Bars in some areas of Downtown Jacksonville could soon remain open until 3 a.m.
Jacksonville City Council approved Ordinance 2026-0063 on Feb. 24, granting bars in the NorthCore, Central Core, Sports and Entertainment District and Brooklyn an extra hour past the current 2 a.m. cutoff to serve alcoholic beverages.
The ordinance passed 17-1, with Council member Mike Gay voting in dissent and bill introducer Raul Arias absent from the meeting. While Arias’ original bill did not include Brooklyn, Council member Jimmy Peluso persuaded his colleagues to add it during the committee process, saying the district in southwestern Downtown fit the profile of the other areas in the ordinance.
The legislation next heads to Mayor Donna Deegan, who could sign it, veto it or do nothing and let it become law.
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 east, Church Street to the north, the St. Johns River to the south until Main Street, and to the west by the river and Adams Street until Liberty Street.
Arias promoted the bill as a driver of economic development for Downtown.
“We compare ourselves to all these other larger cities, not only in Florida, but across the United States,” he said. “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.”
Some Council members expressed concerns during committee meetings that allowing later alcohol sales could create safety issues. Council member Chris Miller told the committee that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office informed him that it was “indifferent” to the ordinance.