Riverside: Resident September 2026

COMMUNITY NEWS

Jax GAP Fund Launches to Support Affordable Housing

Rams at the Ready Riverside Presbyterian Day School opened its doors to a new school year and students were ready to start learning – right after they snapped a photo commemorating the first day of school.

John Donahoo, Bryan Taylor, Amanda Frazier Wong and Isaiah Oliver with Mari Kuraishi, Chris Crothers, James Coggin and Ed Wood

A new $20 million fund is taking aim at Jacksonville’s affordable housing shortage. Backed by five private and philanthropic investors, the Jax GAP Fund is designed to help finance new multifamily rental housing across the city. READ MORE ON PAGE 25

READ MORE ON PAGE 40

DCPS Board to Vote on Contractor for New Venetia Build By Michele Leivas

At its Sept. 1 board meeting, the Duval County Public School Board is expected to vote on a contract for a construction management team for the new Venetia Elementary School building. According to the evaluation committee summary of the responses to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that DCPS issued in May for the new build, 12 proposers were evaluated, with St. Augustine-based STG Contracting Group, Inc. identified as the top-ranking contractor. DCPS shared a message with families, staff and stakeholders on Aug. 26 informing them of the upcoming vote, which it also shared with Resident News. The e-mail read, in part: “If approved, this action will allow the

district to begin working with the contractor on the project’s design phase.” DCPS specified this vote does not pertain to the design of the building, which the district stated is still in development and will be presented to the DCPS Board for consideration and approval at a later date. At its August board meeting, the DCPS Board approved the closure of Ortega Elementary School, effective May 26, 2028, and its consolidation into Venetia. Several Ortega and Venetia residents attended last month’s board meeting, speaking in opposition to both the Ortega closure and the new build in Venetia. Among the concerns expressed during the public comment period were comments regarding a traffic study in the Venetia neighborhood.

As of Aug. 26, according to DCPS, the traffic study remains active, and no findings are yet available. Residents and families turned out in force at a trio of community meetings held earlier in the summer to oppose the proposed 1,200-student new build for Venetia Elementary and the closure of Ortega Elementary, with several stating that their concerns about the new build stem from its size rather than the new build itself. The existing building at Venetia Elementary has been closed, and students and staff are occupying the former Hyde Grove Elementary School campus for the current school year. Ortega Elementary School will remain open until the 2028-29 school year, which

is when the new Venetia school is expected to open. At the moment, Ortega Elementary School is the only school planned for consolidation into the larger new school. Following the final community meeting, held July 22 at Ortega Elemenatry School, DCPS District 5 Board Member Reginald Blount had told Resident News he’d be interested in holding an additional workshop, if possible, to address some of the questions and concerns raised by parents and community members during those community meetings held in June and July. Resident News reached out several times to Board Member Blount for any available updates regarding the workshop, but did not receive a response by press time.

Bringing the Riverfront to Life

Amendment 3 Could Reshape Florida Property Taxes Florida voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a sweeping property tax amendment that would significantly increase homestead exemptions while lowering assessment caps on non-homestead properties. In Duval County, city analysts estimate the measure could reduce future property tax revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Programming, events and stewardship take center stage By Michele Leivas

As Downtown Jacksonville continues to draw more people to the new riverfront parks coming online, a new public-private partnership has been established to bring more programming and activation along the river. The Jacksonville City Council approved this new partnership at its Aug. 11 meeting and also allocated a total of $1.57 million to riverfront stewardship, with $570,000 going to the Jax Riverfront Alliance for new programming and activations. The