The Jacksonville City Council has approved legislation that officially abandons the Downtown Regional Impact (DRI), paving the way for a more streamlined approach to downtown development.
The Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) commissioned CHW Professional Consultants, Acuity Design Group and Lewis, Longman & Walker, in September 2019 to abandon the DRI, develop methodology to preserve vested development rights and remove antiquated regulatory processes from downtown.
With the abandonment of the DRI, the limitations instituted in the 1980s on the type and amount of development within downtown no longer apply. Further, over the years, impacts relating to development that previously justified the DRI – such as transportation and infrastructure – have been incorporated into the city’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinances, leaving the DRI, at least with respect to downtown, an unnecessary layer of review. Removing this layer of review allows development and redevelopment within downtown to move at a pace that can better respond to market demand and enhances economic growth in downtown Jacksonville.
The DIA will maintain regulatory authority and development control in downtown Jacksonville, continuing to allocate development rights by resolution and distributing Mobility Fee Credits at its discretion for Downtown projects. At present, the DIA holds +/- $32,800,000 in Mobility Fee Credits ready to disburse for qualified developments.
