Episode 459: Jacksonville's Downtown Transformation - Insights from Bryan Moll

If you’ve been watching Jacksonville lately…
You know that moment when people stop asking if something’s happening and start asking how soon they can get in?

That’s exactly where downtown Jacksonville is right now.

Last week on the Not Your Average Investor Show, Pablo sat down with Bryan Moll, CEO of Gateway Jax and the developer behind Tampa’s Water Street and Amazon’s HQ2 in D.C., to unpack what’s unfolding right here in our backyard.

And let me tell you… it’s not just exciting.
It’s already in motion.

Let me walk you through what stood out.

A 10-Block Signal of What’s to Come

Downtown Jacksonville isn’t just growing, it’s evolving with intention.

The first phase of the Gateway Jax project, called Pearl Square, spans 10 full city blocks and will include:
✅ 1,250+ residential units
✅ 200,000 sq ft of grocery-anchored retail
✅ Two new public parks
✅ A boutique hotel with local food & beverage
✅ A new office building designed for modern tenants

But what’s more impressive?
Bryan shared how their team prioritized walkability, outdoor space, and human-scale design. Sidewalks are wider. Bike lanes are part of the plan. Restaurants won’t just be allowed to have outdoor seating, they’ll be expected to.

That’s not just good planning.
That’s the kind of detail that turns neighborhoods into destinations.

👉 To see how this development is being shaped on the ground, and why the design choices matter more than they seem:
🎥 Pearl Square: New Era for Downtown Jacksonville

When Retail Spending Spikes and Investors Start Calling…

Here’s what the data is showing, loud and clear:

📊 Jacksonville ranks #1 in retail spending growth (nationwide) over the last four years
💸 Median incomes here match Tampa and Orlando—but housing is still significantly more affordable
🍽️ Restaurants in nearby Brooklyn are generating $5M–$10M/year in sales
📞 And institutional investors? They’re calling every week now

These aren’t random wins.
They’re signals of a market that’s catching national attention for all the right reasons.

📊 Curious what this kind of investor activity looks like, and why the data points are too strong to ignore?

🎥 Investors Are Moving In: What The Data Says About Jacksonville’s Future

The Tipping Point Comes Before the Boom

There’s a stat we always keep an eye on:
When a city’s downtown crosses 10,000 full-time residents, it signals that a downtown is revitalizing. And revitalized downtown cities in the US have appreciated 89% more than the average US city since 2005.

Right now, Jacksonville is at 7,600.
Pearl Square is expected to tip us over the threshold.

But here’s the thing:
Markets don’t wait for round numbers.
They respond when enough people believe in what’s coming.

That confidence is already visible in the data, in the development activity, and in the conversations being had around Jacksonville.

And if you look at where many of our investors already own homes? They’re situated right in the neighborhoods most likely to benefit from this next phase of growth.

Not Your Average Insight: Where the Core Goes, the Neighborhoods Follow

Toward the end of the conversation, Bryan made a point worth highlighting:

“You don’t just see the downtown flourish. You see all the surrounding neighborhoods start to flourish too.”

And that’s the key.
When institutions with massive amounts of capital are funneling it towards downtowns like Jacksonville, it often feels like it’s too late for the retail investor- especially as prices go up & cash flow disappears.

🎥 Invest Near the Action: How Everyday Investors Are Riding the Downtown Wave

But that’s because the average investor doesn’t understand the effect of an emerging downtown on residential real estate surrounding it. It’s also because the average city only has development teams looking to attract that institutional money.

Jacksonville is different. It has JWB. We built JWB to help retail investors like you own these residential units without having to be a real estate expert before we started getting involved in downtown development ourselves.

You have the opportunity to ride this downtown wave by investing in Jacksonville, but you can also get positive cash flow from day 1 AND have full control over the life of the investment.

Just remember… Don’t Be Average!

-Gregg Cohen
Co-Founder, JWB Real Estate Capital

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