Jacksonville officials discuss Business Improvement District to seed Westside commercial corridor

Council members and community partners discussed a proposal to create a business improvement district for the 100 Third Street Westside corridor in Jacksonville and to seed initial work with $250,000 from each of three council districts' community benefits agreement (CBA) funds.

The proposal, described in a concept brief as a community‑led BID and presented by Greg Grant of JSEB, would form a nonprofit or dependent district to manage beautification, safety and façade improvements along the corridor. Grant said BIDs can be structured in different ways and, historically, "BIDs ... stimulate traffic, stimulate safety, and stimulate vibrancy in communities." He noted Jacksonville has had a single BID managed by DBI and cited examples in Orlando, Tampa and Miami where multiple BIDs exist.

Office of General Counsel attorney Dylan Rangel told the council the city typically retains oversight of dependent special districts through statutory connections, most commonly by reviewing and approving the district's annual budget. "The traditional connection point that we have seen is that they submit their annual budget every year for approval by the city council," Rangel said, noting other models include contracting management to an existing entity.

A member of the auditor's office confirmed council districts control how CBA disbursements are spent. The auditor's office representative said that if a district receives its $1,000,000 disbursement on Oct. 1, the council has discretion over how to allocate that money.

Council members discussed possible geographic scope, with suggestions to extend the corridor west and to include adjacent areas to capture anchors such as hotels and employers. Council President Randy White and Councilman Rahman Johnson asked staff and partners to refine boundaries and the governance model. Council staff asked that Councilwoman Tyrone Clark Murray provide written feedback about contributing her district's CBA funds; Brianna represented the councilwoman at the meeting.

During public comment, resident John Nooney expressed support and urged planners to consider waterways and existing small businesses along the corridor, saying, "I support this." Nooney and others emphasized public‑private partnerships and the need for transparency about how dollars would be spent.

No formal motion or vote was recorded at the meeting. Presenters said they would return with more detailed "nuts and bolts" — including governance options, budget figures and community outreach plans — and requested written feedback from Councilwoman Clark Murray before the next discussion.

Next steps described at the meeting include staff and partners drafting implementation details and council members providing written comments; no timetable for a formal vote was set.