Inside Shanna Collective's Bet on Four Seasons Jacksonville

"The Sky Is Not Even the Limit"

Shanna Khan has a line she comes back to when she talks about her firm's approach to development: "The sky is not even the limit," she says, "because we believe the greatest ideas begin where conventional thinking ends."

It is the kind of line that could sound like branding copy anywhere else. In Jacksonville, it is attached to a building. Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Jacksonville is rising 10 stories at 1406 East Bay Street, with its 170 hotel rooms and 26 residences forming the anchor of the Shipyards, the city's long-stalled riverfront redevelopment that is finally rising along the St. Johns River. The tower topped out in September 2025, with completion targeted for 2027. Khan is the founder and CEO of Shanna Collective, the firm behind it. William Michaelis is her managing director, and the one who has spent the past several years getting the deal itself across the finish line.

Why One Firm Runs Design, Deals, and Everything Between

Khan built Shanna Collective specifically to avoid handing a project off between specialists who never talk to each other.

"Throughout my career, I've constantly found myself drawn to every layer of the creative process, from shaping design to building partnerships, and driving long-term strategy. Founding Shanna Collective allowed me to bring these disciplines together in one place, ensuring every decision supports a larger vision."

For Khan, that structure was the point: connecting disciplines that most firms treat as separate stages of a project, rather than handing a project down a chain from design to construction to operations.

"Creativity isn't a phase of the process, and operations aren't separate from it. They're part of the same discipline."

Designing Around Earth, Water, Air, and Fire

The Jacksonville property is not styled after a typical Four Seasons. Michaelis says the brand gave Shanna Collective room to build something the company hasn't done anywhere else in the world.

"This will be unlike any other Four Seasons in the world, with the residences and hotel inspired by the four classical elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. From the material palette and spatial planning to the lighting design, every detail has been carefully curated by Shanna to create a cohesive, highly livable environment that reflects Jacksonville's natural beauty and waterfront setting."

Khan frames that design choice as part of a broader philosophy that governs every Shanna Collective project, not just this one: a development is a generational asset, not a snapshot of current market conditions.

"We approach each development as a generational investment. That means thinking beyond today's market conditions and asking how a place will perform and be experienced from now."

Why Jacksonville, and Why Now

Michaelis points to specifics when he explains the timing: a $440 million expansion underway at Jacksonville International Airport, new investment reshaping the downtown core and the waterfront, and a city he says has quietly built the fundamentals for this kind of project for years.

"Jacksonville has all the ingredients that make a place successful: a strong economy, an incredible quality of life, great neighborhoods, and some of the best natural assets in the country from the beaches and state parks to the St. Johns River. Historically, Jacksonville has been a bit of a hidden gem, but that's changing quickly."

For Michaelis, that public spending and this private one are two sides of the same bet on the city.

"The arrival of Four Seasons reinforces Jacksonville's position as a destination for luxury living, business, and tourism."

The Public-Private Deal That Took Longer Than It Looked

A project of this scale doesn't move forward on vision alone. Michaelis is candid that getting the city, Four Seasons, and Shanna Collective's development team to move in lockstep took real coordination, not a rubber stamp.

"From the outset, this was a true public-private partnership that required close collaboration between the City of Jacksonville, Four Seasons, our development team, and other key partners. Fortunately, Jacksonville's business-friendly environment and our forward-thinking leadership embraced that vision, making it possible to build consensus and bring this transformational development to life."

That collaboration is already visible on the ground. The Shipyards has delivered One Tower Court, a six-story office building now serving as the Jaguars' business headquarters, alongside a rebuilt Metropolitan Park marina and a stretch of new riverwalk, all ahead of the hotel and residences themselves reaching completion.

What Comes After the Tower

Both Khan and Michaelis describe the differentiation here as running past the amenity package and the brand name, and even past the hotel itself. The Shipyards plan calls for Class A office space, marina facilities, and additional mixed-use development meant to keep the site active outside of Jaguars game days, a district built to be lived in, not just visited.

"Anchored by Four Seasons, the Shipyards redevelopment will transform the area into a vibrant, mixed-use district that thrives year-round, not just on game and event days. With Class A office space, marina facilities, public spaces, and future mixed-use development, we're creating a true live, work, and stay ecosystem that will generate lasting economic impact, activate the waterfront, and serve as a catalyst for downtown Jacksonville's continued evolution."

Khan, for her part, is already looking past Jacksonville to the firm's next market.

"We're focused on building and scaling with intention in both Jacksonville and Chicago and continuing to cultivate the right collaborations and possibilities. We're betting on a bright future for these cities."