City Council delays vote on incentives for Downtown Publix until after Amendment 3 outcome

Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee on Tuesday deferred a vote on the multi-million-dollar cash incentive for Gateway Jax to bring a Publix store Downtown until after the Amendment 3 outcome, as reported by our news partners at Jax Today.It is a $49.65 million incentive package for the developer’s proposed $140.15 million, 14-story residential and retail high-rise near City Hall that Gateway says will house a full-service Publix.At issue is the $28.25 million cash completion grant in the deal that some council members worry would be a struggle for the city to finance if Florida voters approve the homestead property tax cut referendum Nov. 3. The Jacksonville City Council Auditor’s Office has estimated that if the referendum, known as Amendment 3, passes, the city will experience a $200 million drop in revenue for the 2027-28 fiscal year and $300 million by 2028-29.Tuesday deferral came after the council’s Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee v