For a property that has already survived two failed sale attempts, the future of Duval County Public Schools’ Southbank headquarters is once again up for negotiation.
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future → survive → negotiation
The Jacksonville riverfront site, covering nearly five acres in one of the city’s most prominent locations, is now headed toward a potential sale after the School Board unanimously approved a new agreement with Ashco Inc.
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Board → cover → agreement
According to an online report by News4JAX, the latest deal could eventually open the door to a major redevelopment, with hotels, condominiums, retail and residential projects all possible under the proposed terms.
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hotels → accord → terms
But for now, the property’s next chapter remains far from certain.
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chapter → remain → ?
A third attempt to sell
The School Board’s latest vote marks the third major effort in roughly a year to transfer the waterfront property to a private buyer, states the online report.
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report → sell → buyer
In 2025, Fleet Landing submitted a $20 million proposal with plans for a retirement community.
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Landing → submit → community
The district ultimately rejected the offer.
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district → reject → offer
The next proposal came from Chase Properties, whose $17.2 million bid was approved by the board in November 2025.
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bid → come → November
Its plans envisioned a broader mixed-use project combining luxury condominiums, apartments, hospitality, restaurants and commercial space.
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plans → envision → condominiums
That agreement unraveled several months later when Chase withdrew in February.
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Chase → unravel → February
Around the same time, the district terminated its plans to purchase a replacement headquarters on Prominence Parkway, leaving the future of its own headquarters uncertain, adds the online report.
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report → terminate → headquarters
Ashco gets its opportunity
Ashco’s proposal now moves into a lengthy due-diligence period.
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proposal → get → period
Under the agreement, the company has five days to place $1 million in escrow.
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company → have → escrow
That payment would begin a 120-day investigation covering issues such as zoning, soil conditions, environmental factors and other considerations that could influence redevelopment.
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that → begin → redevelopment
Ashco can walk away during that period for any reason and receive its deposit back, meaning the latest agreement is still some distance from becoming a completed sale, states the report by News4JAX.
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report → walk → News4JAX
Even after the investigation period, closing could take considerably longer.
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closing → take → period
The agreement allows an outside closing date extending up to three years after the due-diligence period ends.
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period → allow → date
The final purchase price is also lower than the figure previously associated with Ashco, states the report.
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report → associate → Ashco
District officials had reported in September that the company offered $15.6 million, just above a $15.5 million proposal from Bainbridge Communities.
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company → report → Communities
The agreement approved by the board lists the purchase price at $15.132 million.
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agreement → approve → million
The district says two independent appraisals determined that the price meets or exceeds the property’s appraised value.
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price → say → value
What comes next for the district?
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What → come → district
Selling the Southbank headquarters would leave DCPS with another major decision: where to relocate its operations.
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Selling → sell → operations
The district has narrowed its search for a new headquarters to Baymeadows and Midtown, but both locations present challenges.
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locations → narrow → challenges
Baymeadows offers enough space for the district’s workforce, while its distance from the current downtown area has emerged as a concern.
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distance → offer → concern
Midtown could provide a more central alternative, but the cost of maintaining a downtown-area presence remains a significant consideration.
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cost → provide → presence
For now, no final site has been selected.
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site → select → ?
As Ashco begins its review of the riverfront property, DCPS is simultaneously navigating its own search for a new home, leaving both the development site and the district headquarters in a state of transition, informs the report by News4JAX.
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report → begin → News4JAX
The Aporia
