Work is underway on another block of the Gateway Jax development in Downtown Jacksonville, this one designed to modernize the former First Baptist Church “lighthouse” parking garage with shops and restaurants.
The Gateway Jax partnership announced Jan. 21 it had broken ground on 721 N. Pearl St., where plans call for conversion of the garage into a multiuse structure with ground-floor retail and restaurant space.
The announcement came after the city issued a permit Jan. 6 for ShayCore LLC of Jacksonville to add shell space for future commercial use in the five-story garage at a project cost of $8.96 million.
According to a media release, the project will “serve as a cornerstone for a new pedestrian shopping corridor along Beaver Street within the Pearl Square neighborhood.”
The release says 721 N. Pearl St., also known as Block N5, will connect Gateway Jax’s 425 Beaver St. project with its proposed Publix-anchored Block N7 at 119 W. Beaver St.
“Reviving the shopping experience in Downtown Jacksonville is a key part of the Pearl Square neighborhood,” Gateway Jax CEO Bryan Moll said in the release.
“This project, a true public-private partnership, would not have been possible without the support of the City of Jacksonville and its residents,” Moll said.
“Redeveloping this iconic garage will create true value for the City, with a positive return on investment through additional property and sales taxes, and bring a vibrant, mixed-use community to life in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville: one that balances the pedestrian experience with one-stop parking convenience.”
Gateway Jax comprises Moll, JWB Real Estate Capital and DLP Capital.
For the “lighthouse” garage, which draws its name from the decorative lighthouse structure on the garage’s northwest corner, the developers plan to retain 693 parking spaces and upgrade the parking area with new lighting and an exterior elevator. The ground floor will offer 16,000 square feet of retail and restaurant spaces.
Plans also call for streetscape improvements such as bike lanes, new sidewalks, enhanced materials and upgraded landscaping.
“Aligning with the City of Jacksonville’s Downtown mobility goals, the redevelopment of the garage will enhance walkability and bikeability, reviving the vibrancy of Downtown’s core while generating significant economic impact and bringing new jobs to the newly established retail corridor,” the release states.
The garage is bordered by Union, Julia, Beaver and Pearl streets. According to the release, the completed project will “serve as a convenient, centralized parking amenity for the Pearl Square neighborhood.”
Plans submitted to the city show the lighthouse structure remaining but with the spire removed, a new lighthouse light and new paint.
The project is part of a development that, if fully built, would involve a $2 billion investment over 32 acres.
The developers broke ground on 425 Beaver St. in May 2025, with plans to turn the empty lot into a $45 million, seven-story, mixed-use development with 205 apartment units and 24,086 square feet of retail, commercial and storage space.
For the Block N7 project, sited on the former main auditorium of the First Baptist Church, Gateway Jax plans to raze the auditorium and replace it with a 15-story residential tower with about 250 apartments and a 31,000-square-foot Publix on the ground floor. Plans also include integrated parking and integrated parking
The release says the Pearl Street project is the fifth groundbreaking in Gateway Jax’s $750 million Pearl Square neighborhood, which is sited in nine city blocks mainly north and west of City Hall in Downtown.
If completed as envisioned, the neighborhood would include more than 1,250 new residential units; about 200,000 square feet of retail space; a 100-key boutique hotel; new public spaces, including widened and shaded sidewalks; public park spaces; and a curbless festival street with outdoor dining possibilities.
Partners in the 721 N. Beaver St. project include Boldline Design as the architect of record; ETM as the civil engineer and landscape architect; Atlantic Engineering for structural; Shaffer Engineering LLC for electrical; and Gregory Engineering as the mechanical and plumbing engineer. ShayCore is the general contractor.