“I’m excited to partner with business and community leaders to usher in this new era for our Downtown,” said Mayor Brown. “Everyone brings to the table a unique perspective on what it will take to create a sustainable environment to lure major companies, small businesses and world-class entertainment. This is a tremendous opportunity to polish the Jacksonville brand and make our city more competitive at a time cities all over the nation are fighting to recover.”

Three-week project focuses on Downtown revitalization

A consulting team commissioned by the worldwide technology services company IBM at no cost to taxpayers has concluded a three-week research project Downtown and is now finalizing an action plan to help Mayor Alvin Brown’s efforts to revitalize the urban center.

The work comes as part of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge, a worldwide initiative to distribute a total of $50 million worth of services and technical assistance to 100 cities through 2013. The project carries an approximate value of $400,000.

Jaguars to Debut at London's Wembley Stadium in 2013

With interest in the NFL in the United Kingdom at an all-time high, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made a multi-year commitment to International Series games in London.

The Jaguars will play one regular-season home game in the United Kingdom in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, all at London’s historic Wembley Stadium. The date of the 2013 game as well as the opposing team will be announced in the months ahead.

Education Commissioner Dr. Donnie Horner addresses the TEAM UP Conference sponsored by the Jacksonville Children's Commission in this video.

Legislation creating the DIA (2012-364) received unanimous Council approval on Wednesday night. The Mayor and City Council will select a nine-member board of directors to oversee the DIA on an unpaid, volunteer basis. 

Three-week project focuses on revitalization at no cost to taxpayers

A team of IBM experts, funded by a grant from the major technology services company IBM, has started a three-week project to determine realistic solutions to revitalize Downtown Jacksonville.

The project is part of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant program, a worldwide initiative to provide a total of $50 million worth of services and technical assistance to the most progressive 100 cities around the world through 2013. The project carries an approximate value of $400,000 and requires no tax dollars.

Jacksonville was selected earlier this year among eight cities nationally and 33 globally after Mayor Alvin Brown and a number of stakeholders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors met with IBM representatives at City Hall to make the case for Downtown.

Florida State Representatives Janet Adkins and Mike Weinstein; Jacksonville City Council Vice President Bill Gulliford; Save the Ferry Task Force members Elaine Brown, Aaron Bowman, Rich Redick and Larry Williams announced today that efforts to “Keep the Ferry” continue, despite a disappointing response from the Secretary of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that operating funds for the St. Johns River Ferry will not be provided for this year.  The Secretary of FDOT has indicated the Department is not in the position to provide operating funds for the upcoming year, however discussions continue as to the possibility of FDOT contributing money for capital project improvements necessary in the next few years.

In accordance with Ordinance 2012-466-A, the first City Council meeting in the month of August 2012, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, August 15, 2012, due to the date of the 2012 Primary Election.

The City of Jacksonville Sports & Entertainment Office is pleased to announce the inductees into the City of Jacksonville’s 2012 Georgia/Florida Hall of Fame. The 2012 inductees include David Greene and Charles Whittemore from the University of Georgia (UGA) and Doug Dickey and John L. Williams from the University of Florida (UF).

Plan streamlines process to make Jacksonville more competitive

Mayor Alvin Brown’s plan to streamline city job-creating functions by transforming the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission into an executive-run Office of Economic Development is now official.

Mayor Brown signed his economic development legislation (2012-212) today at 9:30 a.m. while commending City Council for the unanimous vote on June 26, 2012, backing the mayor’s vision for Jacksonville’s future.

“This is more than policy and it’s more than structure,” said the mayor. “It’s the unanimous opinion of our elected City Council to do what’s right for the taxpayers. It’s the conversation-starter with business leaders wondering where to expand or relocate. And it’s a solution for the nearly 38,000 people in our city who remain out of work and deserve a chance to rebuild themselves.”