New options for outdoor dining could spring up in Downtown Jacksonville after a Nov. 12 vote by the Jacksonville City Council.
Council voted 17-0 on Ordinance 2025-0772, which allows sidewalk dining throughout Downtown as opposed to select areas where it is currently permitted. Members Matt Carlucci and Terrance Freeman were not present for the vote.
The legislation, filed by Council member Raul Arias, permits restaurants and bars to serve patrons on sidewalks adjacent to their property, bound by an invisible line extending from the property side lot lines to the street and in the street.
With the Council action, outdoor dining is now allowed throughout the Downtown zoning overlay, which extends from Brooklyn through the Working Waterfront district east of EverBank Stadium.
The legislation deletes language that defines Downtown bars as those “located within the boundaries of the E-Town (Entertainment Town) Zone.” The E-Town zone is synonymous with The Elbow entertainment district in Downtown’s historic core, a collection of more than 20 bars and restaurants centered by the historic Florida Theatre at Forsyth and Newnan streets.
Similarly, the legislation would clarify that Downtown restaurants eligible for outdoor dining could be located through the overlay as opposed to the amorphous “Central Business District.”
Under the ordinance, restaurants and bars offering outdoor dining must conform with city safety regulations for traffic, pedestrians and sidewalk cafes.
Council member Ken Amaro, while saying he supported the legislation, asked whether it could expose the city to liability in the case of safety incidents involving sidewalk dining. He cited a Nov. 8 incident in Tampa’s Ybor City district in which a 22-year-old driver fleeing police allegedly plowed into a packed Florida patio bar, killing four people and injuring at least 13.
Council member Tyrona Clark-Murray said establishments providing sidewalk dining would be required to carry liability insurance.
Under city code, the Downtown Investment Authority can require an establishment to separate its sidewalk dining space from a pedestrian pathway “by a barrier, such as a planter, decorative wall or fencing surrounding the perimeter.”
Arias’ legislation also permits outdoor dining through creation of protected sidewalk extensions into Downtown streets with DIA approval.
Daily Record reporter Joe Lister provided information for this report.