Southbank and downtown riverfront seawall planning
Downtown’s riverfront mixes public Riverwalk bulkheads with private condo and commercial walls. The city’s own rebuilds are useful benchmarks for associations.
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Get to know your waterfront
The Southbank and downtown riverfront line both sides of the St. Johns River at the Main Street Bridge, where public Riverwalk bulkheads meet private condo and commercial walls. Normal tide range is about 2 feet, but Irma set the gauge’s all-time record at 5.57 feet NAVD88, driven by a preceding nor’easter, high tides, surge and rain together.
NOAA Tides & Currents datums, Southbank Riverwalk, St Johns River · Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX)
Benchmarks from the city’s own walls
The city has rebuilt its downtown bulkheads: the Northbank sections at Riverfront Plaza and at CSX (replaced because of Riverwalk subsidence) are listed complete in 2025 and 2026, and the St. Johns Marina boardwalk damaged in Irma has been repaired. The city’s shoreline model says much of the downtown shoreline needs further study before choosing a stabilization type. COJ Capital Projects layer · Turning rendering into reality: multiple projects in progress on the Northbank Riverwalk · COJ Capital Projects layer · Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM) report
For a condo association, those projects show the questions to ask: subsidence behind the wall, joint and fill loss, and whether the new cap can be raised later. The city has committed to setting bulkhead height standards but has not adopted one for private walls. Resilient Jacksonville, Action 16 'Invest strategically in hardened shorelines'
The Main Street drawbridge need not open 7–8:30 a.m. and 4:30–6 p.m. Monday–Saturday, which can affect barge schedules. 33 CFR 117.325 St. Johns River
What could the work cost?
Association projects need reserve planning; see the condo guide for structural reserve study rules.
Published prices are attributed planning context from contractors’ own pages, not a measured Jacksonville average or this website’s quote. Ranges differ about five-fold between publishers; your written, itemized scope decides the real number.
Compare quotes and plan a budget →Find the relevant permits and records
| Starting point | What to resolve | Prepare and look up |
|---|---|---|
City of Jacksonville Building Inspection Division | Building permit through JaxEPICS after zoning, drainage and any flood or historic review; inspections. | Signed and sealed drawings, survey and site plan as unlocked PDFs. 214 N. Hogan St.; 904-255-8500. |
Florida DEP Northeast District (Jacksonville) | State environmental resource permit or exemption, and state-lands consent for work at or below the high-water line. DEP handles single-family docks and shore protection not tied to a larger development. | Survey with the existing wall face and high-water line, the proposed alignment and photos. DEP Northeast District: 904-256-1700. |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District | Federal authorization for work in tidal and navigable waters, often verified by DEP through the state programmatic general permit or covered by a nationwide permit. | Ask DEP whether its review includes federal verification for your scope, or which nationwide permit applies. |
A downtown condo checklist
Use these steps to prepare a board-ready file.
Pull your permit and parcel history
Search past permits in JaxEPICS (guest sign-in) and look up your parcel with the Duval County Property Appraiser before the assessment.
Services Provided: Violation or Permit Record Search · Duval County Property Appraiser
Pull the association’s insurance and records
Association policies are official records; remember flood policies exclude seawalls.
The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 718.111 · SFIP Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(3)): Property Not Insured
Check reserve study scope
Florida’s structural integrity reserve study items list structure and waterproofing; ask your engineer how the seawall is treated.
Plan your Southbank & Downtown seawall project
Tell us where your Southbank & Downtown property is, what you have noticed and what you want to decide. We will help you plan the next step.
Local guidance. A clearer plan for your waterfront.
Southbank & Downtown project questions
Does the city maintain the Riverwalk bulkhead in front of our building?
The city maintains its public bulkheads; private walls are the owner’s responsibility. Confirm the property line on your survey.
Ordinance 2024-30 Bill Summary (Northbank Bulkhead Resilience Improvements) · Duval County Property Appraiser
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Show sourcesHide sources
- NOAA Tides & Currents datums, Southbank Riverwalk, St Johns RiverSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- COJ Capital Projects layerSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Turning rendering into reality: multiple projects in progress on the Northbank RiverwalkSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM) reportSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Resilient Jacksonville, Action 16 'Invest strategically in hardened shorelines'Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- 33 CFR 117.325 St. Johns RiverSource reviewed 2026-11-05
- Online/Electronic Permit SubmissionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Building Inspection DivisionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Northeast DistrictSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Operating Agreements ERP Permitting: DEP District Offices and the Water Management District OfficesSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Operating Agreement Concerning Regulation Under Part IV, Ch. 373, F.S., Between SJRWMD and DEP (eff. 07/01/07)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Federal Permits and Coordination Agreements Between DEP, WMDs, and the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- SPGP VI – 1. Shoreline Stabilization, Activity descriptionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits (91 FR 768, Jan. 8, 2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Services Provided: Violation or Permit Record SearchSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Duval County Property AppraiserSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 718.111Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- SFIP Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(3)): Property Not InsuredSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 718.112Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Ordinance 2024-30 Bill Summary (Northbank Bulkhead Resilience Improvements)Source reviewed 2026-10-24