For years, Jacksonville has been a city full of promise but stuck in the mud when it comes to development. One of the city’s worst-kept secrets — and biggest self-inflicted wounds — has been its sluggish, bureaucratic, and outdated permitting process.
Local and out-of-state developers alike have echoed the same complaint for decades: Jacksonville is one of the hardest cities to do business in if you want to build something. Projects have died on desks. Investors have walked away. And Jacksonville’s reputation as a competitive, modern city has taken hit after hit.
Enter an unlikely duo: a Democratic mayor with no big business background and a conservative developer who’s been trying to get City Hall to listen for years.
Toney Sleiman, a lifelong Jacksonville businessman and one of the city’s most prominent developers, has long sounded the alarm about the city’s dysfunctional civil plan review and permitting system. He’s met with mayors, commissioners, and department heads across multiple administrations.
But nothing changed. Even the last two Republican mayors — leaders who should’ve been sympathetic to business concerns — failed to act. Doors closed. Red tape multiplied. And progress stalled.
Then came Mayor Donna Deegan — a Democrat, former journalist, and political outsider without ties to the development community. And instead of dismissing Sleiman’s concerns, she listened.
“She’s the first mayor in years who didn’t just nod politely,” said Sleiman. “She asked questions, followed up, and actually came back with a plan. That’s all we’ve ever wanted — a partner, not a roadblock.”
On May 1, Mayor Deegan unveiled a sweeping strategy aimed at overhauling the city’s long-broken development review system. Her eight-point plan reflects a real shift in philosophy — one that acknowledges the city’s role as a collaborator, not a combatant in the development process.
Here are some key highlights from the plan:
- Industry Forums: The city will host regular meetings with developers and construction professionals to gather real-world feedback and improve communication.
- AI-Aided Review: New artificial intelligence tools will help identify common application errors and streamline the review process — reducing back-and-forth and human error.
- Digital Transformation: A modern online permitting portal will improve accessibility, reduce paperwork, and provide applicants with real-time updates.
- Express Lane Option: For time-sensitive projects, an expedited review track will be available for an additional fee — allowing major developments to proceed faster.
- Private Reviewer Certification: Licensed private professionals will be trained and authorized to conduct reviews under city oversight, helping relieve staff bottlenecks and speed up approvals.
For Sleiman and other developers, these reforms are more than policy changes — they’re a signal that Jacksonville is finally ready to grow up and join the ranks of cities that treat development as a partnership, not a political punching bag.
Mayor Deegan’s move is a rare — and refreshing — example of bipartisan cooperation with real-world impact. Despite their ideological differences, Deegan and Sleiman have shown that progress doesn’t require political alignment — just mutual respect and a shared vision for the city.
Deegan put it best: “The city should be working with developers to make it easier to do business here — not against them.”
Her decision to act where others stalled may prove to be one of the defining moves of her administration.
If this partnership succeeds, Jacksonville could finally unlock the growth potential that’s been held back by years of red tape and inertia. And it will be thanks, in part, to a mayor and a developer who looked past their differences — and chose to build something better.
