Introducing the Riverfront Jacksonville
A Comprehensive Master Plan for the Northbank
Our plan embraces the region’s most iconic natural resource and positions Jacksonville as a city on the rise with a dynamic, vibrant Downtown.
Changing the Tide of Downtown Development
Across Jacksonville’s 200-year history, there have been two significant opportunities to reimagine Downtown’s identity. The first followed the Great Fire of 1901, when the ashes of destruction gave way to a wave of new construction. The second opportunity is now.
An Ambitious Vision with Local Leadership
This Transformative Development Will Serve as the Front Door of Downtown for Generations to Come
The Riverfront Jacksonville plan was created by SouthEast Development Group, informed by more than two years of research, and led by the same team behind two of Downtown Jacksonville’s most dynamic public-private partnerships: The Barnett (completed in 2019) and the Laura Street Trio (construction to begin in Q3 2021). The plan will be executed by JAX Riverfront, LLC. The Riverfront Jacksonville will be the largest public-private partnership in the history of Jacksonville and will generate substantial economic benefits and public revenues for the City over the coming decades.
CONSTRUCTION JOBS
Creates 1,774 annual construction jobs over the five-year construction period, with an annual payroll of $73 million and cumulative payroll of $369 million
PERMANENT JOBS
Results in over 2,144 permanent jobs in retail, restaurants, office, and hospitality with an annual payroll of $110 million, bringing additional economic impact to Downtown Jacksonville
PUBLIC REVENUES
Generates significant sources of new public revenues for the City of Jacksonville and Duval County Public Schools to support a higher level of services and infrastructure investment in the area and citywide
RETAIL SPENDING
Provides over $80 million in new retail spending in the Downtown area from the creation of new retail outlets, new households living in the neighborhood, and employee and visitor spending in the area
Project Visionaries
SouthEast Development Group is a new master developer partnership.
STEPHEN ATKINS
As principal and managing director of SouthEast Development Group, Mr. Atkins oversees program management and serves as the firm’s operational lead. With numerous projects under his direction, he brings a well-rounded approach to the firm’s project programming with extensive experience in the development industry, offering unique skill sets in conceptual architectural design, project development, commercial financing and federal tax-credit origination and management.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Mr. Atkins attended the University of North Florida School of Business and the Florida Real Estate Institute.
Since 2010, Mr. Atkins has personally financed several public-private partnerships with the City of Jacksonville to improve the Laura Street Corridor. He independently managed the process of restoring the structural foundations of multiple historic buildings along the city’s primary north-south circulation through the Central Business District to support street and public right-of-way improvements.
In addition, as a gift to the people of Jacksonville, Mr. Atkins donated the cost and directed the construction of infrastructure and reinstallation of the restored 1901 Greenleaf & Crosby Clock located at the corner of Laura and Adams Streets in Downtown Jacksonville, for which he was awarded the 2013 Historic Preservation Commission’s Award for Restoration.
In 2019, Atkins successfully completed the two-year, $55 million historic preservation and adaptive reuse of the Barnett Building, featuring the North Florida headquarters for JPMorgan Chase Bank, the Downtown campus of the University of North Florida and over 100 LEED-certified multifamily units. The restored Barnett Building has received numerous awards and has been recognized as the most significant development in Downtown Jacksonville in the last 25 years.
Mr. Atkins and his wife, Angela, are the proud parents of two children and take special interest in their family activities through church, community leadership and civic involvement. The Atkins family supports the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, the Museum of Science and History, the Museum of Contemporary Art at Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Arboretum. They are also personally involved in many charitable and community outreach organizations including The Episcopal Church of our Saviour, Godly Play Christian Education, Solace for the Children, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and Church Without Walls.
Mr. Atkins is an active Trustee of the JAX Chamber.
GRAHAM WHITE
Graham White, who serves as a partner in JAX Riverfront, LLC, has over 35 years experience in real estate private equity, social infrastructure finance and public-private partnerships.
Prior to joining JAX Riverfront, LLC as a partner and co-managing member, Mr. White was a co-founder of Atwater Infrastructure Partners, a minority-owned, private investment firm based in Los Angeles. Previously, he spent 12 years as Partner/CIO with Gates Group Capital Partners, a Cleveland, Ohio-based private equity firm where he managed PREF II, a public-private partnerships focused real estate investment fund whose institutional partner was the Oregon Public Employee Retirement Fund. PREF II’s investments included financing the construction of a significant urban mixed-use project for the Metropolitan Development Housing Agency based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Mr. White holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampden-Sydney College and an MBA from American University Kogod School of Business. He is a sought-after guest speaker who has presented on topics like social infrastructure finance and public-private partnerships before the Urban Land Institute, American Bar Association, and the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy.
Our Project Team
Meet the Team That Will Bring the Riverfront Jacksonville Plan to Life
ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & PLANNING
CONSULTING & LEGAL
FINANCING TEAM
CONSTRUCTION
Eager to see the full plan for the Riverfront Jacksonville?
Download BrochureRiverfront Jacksonville by the Numbers
Measuring the Impact of Public and Private Investment
The Riverfront Jacksonville is a multi-phased, mixed-use plan that will bring more than 2.3 million square feet of new mixed-use programs to the city’s Central Business District. Our plan delivers the potential for $430 million in total public revenues over 10 years, including $286 million to the City of Jacksonville, $138 million to Duval County Public Schools, and $6.1 to other taxing districts. Additional highlights include:
755+
new residential units (multifamily and condominium)
208
new hotel rooms
200K
square feet of WELL Health Safety & LEED Certified commercial space
170K
square feet of brand-new retail, including a two-story dining & entertainment destination with rotating culinary concepts called “30 North”
A Master Planned — Transformative Development
Project Components Were Thoughtfully Curated to Serve the Community
