Jacksonville City Council will consider whether to grant some Downtown bars an extra hour to serve alcohol under a proposed ordinance.
Introduced by Council member Raul Arias, Ordinance 2026-0063 would allow bars in certain areas of Downtown to continue serving alcohol until 3 a.m. Those bars would be restricted to the NorthCore, Central Core, and Sports and Entertainment districts.
“When you’re looking at larger cities, they all have one thing in common, and that’s obviously expanded hours for nightlife and restaurants, but they only have these hours in the urban core,” Arias said. “I think there’s a place for everything, and extended hours make sense for 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 is bordered by Broad Street to the west, 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 said he wanted to avoid easing the hours restrictions in areas with heavy residential areas, including near the Cathedral Hill district.
This will not be the first time the city considers extending Downtown bar hours. In 2005, Council member Suzanna Jenkins proposed allowing Downtown bars to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. That legislation was withdrawn before a Council vote.
“It was too early for Jacksonville,” Arias said about the 2005 attempt. “I think now is the time to seize the moment.”
At present, Jacksonville bars may only serve alcohol until 2 a.m. They may remain open until 6 a.m., but cannot serve alcohol during that time. Bars may begin selling alcohol again at 6 a.m.
Evan Rajta, part-owner of Keane’s Tavern on Bay Street, endorsed the bill in a December 2025 email to the Daily Record. Rajta said his bar would stay open the extra hour if given the opportunity.
“A later last call would help us keep more guests in the urban core, increase walkability between venues, and ultimately strengthen the hospitality ecosystem that the city has been working so hard to build,” Rajta wrote.
The bill will be formally introduced at the Council’s Jan. 27 meeting. It will appear before the Rules Committee and the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Health and Public Safety and Committee.