Downtown Jacksonville’s Brooklyn neighborhood is getting closer to landing its next big check-in. Plans for an AC Hotel by Marriott are moving forward after the project entered a key environmental review this week, nudging the long-discussed hotel toward actual dirt-moving territory.
The proposal calls for a six-story, roughly 128-room hotel paired with a two-story parking deck on parcels facing Dora Street, near the existing Residence Inn. According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, the city advanced the project into environmental review on March 6, 2026. That step clears a major permitting hurdle and signals that pre-construction activity could begin in the not-so-distant future. The Business Journal also credits Charlotte-based The RBA Group with the hotel’s conceptual design.
The project has already had one successful pass in front of city gatekeepers. Last summer, the Downtown Development Review Board granted conceptual approval with a 6-0 vote for a plan that would demolish the old Liddy's Machine Shop to make way for the parking structure, according to the Jax Daily Record. Board members attached conditions tied to rooftop screening, loading areas and shading that must be addressed before a final DDRB vote. County property records list the owner as Jax-Lifestyle Hospitality LLC, per the Daily Record.
Design And Site Plan
Developer filings with the Downtown Investment Authority describe the AC Hotel project as approved and put the investment at roughly $32 million for a 128-room hotel paired with an L-shaped, two-story parking deck. The Downtown Investment Authority project page notes that the hotel would sit at 800 Dora St, with the parking deck planned for 825 Dora St, directly across from the Residence Inn.
How It Fits Into Downtown’s Hotel Push
The AC flag is officially on the boards for downtown’s lodging lineup. Visit Jacksonville includes the Brooklyn AC Hotel on its hotel development pipeline, listing it as a proposed property with a projected opening in April 2028. The hotel is part of a broader effort to expand downtown’s room count and support restaurants and events near the riverfront.
Next up, the project needs to get through its environmental review and secure a final thumbs up from the DDRB before demolition and permitting can begin, according to the Jax Daily Record. If those milestones fall into place, the developer could move on to building permits and site work while coordinating with city agencies. Requests for comment from the developer and city planning staff were not immediately returned.
