Local Expert
Jacksonville Is Having a Moment. Here's Everything Being Built Right Now That You Need to See.
Ben Cote • May 8, 2026
From a $120 million zoo transformation to a retired Navy destroyer turned museum, a brand new waterfront, and billions in downtown development — Jacksonville is building something worth paying attention to right now.
Jacksonville Is Having a Moment. Here's Everything Being Built Right Now That You Need to See.
By Ben Cote | NE Florida Realtor | eXp Realty
What You'll Learn From This Post
- Why Jacksonville's reputation hasn't caught up with its reality yet
- The brand new attractions already open right now that most people don't know about
- What's currently under construction and coming within the next 1-2 years
- Why all of this matters if you're thinking about buying in Northeast Florida
- Why the families moving here now are buying into something bigger than just a house
Jacksonville has a reputation problem.
Ask most people in New England what they know about Jacksonville and you'll get some version of the same answer. It's a big city. It has a football team. It's somewhere in Florida.
That's it. That's usually the full picture.
What those people don't know — and what most people driving through on I-95 miss entirely — is that Jacksonville is in the middle of one of the most significant urban transformations of any mid-size American city right now. Billions of dollars. Multiple major projects. All happening at the same time.
Here's what's actually going on.
The Jacksonville Zoo Just Became Something Completely Different
Let's start here because this one is already open and most people still don't know about it.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens — yes, they added Botanical Gardens to the name in 2025, because the zoo now holds the largest botanical garden collection in Northeast Florida — officially opened its brand new entrance and manatee exhibit on March 6, 2026.
Here's what that actually means.
The new VyStar SkyScape entrance is a 25,000-square-foot open-air roof structure extending 50 feet high — featuring an immersive video screen with direct views into the new manatee habitat, a café, retail space, and event areas. It's an arrival experience unlike anything the zoo has offered before.
The new J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver Manatee River habitat is a 330,000-gallon critical care facility designed to rescue, rehabilitate, and release Florida's endangered manatees. The facility expands the zoo's manatee care capacity from six animals to at least 20 simultaneously — making it one of the premier manatee rehabilitation centers in the country.
And this is just phase one. The full REZOOVENATION plan — a $120 million multi-phase transformation — includes a new immersive lion habitat, a redesigned elephant habitat, a new education campus, and the introduction of orangutans.
The Jacksonville Zoo is currently undergoing the biggest transformation it has seen in 20 to 30 years. If you haven't been in a while — or ever — now is the time to go. And if you're moving here with kids, put this near the top of the list.
Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens → jacksonvillezoo.org
A Retired Navy Destroyer Is Now a Museum On the St. Johns River
This one stops people cold when they hear it for the first time.
The USS Orleck — a Gearing-class destroyer that served the United States Navy from 1945 to 1982, earned 14 battle stars, fired more than 11,000 rounds in Vietnam, and earned the nickname the "Grey Ghost of the Vietnam Coast" — is now permanently docked on the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville as a fully operational naval museum.
The ship opened to the public in February 2025 and has been actively expanding its exhibits ever since. Interactive gun displays simulate actual combat missions. Restored crew berthing areas bring daily life aboard a warship to life. A renovated Vietnam War-era drone hangar with original flight deck is open for visitors. The ship is described by veterans who served aboard her as looking better now than when she was in active service.
For families — this is one of the most unique and genuinely impressive experiences in Northeast Florida. For veterans and military families — it's something more than that.
Worth knowing: active duty military in uniform receive free admission. Veterans and seniors pay $13. Kids under 5 are free.
USS Orleck Jacksonville Naval Museum → jaxnavalmuseum.org
MOSH Is Getting a Brand New Home — And It's Going to Be a Big Deal
The Museum of Science and History — MOSH — has been a Jacksonville institution since 1941. For decades it sat on the Southbank of the St. Johns River. That chapter is closing.
MOSH is breaking ground on a brand new facility in 2026 on the Northbank — right alongside the USS Orleck Naval Museum at the Shipyards — with completion targeted for 2028. The city has committed $50 million to the project. MOSH has raised another $50 million in private donations including a $10 million contribution from CSX. The new building will include dedicated areas for exhibitions, classes, and events, along with an upgraded Bryan-Gooding Planetarium.
When it opens, the Northbank Shipyards corridor will have the USS Orleck Naval Museum, the new MOSH, the Jacksonville Fire Museum, the Four Seasons Hotel, and Riverfront Plaza all within walking distance of each other along the St. Johns River. That's a destination. That's a reason to come downtown and spend a full day.
That transformation is happening right now.
Downtown Jacksonville's Waterfront Is Being Rebuilt From Scratch
The former site of the Jacksonville Landing — a waterfront retail complex that sat on the Northbank for decades before being demolished — is now Riverfront Plaza. The $32.5 million first phase is complete and open, featuring a playground on top of a pavilion building, an event lawn, improved Riverwalk, and new plaza space connecting to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
The $46 million second phase is currently under construction and will add a beer garden, rain garden, and a bicycle and pedestrian connection to the Main Street Bridge.
On the Southbank, the revamped Friendship Fountain park completed in spring 2026 — featuring a history-themed play park, a wedding venue, picnic areas, and gardens along the water.
Add the Artist Walk and skate park that opened under the Fuller Warren Bridge in 2024, and the James Weldon Johnson Park revamp currently under design — and you have a downtown waterfront that is being fundamentally reimagined from one end to the other.
For families who move here and want a legitimate downtown experience on a Saturday afternoon — that experience is being built right now.
A New Fairgrounds and Amphitheater Just Opened in Jacksonville
The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair has a new home.
A brand new 77,500-square-foot expo hall, office building, and amphitheater stage opened in 2026 on an 82-acre city-owned site in West Jacksonville — next to the Jacksonville Equestrian Center on Normandy Boulevard. The $17 million facility replaces the old fairgrounds that sat next to the stadium for decades.
For families new to the area — the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is one of the region's most beloved annual traditions. The new venue gives it a home worthy of what it's become.
The Florida Theatre Is Turning 100 — And Getting a $10 Million Upgrade
The historic Florida Theatre in downtown Jacksonville — one of the last surviving movie palaces from the 1920s, a venue where Elvis Presley once performed — is undergoing a $10 million renovation to add a 3,000-square-foot VIP lounge connected to the mezzanine level.
The renovation is scheduled to complete in time for the venue's centennial celebration in 2027.
This is the kind of cultural institution that gives a city character. The kind of venue that makes a Saturday night in Jacksonville feel like something worth dressing up for. If you haven't been to a show there — add it to the list.
What All of This Means If You're Thinking About Buying
Cities don't invest like this without a thesis. Jacksonville's leadership, its private sector, and its philanthropic community are all betting on the same thing at the same time — that this city is becoming something significantly more than what most people think it is today.
That kind of coordinated investment doesn't happen in markets without momentum. And when a city transforms its downtown, its cultural institutions, and its waterfront simultaneously — the surrounding real estate pays attention.
The families buying in St. Johns County and the greater Jacksonville area right now aren't just buying a home. They're buying into a trajectory. And the direction that trajectory is heading has never been more clear.
Curious what all of this means for a specific neighborhood or price point you're considering? That's exactly the kind of conversation I have with families every week.
👉 thecotecollective.com/relocate
Ben Cote | NE Florida Realtor | eXp Realty | 802.734.2397