On Real Estate & More – December 2025 / January 2026

EUROPE IS FAMOUS for its rich history, its architecture, as well as its beautiful squares, inviting cafes, cathedrals and statues. I recently returned from an extended trip to Spain, where their central plazas and public squares play a vital role as they are typically the focal point of every town and city. They serve a purpose as a social and commercial meeting place, a place where gatherings, people watching and conversations all naturally intersect. We spent almost every afternoon and many evenings at the public plazas, meeting other folks at surrounding restaurants, playing games, and watching the locals gather as it is a central hub to community life in Spain.

Public space has always been a top priority for urban planning, and these urban spaces have emerged as essential elements of cities and neighborhoods. Plazas, squares, and parks, undeniable necessities in the urban framework, have become more vital than ever. Public spaces can generate recreational space to exercise, play, meet, and socialize with others. In addition, quality public and open spaces are key in generating a sense of community.

The City of Jacksonville has been advancing plans for a public plaza along North 3rd Street, just north of East California Street (in the right of way of one city block). The project, known as the “3rd Street Pedestrian Plaza” is intended to:

  • Establish a car-free (or traffic-closable) plaza on N 3rd Street to the north of E California St.
  • Create what the city describes as “Jacksonville’s Living Room”—a civic space downtown for events, vendors, exhibits about Jacksonville’s history, and a vibrant pedestrian streetscape.
  • Develop design alternatives with careful evaluation of pedestrian vs vehicle circulation, emergency access, historic character compatibility, and define concept approval for implementation.
  • Integrate a robust and inclusive public involvement process (workshops, trial closures) to test how such a plaza might function.
  • If approved, incorporate the preferred concept into the city’s Urban Renewal Plan for funding.

The City obtained a grant to hire a design group to assist in evaluating two plaza alternatives: one being a full-closure (i.e., “plaza” model), the other a partial closure (retaining traffic) of the street.

Although residents tended to favor the full-closure plaza, the city council opted to pursue a flexible “street festival” concept instead of a permanently closed plaza. Under this concept, the street festival option will create a park-like setting, which would still allow for traffic, rather than a plaza arrangement that would result in permanent closure of the street. The festival set-up could still be closed off for events.

The council cited higher costs of installation/maintenance for a permanent plaza, historic character concerns as to how a permanent plaza might not align with the historic nature of the town, and elimination of street parking in a key downtown area as concerns which led to their decision to pursue the festival street concept.

Final design work for the flexible festival street concept is expected to be completed sometime around December 2025. After design, council will formally review and approve the option for incorporation into the Urban Renewal Plan and then proceed to implementation.

Implementation will likely include more detailed engineering, street modifications, pedestrian amenities (trees, planters, seating, vendor spaces), and event-closure infrastructure (bollards, signage, closures).

Timing, once design is approved, depends on budget, contractor procurement, and city scheduling; but with only approximately $300,000 initially budgeted, the scope may be limited to start.

Moving forward, downtown Jacksonville is seeking ways to enhance pedestrian life, support local businesses, and strengthen its historic identity. A well-designed public plaza or event street can become a “living room” for the community. The decision between a full car-free plaza vs. a flexible festival street reflects a balance between vision and practicality; though frequent use and public preferences could perhaps change the role of the plaza space in the future.