Set along the Northbank of the St. Johns River, Jacksonville Riverfront Plaza marks a new beginning for one of the city’s most prominent public sites. Once home to the Jacksonville Landing shopping center, the riverfront has been reimagined by Perkins&Will as an open, resilient and welcoming outdoor civic destination, reconnecting downtown to the water and preserving the sense of openness the community came to value after the Landing’s demolition.
 

The park’s first phase brings together river views, broad swathes of green space, direct access to the Northbank Riverwalk and an elevated “destination" playground designed to bring together visitors and community members of all ages. With room for play, gathering, festivals, performances and quiet time along the river, Riverfront Plaza gives Jacksonville a new flexible public landscape shaped around connection and shared experience.
 

Landscape Forms’ Studio 431 custom division contributed custom terraced playground seating, tiered benches and single benches that help anchor the park’s elevated play environment. Crafted in warm wood and integrated elegantly into the playscape and plantings, the custom seating creates places for parents to linger, children to climb and rest, and visitors to take in the movement of the park from different vantage points. Standard Landscape Forms Generation 50 benches and Bola bike racks extend that invitation across the site, supporting comfort, access and daily use while echoing the warmth and durability of the custom elements.
 

As the Riverfront Plaza continues to grow, Phase 1 establishes a strong framework and foundation for what comes next: a park that feels active, enduring and distinctly tied to its place, with custom elements built to meet the current energy and future ambitions of downtown Jacksonville.