Downtown Jacksonville Publix Tower's Nearly $50 Million Incentive Deadlocks 3-3 in Committee, With Council's Nov. 10 Meeting Next

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Jacksonville City Council committee tied 3-3 on Nov. 4 over a nearly $50 million incentive package for a Publix-anchored apartment tower Downtown, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. The tie came one day after Florida voters approved Amendment 3, a statewide property tax measure that city officials say will reduce Jacksonville's revenue. Because the Finance Committee tied, Ordinance 2026-0541 did not advance on its own toward the full Council meeting planned for Nov. 10.

What happens next rests with Council President Nick Howland, who said he would decide by Nov. 6 whether to discharge the bill for a Nov. 10 vote or let it be deferred for at least two weeks, according to the Daily Record. Readers should check the Council agenda posted on the city's website for the final outcome. This story reflects what was reported as of Nov. 4.

How the committee voted

The Finance Committee vote split evenly, with one member absent, according to the Daily Record. Chris Miller was excused. The tie means the bill needed a fourth vote that it did not get on Nov. 4.

Lahnen said he supports holding a vote on Nov. 10 but opposes unbudgeted cash completion grants, the Daily Record reported. Diamond said he plans to file bills tied to Amendment 3, including one to end Downtown incentives, according to the same report. Diamond's bills were described as planned, not yet filed, in that report.

The project and the money

The project is Block N7 of Pearl Square at 119 W. Beaver St., north and west of City Hall, according to the Daily Record. It is described as a 15-story tower with nearly 260 apartments, 400 integrated parking spaces and a 31,000-square-foot Publix. The former First Baptist Church main auditorium on the site has already been demolished.

The incentive package is nearly $50 million, made up of two pieces, according to the Daily Record. Jacksonville Today reported earlier that Publix would lease its space and receive none of the city money. The developer, not the grocer, is the recipient of both pieces of the package.

Jacksonville Today reported in October that the tax rebate is a 75% property tax refund over 17 years and that the Downtown Investment Authority first approved the deal in December 2025. Developer Gateway Jax says Pearl Square as a whole represents a total investment of $1.269 billion, according to Jacksonville Today. Gateway has also estimated an economic impact of $330 million to $500 million from a Pearl Square Publix, mostly from commercial property tax growth, according to the same report.

Why Amendment 3 changes the debate

Amendment 3 raises the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in fiscal year 2028 and $250,000 in fiscal year 2029, according to the Daily Record. The Council Auditor's Office estimated in October that the measure would cost the city about $200 million in the 2027-28 fiscal year and $300 million by 2028-29. Lahnen said Amendment 3 will cut city property tax revenue by about $300 million in fiscal 2029, according to the Daily Record.

The cash completion grants are the sticking point. Jacksonville Today reported that unbudgeted, outstanding completion grants would reach about $96.6 million if the Publix deal is approved, or about $68.1 million without it. Lahnen said total unbudgeted completion grants would reach about $100 million if the Publix incentive passes, according to the Daily Record, which also reported that he projects budget reductions of $200 million and $300 million in the following years.

What supporters and critics say

Gateway Jax CEO Bryan Moll hopes for the Nov. 10 vote and argued that Amendment 3 makes projects like Block N7 more valuable to the city's commercial tax base. "I don't think it behooves anyone to sort of be in purgatory," Moll said, according to the Daily Record. Downtown Investment Authority CEO Colin Tarbert said earlier that the project must move quickly, according to Jacksonville Today.

Council member Matt Carlucci urged caution, saying, "We can't let this derail us," according to the Daily Record. In October, News4JAX reported that Carlucci and Council member Jimmy Peluso, whose district includes Downtown, backed the package at a public meeting, with Peluso saying the developer has real private capital behind the project. Howland has said he opposes cash completion grants and prefers that taxpayers not subsidize the project, according to Jacksonville Today.

What to watch

The full City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 5 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 117 W. Duval St., according to the Council's website. Nov. 10 is the second Tuesday. Agendas are posted starting the Friday before the meeting, according to the city's frequently asked questions page, and meetings are broadcast live on Channel 99 and streamed online.

Three things will indicate whether the deal moves forward. The first is whether Howland discharged the bill for the Nov. 10 meeting. The second is whether the full Council votes and how, and the third is whether Diamond's Amendment 3 bills are filed.