League Detachment 059 -Veterans Council of Duval County Go to https://lnkd.in/eGGU6dR3 for more Celebration of Valor events.

The Phoenix Arts & Innovation District is growing by the day, especially with the official ribbon cutting of Emerald Station today. The 17,000 square foot warehouse now features 7,000 square feet of offices, conference rooms, a community lounge, event space, and an in-house catering kitchen. "The Phoenix Arts and 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 Mayor Donna Deegan. "It's a great example of what can happen when public and private entities come together." The Emerald Station will also be the new home to a Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business incubator. This incubator will bring economic growth to the neighborhood and provide opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the community to thrive. For complete information on this transformative project, please visit: https://lnkd.in/ewi5rtPY

In an effort to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety, the City began a Vision Zero Action Plan designed to eliminate all traffic fatalities and reduce serious injuries in half by 2035. Join us and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority for an open house next Wednesday, November 6th at Kids Hope Alliance, located at 1095 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. From 5 tp 7pm, join the discussion to improve traffic safety and address concerns. For more information on the City of Jacksonville's Vision Zero Action Plan, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eizXjTcJ)

Happening now 🏗️ The official groundbreaking for Pearl Square - Phase 1 of the new Gateway Jax development downtown. Located at 515 N. Pearl Street, the first building will feature 200+ residences and 20,000 square feet of retail. "I can’t wait till I can stroll a few blocks from City Hall and take in the new “Pearl Square,” check out the shops and eateries, and see people enjoying the new downtown hub," said Mayor Donna Deegan during the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning. "Thanks to the team at Gateway Jax, to our Downtown Investment Authority and CEO Lori Boyer, to the City Council, and everyone who worked so hard to make this project a reality." When complete, this $750 million investment will feature 1,250 residences, 200,000 square feet of retail space, more than 1 acre of parks and open spaces, and 150 hotel rooms. The full project could grow to 22 acres and more than 20 blocks with a more than $2 billion investment over the next decade. For complete information on this transformational project for Downtown Jacksonville, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eu9A9qYP

On National First Responder Day today, we would like to recognize all of our local First Responders. Whether it's 911 operators answering the call, the brave men and women who head towards danger, or linemen restoring power during storms, thank you so much for your service.

There is still time to register for today's JSEB Stadium of the Future Informational Session at EverBank Stadium from 4 to 6pm. If your local small business is interested in participating in an upcoming Stadium of the Future bid package, RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/ge3DWdqB

🌥 Good Morning 🌥 Happy Monday! It’s a partly cloudy start to the day but it’s going to be a good one. We hope everyone had a great weekend and are looking forward to this one. The Georgia-Florida, or Florida-Georgia game is one of the most amazing traditions in sports and we are so proud to be its home. Let’s start this week off right with a great day today - Make it happen Jacksonville! “An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” – Arnold Glasow

It was a historic celebration at City Hall this morning as the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and the City honored 60 local artists, each receiving $10,000 grants through the first-ever Individual Artists Grant Pilot Program. This investment significantly expands the Cultural Council’s grant-making scope and fiduciary stewardship within the city, aiming to enrich the creative sector and provide an economic ripple effect to all residents and businesses in Jacksonville. “When I was elected, I convened an Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) transition committee to advise my administration on how we could best support arts and culture, in our city” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “The ACE committee was clear in its recommendations that we must support individual artists so that they can live in Jacksonville and pursue their creative endeavors, and I could not have agreed more. Our hope today is that the Artist Grant program creates an ecosystem for growth that will encourage Jacksonville-based artists to stay, and new artists to come to the city.” “As champions for Jacksonville’s creative sector and vibrant cultural landscape, we believe in the transformative power of arts and culture, mutually enhancing economic growth and quality of life for our city,” said Diana Donovan, Executive Director of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. “This first cohort of the Individual Artists Grant Pilot Program represents best-in-class talent that is already here in our city. It is essential that we retain our talent and attract others to Jacksonville. When funding is kept local and invested back into the ecosystem, it activates local businesses and cultural tourism, drawing people to our city. We look forward to seeing the progress made over the course of the next year while they have the extra support to fund their creative contributions to our quality of life as a city.” The program is designed to assist practicing, professional artists in any medium or discipline residing in Duval County, and includes creative entrepreneurs and cultural workers who work directly, primarily and to the benefit of individual artists such as curators, producers, and presenters. Awardees will also receive coaching and professional development training through September 30, 2025. More than 300 applications were submitted and reviewed by a third-party Artist Grant panel, comprised of professional artists, community members and leaders with subject matter expertise, extensive area knowledge, and demonstrated experience in stewarding grant funding. Each application was meticulously reviewed according to the ordinance-mandated guidelines and established scoring rubric and went through a rigorous selection process. For the full list of awardees, visit https://lnkd.in/eHRiewWG.

Our Animal Care & Protective Services team are hosting a trunk-or-treat at the shelter this Sunday, October 27th and we'd love to see everyone there! 🐶 As part of PetSmart Charities National Adoption Week, all adoptions are FREE! Stop by 2020 Forest St. in Riverside from Noon-4pm and meet your new best friend. Check out the flyer below for more information and go to https://lnkd.in/eH3vTswj to see all of the lovable pets available for adoption or fostering.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to demonstrate support, the Duval County Clerk of Courts and Hubbard House, Inc. have planted 6,546 purple flags on the courthouse lawn - each representing a survivor who filed an injunction case last year. Help is available 24/7 for those who need it by calling Hubbard House at (904) 354-3114 or by text at (904) 210-3698. https://lnkd.in/ddWCA9u