With the city of Jacksonville considering up to $35 million of incentives for a Downtown campus for the Culinary Institute of America, JAX Chamber endorsed the proposal May 20.
In a news release, the chamber called the project “transformational” for Jacksonville and said it would “expand access to high-quality education while helping strengthen the city’s talent ecosystem.”
“For more than 75 years, the CIA has set the global standard in culinary education and advanced leadership in food, health, workforce development, and innovation,” JAX Chamber wrote in a letter to Council.
“Jacksonville is uniquely positioned to benefit from an institution of this caliber as our region continues to grow and demand for skilled talent increases.”
Ordinance 2026-0419, which would pledge Council support for the incentives but not bind it to a term sheet, passed the Finance Committee on May 19, with member Rory Diamond voting no. It is scheduled for a full Council vote May 26.
JAX Chamber wrote that in a May trip to San Antonio, chamber members saw the economic impact of that city’s CIA campus, which is one of three in the U.S. The others are in New York City and Napa Valley, California.
According to the institute, San Antonio has experienced $21.5 billion in economic impact since the opening of the CIA campus in 2010.
“As an anchor institution downtown, the CIA would help position Jacksonville as a premier culinary and cultural destination while supporting business growth, talent attraction, and quality of life,” the chamber wrote in the letter to Council.
On April 1, the Downtown Investment Authority released plans for a mixed-use development named Project Caymus. The proposed development includes a 14-story tower with a hotel and conference center at 330 E. Bay St. on the site of the demolished Duval County Courthouse.
Project Caymus was identified in the proposal before City Council as the CIA campus.
Corner Lot and Aspect Real Estate Group, partners in the project, submitted the only response to a DIA notice of disposition for a 0.8-acre portion of the 2.6-acre property. Disposition is a process by which city-owned property is transferred to the private sector for redevelopment.
The DIA documents said the property would also include space for Project Caymus, which was identified as an academic institution that would operate culinary demonstration and teaching kitchen facilities and offer professional development and continuing education programs.