Jacksonville council backs negotiations for CIA downtown campus
The Jacksonville City Council voted 16-2 on May 26 to authorize negotiations on a finalized incentives agreement for a proposed Culinary Institute of America Southeast campus in downtown Jacksonville.
The vote approved Ordinance 2026-0419. It does not finalize the incentives agreement or establish a completed campus. Instead, it gives city staff authority to continue negotiating with the Culinary Institute of America and the project’s development team.
The proposed project, known as Project Caymus, would be an academic institution with culinary demonstration and teaching kitchens. City officials and the Downtown Investment Authority have identified downtown Jacksonville as the proposed location.
Proposed public funding
The proposed city funding schedule would provide $4 million in fiscal year 2026-27, followed by $6.25 million in each of the next two years. The schedule then calls for $8.25 million in each of the following two years and $2 million in the sixth year.
If that schedule is carried out as proposed, city funding would total $35 million over six years. The state of Florida is expected to contribute another $2 million.
The city payments remain part of the proposed incentives structure rather than final appropriations under a completed agreement. The final negotiated agreement and the final total public subsidy have not been established.
Development and education commitments
The developer commitments described in the city’s materials include at least 12 educational programs in 2026. The development team also agreed to maintain a downtown presence until the new campus is complete.
Other expected responsibilities include seeking state and federal funding, including New Markets Tax Credits. The developer is also expected to develop a marina, public spaces and any additional parking needed for the site.
Those commitments connect the proposed culinary school to a broader downtown redevelopment effort. The project would combine a workforce-training and higher-education use with public-space and waterfront improvements, if the negotiations produce a final agreement and the development proceeds.
What happens next
City staff and the Culinary Institute of America are expected to negotiate the final incentives agreement after the council’s vote. The agreement would determine the final terms of the city’s support and the developer’s obligations.
A final campus construction schedule was not established in the council action described by the city. The proposed campus therefore remains a negotiated downtown development project, not an operating or confirmed completed institution.
The negotiations come as Jacksonville weighs economic development and infrastructure priorities in its proposed fiscal 2026-27 budget. That proposed budget includes a $2,026,502,015 General Fund budget and a $586,110,854 Capital Improvement Plan.
For downtown Jacksonville, the significance of the council vote is that it moves the Culinary Institute of America proposal from a site-selection and incentive discussion into formal negotiations over public funding, educational programming and related development commitments. The next major step is a finalized agreement.
Sources
- Downtown Investment Authority news: Culinary Institute of America Jacksonville campus, Jacksonville Downtown Investment Authority
- Mayor Deegan presents proposed 2026-2027 budget, City of Jacksonville
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