JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The highly anticipated Lot J development project had a minor setback.
The new legislation was supposed to be officially introduced at Tuesday night’s Jacksonville City Council meeting.
However, Council President Tommy Hazouri ruled the bill incomplete.
Hazouri said the legislation is missing the development agreement concerning the parking.
“For a bill this important, I’m not going to take it up tonight…the bill is not complete,” Hazouri said. “Rules apply to both sides of the aisle here with the administration and with City Council.”
The Mayor’s Chief of Staff Jordan Elsbury said the decision caught them off guard. “It’s a little shocking to me that another person from general counsel’s office is now saying that it’s potentially not a complete piece of legislation. That’s news to us.” Elsbury said.
He said the mayor’s office believes they have a complete bill and there would still be “ample” time to consider the legislation when the parking development agreement is added in. Elsbury said they are open to giving the City Council and taxpayers more time to consider the legislation.
“We will take all the time we need to educate this body as well as a public to get a good piece of legislation passed,” Elsbury said.
Action News Jax told you last week when the new plans for the project were revealed. The project includes plans for an entertainment district that would include street-level restaurants and retail, two luxury mid-rise residential buildings, a boutique luxury hotel, and a surface parking lot with 700 spaces.
The hope is the project will pump new life into downtown Jacksonville.
RELATED STORY: Term Sheet: Plans for Lot J development in Jacksonville revealed
The City Council is set to meet again Oct. 27, which is when the legislation will likely be officially filed. Then, there should be a public hearing two weeks later at the next city council meeting.
Cox Media Group
