Two months after allowing for an extension of bar hours in other parts of Downtown, Jacksonville City Council added Brooklyn to the districts where bars can sell alcohol until 3 a.m.
Council voted 14-4 on April 28 to allow Brooklyn bars the extra hour nightly to sell alcohol, correcting an administrative error from a previous vote. Council approved an hour extension to alcohol sales for bars from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. in the NorthCore, Central Core and Sports and Entertainment District during its Feb. 24 meeting.
Council President Kevin Carrico and members Terrance Freeman, Mike Gay and Ron Salem cast the no votes. Member Matt Carlucci was not present for the vote.
Bill sponsor Jimmy Peluso said that Council moved an amendment to that bill, which did not include the Brooklyn neighborhood, in error. Peluso’s bill, Ordinance 2026-0223, corrected that error.
Brooklyn is on the west end of the eight districts that make up Downtown.
Jacksonville’s NorthCore is bordered by Broad and Main streets to the east and west, and by State and Church streets to the north and south.
The Central Core, which is identified by the Downtown Investment Authority as City Center, is bordered by Broad Street to the west, Church Street to the north, the St. Johns River to the south, to the east by Liberty street north to Adams Street, and by Main Street north to Church Street.
Council member Raul Arias introduced the original legislation, 2026-0083, promoting it as an economic driver for Downtown.
“We compare ourselves to all these other larger cities, not only in Florida, but across the United States,” Arias said in February.
“This is one of the components that I think is missing for us to actually be on the mark on the map, to be able to say we are a world-class city.”