LaVilla selected for the University of Florida’s new graduate campus

Located immediately west of downtown historic core, LaVilla is one of Jacksonville’s oldest Gullah Geechee communities. Originally established as a town of its own in 1869, LaVilla became a cultural exchange partner with New Orleans and emerged as a major epicenter for ragtime, jazz and blues during the early 20th century. According to the Indianapolis Freeman, the first published account of blues singing on a public stage occurred in LaVilla’s Colored Airdome on April 16, 1910. Ultimately, LaVilla was largely destroyed by a series of major urban renewal projects, including the construction of Interstate 95 during the 1950s and the 1990s River City Renaissance plan. In recent years, local stakeholders led by the LaVilla Preservation Association have worked behind the scenes to promote a revitalization strategy for the neighborhood that preserves the neighborhood’s history, culture and heritage, while embracing a future of an economic rebirth.

On December 12th, the University of Florida Board of Trustees Governance Committee voted on the location of its proposed new graduate campus in LaVilla. The selected 22-acre site surrounds the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center and will include the Florida Semiconductor Institute, funded by President Biden’s CHIPS act as part of a national effort to drive research and development of semiconductor chips. With a University of Florida graduate campus now in the pipeline, here are 7 additional projects either already underway or proposed for LaVilla.

Johnson Commons

Three blocks bounded by West Adams, Stuart, Forsyth and Lee Streets

Johnson Commons is a two phase 3.4-acre infill mixed-use development currently under construction near the recently completed Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park. The first phase of the project involves the construction of 91 three-story for sale townhomes with one car garages that architecturally pay homage to the historic two and three-story residences that once dominated the LaVilla neighborhood.

A second phase fronting Lee and Forsyth Streets, could include a minimum of 10,000 square feet of stand-alone retail or a mixed-use product of multi-family residential and retail that includes a minimum of 10,000 square feet of retail on the first floor. Johnson Commons is a joint project of JWB Real Estate Capital LLC. and the Corner Lot Development Group.

LaVilla Heritage Trail

From ragtime, blues and jazz, to the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Movement, and many local food dishes we enjoy today, the neighborhood of LaVilla has played a significant role. The proposed LaVilla Heritage Trail is an interpretive marker project that will share the unique and largely overlooked history of sites within LaVilla and the individuals and events associated with them.

The trail is one of many projects aimed at revitalizing LaVilla. The design of this Downtown Investment Authority project was guided by LaVilla residents, business owners, historians and other stakeholders with the goal of educating people about the neighborhood’s cultural heritage and landmarks. A bid for fabrication and installation was recently released by the Downtown Investment Authority.

Jacksonville Terminal

1000 Water Street

During its heyday, LaVilla’s Jacksonville Terminal was the largest passenger railroad station in the South and Florida’s official gateway for worldwide travelers. Millions of railroad passengers passed through the station’s concourse or platforms each year, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1941 and every president between Warren G. Harding and Richard Nixon. Traffic peaked in 1944 when nearly 40,000 trains passed through the terminal, carrying nearly 10 million passengers. To support operations of such a large facility, the Jacksonville Terminal Company employed more than 2,000 two thousand people, making it the second-largest employer in the city at the time. With the decline of rail travel, Jacksonville abandoned the massive station in 1974. During the 1980s, it was converted into the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

The return of passenger rail has been a longtime goal of the LaVilla community and many downtown advocates. Also a major initiative of Mayor Deegan’s administration, this goal to reactivate LaVilla’s historic economic anchor is now moving forward.

In September 2024, the City of Jacksonville was awarded a $1.25 million grant from the Build America Bureau, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. This funding will support management of the LaVilla Transit Innovation and Equity Project, an effort to revitalize key transportation assets by transforming existing facilities into a cohesive, multifunctional transit hub in downtown Jacksonville. Specifically, the City of Jacksonville will explore restoring the Prime Osborn as the central rail station that it has served in the past, and nearby transit-oriented development options that bring new passenger rail connections to Jacksonville.