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Mathis Report: Project transforming space in front of old Kmart PAGE 4
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Record & Observer WHAT’S NEXT Record & FORObserver LOT J Record & Observer JACKSONVILLE
Photo by Monty Zickuhr
The Daily Record building at 10 N. Newnan St. was built in 1902.
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Daily Record building sold for $915,000
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Record & Observer Ballpark Village: A project model
City is “hammering out a development agreement right now” on venue planned by the Jaguars next to TIAA Bank Field. BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
J
acksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan and team President Mark Lamping say they are moving aggressively on their $500 million development proposal for Lot J at TIAA Bank Field in Downtown Jacksonville. Lamping said Tuesday, if they could, groundbreaking on the outdoor Live arena, 300-unit residential tower, hotel and office building would “happen yesterday.” The proposal was unveiled last week at the annual State of the Franchise. For both the Jaguars and the city, which owns the stadium property, the next step
for the Jaguars is reaching consensus on a development deal and city-backed financial incentives with Mayor Lenny Curry and City Council. “It’s hard to speculate when something might happen. We’re having very positive discussions now with the mayor’s office, and I attribute that to our shared goals and vision for Downtown Jacksonville,” Lamping said. “We have to work on a parallel path. It’s going to be a public-private partnership,” he said. Curry and Chief of Staff Brian Hughes confirmed Tuesday that a deal is in the works and both parties met for negotiations Tuesday morning.
The city and the Jaguars are working on a development deal for a $500 million fourbuilding, mixed-use area in Lot J, the parking lot west of TIAA Bank Field. The Jaguars say the project would be modeled on Ballpark Village, the dining and entertainment district next to Busch Stadium in St. Lous. That project was developed by the Cordish Co., which also is working with the Jaguars. The team showed the above rending of Ballpark Village at its State of the Jaguars presentation.
SEE LOT J, PAGE 11
Newspaper is relocating next year to 121 Atlantic Place on Forsyth Street. BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Former Financial News & Daily Record Publisher James F. Bailey Jr. sold the Downtown building the newspaper occupies, more than two years after selling the company to Observer Media Group of Sarasota. Bailey, through The Daily Record Corp., sold the 10 N. Newnan St. building to restaurant, bar and lounge owner Scott McAlister. “We think the location is great,” McAlister said. He said he looked forward to “all of the new projects that are coming together Downtown.” McAlister, through 10 N. Newnan LLC, paid $915,000 for the property in a deal executed Monday. Bailey’s LLC holds a $615,000 mortgage on the property. The daily Jacksonville Daily Record and the weekly Record and Observer have been leasing space from Bailey at the Newnan and Bay streets property but will relocate Downtown early next year. Observer Media Group PubSEE DAILY RECORD, PAGE 11
THE MENDENHALL REPORT
Program develops the builders of tomorrow PAGE 8 VOLUME 1, NO. 47 • ONE SECTION
WHAT’S TRENDING
Page 2 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Big news doesn’t just break on Thursday. Here’s a look at some of the top stories published over the past week online at JaxDailyRecord.com and in the Jacksonville Daily Record that you may have missed.
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Jacksonville Daily Record and Jacksonville Record & Observer are a division of Observer Media Group Inc. Established in 1912, the Financial News & Daily Record, now the Jacksonville Daily JACKSONVILLE Record, is published Monday-Friday and is the Official Court Newspaper of the Circuit Court and publisher of public notices in Duval County. Jacksonville Record & Observer is a free weekly business newspaper available in Downtown Jacksonville and key business nodes throughout Jacksonville. To find a location near you, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/rack-locations.
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Marlin Bar is a walk-up concept that features a large patio offering a full bar and food.
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Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar planned Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar appears to be coming to St. Johns Town Center. The chairman of Tommy Bahama owner Oxford Industries Inc. said in a conference call with stock analysts that the Marlin Bar walk-up concept featuring a large patio offering a full bar and food will open in Jacksonville. “We expect to open three of these exciting Marlin Bar locations in Florida later in 2019, two of which are reloca-
tions of existing stores in Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale,” said Chairman Thomas Chubb III, who also is president and CEO. A patio Marlin Bar would likely be on part of the walkway that leads to the Nordstrom wing. It’s in the former Brooks Brothers space. Tommy Bahama is targeting the end of 2019 for the opening.
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RETAIL Burlington coming to River City Marketplace Burlington Stores Inc. will lease about half of the closed Gander Mountain store in River City Marketplace, permits show. The city issued a permit for Able Construction Inc. to build-out almost 40,000 square feet of space at a
cost of $2.47 million for the off-price retailer. Burlington operates three Jacksonville stores in Mandarin, near Argyle in Southwest Jacksonville and in the Regency area.
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REAL ESTATE Gramercy Woods buildings sold for $53 million Gramercy Property Trust, now part of The Blackstone Group, sold six buildings in Gramercy Woods at 9000 Southside Blvd. to Atlanta-based Glenfield Capital LLC for $53 million. Those buildings comprise office Buildings 100 and 700, which are fully occupied, two parking garages, a Bright Horizons child care and preschool center and a vacant school. The property is south of Butler Boulevard, east of Interstate 95 and north of The Avenues mall. “We believe strongly in the fundamentals of the Southside of Jacksonville,” said Glenfield founder and Managing Principal James Cate.
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Gramercy Woods buildings 100 and 700.
Cate said the market, especially south of Butler Boulevard, appears to be dynamic. “The fundamentals are sound – strong job growth, a balance of supply and demand for office space and employers are growing,” he said.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, April 25, 2019 • Page 3
Unemployment drops as job growth slows Construction: Mixed signals
BY MARK BASCH
The growth rate in construction jobs in Florida in the past year, That’s 20,200 jobs.
3.8%
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jacksonville’s unemployment rate edged lower in March but job growth continued to be slow, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday. The jobless rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area (Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties) fell from 3.4% in February to 3.2% in March. Loh The state agency does not adjust the Jacksonville data for seasonal factors. However, the University of North Florida’s Local Economic Indicators Project reported when the data is seasonally adjusted, it still shows a decline in the unemployment rate from 3.37% in February to 3.28% in March. “Overall, the labor market remains strong,” said UNF economist Albert Loh. While u n e m p l oy m e n t remains low, the Department of Economic Opportunity said nonfarm businesses in the
2.8%
The percentage drop in construction jobs in the Jacksonville area in the past year. The 1,300-job decline comes despite a rise in building permits and reports of worker shortages.
five-county area added 7,000 jobs from March 2018 through March 2019, a growth rate of 1%. That continued a slow trend throughout the first quarter of 2019, as job growth was 1.1% in both January and February. One reason for the slowdown has been a decline in construction jobs in March for the second straight month. Construction employment dropped by 1,300 jobs in the past year, a 2.8% decline. Construction had been an
engine for job growth in Northeast Florida as the economy recovered from the financial crisis a decade ago. The February decline in jobs was the first in the sector since 2012. Despite the decline in jobs, permits for new building construction in the Jacksonville area have continued the climb that began in 2012. Representatives of the Northeast Florida Builders Association said last week that its members are having trouble
finding qualified workers to fill construction jobs. Other sectors losing jobs in the area include transportation, warehousing and utilities, down 3.2% in the 12-month period, and financial activities, down 1.5%. Although the financial sector has lost jobs in the past year, it did increase by 500 jobs from February to March. Loh said that’s part of a normal seasonal trend. “One major factor that can significantly impact March
employment is spring break, which can add significantly to the employment in the absence of adverse weather influence,” he said. “The other factor is the tax season.” The leisure and hospitality sector added 1,800 jobs from February to March during the spring break season. The best job growth in the past 12 months has come from the professional and business services sector, up 2,700, or 2.5%. Jacksonville’s job growth lagged behind Florida’s statewide growth rate of 2.4% from March 2018 through March 2019. Statewide, the construction industry has added 20,200 jobs in the past year, a 3.8% growth rate. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate was unchanged in March at a seasonally adjusted 3.5%, the Department of Economic Opportunity said. Duval County’s jobless rate, without adjustment, fell by 0.2 percentage points to 3.3% in March. Loh said when it is seasonally adjusted, the county’s jobless rate fell from 3.6% in February to 3.42% in March. St. Johns County’s unadjusted unemployment rate fell by 0.1 point last month to 2.8%, keeping the county ranked with the second-lowest jobless rate in the state behind Monroe County’s 2.3%.
ECONOMIC TRENDS
“Overall, the labor market remains strong,” says UNF economist Albert Loh as the area’s jobless rate falls to 3.2%
MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
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Page 4 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE MATHIS REPORT
Boulevard Crossing underway in front of old Kmart
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Plans for site include offices, a new McDonald’s, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Starbucks. Fencing is up at the former Kmart store at northwest Beach and University boulevards and demolition work was approved, signaling that site work has begun toward development of Boulevard Crossing. Jacksonville-based Hallmark Partners is developing 8 acres of the parking lot at 5700 Beach Blvd. into retail and restaurant use and professional offices. “It’s a great infill site,” said Jeff Conn, co-founder and principal of the Hallmark Partners commercial real estate firm and actively involved in NAI Hallmark Partners. Conn estimates the completed project at $10 million to $12 million. The city issued a permit Friday for demolition of two buildings, total 7,100 square feet, on the
Drainage work is in progress in a fenced area at Beach and University boulevards for development of Boulevard Crossing.
site. Lockwood Quality Demolition Inc. is the contractor for that $25,000 project. The Kmart building is separately owned and not part of the project, although its owner is marketing the property for redevelopment. The property is near Memorial Hospital and Brooks Rehabilitation, Brooks’ University Crossing for skilled nursing care and the Helen’s House temporary lodging for Brooks patients. It is less than a mile east of the 31-building, 874,000-square-foot Midtown Centre office park. Conn said the area’s employers and neighborhoods provide a good customer base and that the traffic flow west into Downtown in the morning and east in the afternoon also offers a stream of consumers.
“This is the going-to-work side,” he said, suggesting that breakfast is a good service to provide. At Boulevard Crossing, Tropical Smoothie Café has a signed lease, Starbucks has a letter of intent and McDonald’s has a ground lease, according to Conn. McDonald’s already is on the property but will rebuild within the center. Boulevard Crossing is designed as four buildings along with the new McDonald’s, a bank ATM and the outparcel created by the McDonald’s move. Among the four buildings: The 6,790-square-foot Building B will be a multitenant structure that includes Starbucks on an end unit. The 10,100-square-foot multitenant Building D
Photos by Karen Brune Mathis
Hallmark Partners co-founder and principal Jeff Conn is developing the parking lot in front of the closed Kmart at 5700 Beach Boulevard. He said a deal to tear down the Kmart for a Walmart Neighborhood Market fell through.
includes Tropical Smoothie Cafe in an end unit. Toward the back of the property will be two office buildings that Conn said are positioned as professional and
medical use. Those are shown on site plans as two-story, 8,000-square-foot structures. Conn said Hallmark could sell that property for development, ground-lease the sites or
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Thursday, April 25, 2019 • Page 5
RESTAURANT NOTES Hightide at Sadler Point: The city issued a permit for Cesery Properties Inc. to build-out space and an addition for Hightide Burrito Co. in Sadler Point Marine Center at 4591 Lakeside Drive, No. 107, at a cost of $450,000. Build-out was approved for 3,744 square feet of enclosed space and 2,400 square feet of exterior space. The permit shows an inside and outside bar. Hightide Burrito’s first restaurant is at 1538 Hendricks Ave. in the San Marco area. Gator’s Dockside in Oakleaf Station: The city approved construction for Gator’s Dockside in Oakleaf Station. Distinguished Development and Contracting Inc. is the contractor for the $1.5 million, 7,554-square-foot restaurant at 8316 Merchants Way. Plans show a 240-seat restaurant.
Special to the Daily Record
The site plan for Boulevard Crossing in the parking lot in front of the closed Kmart shows McDonald’s in the center with Tropical Smoothie Cafe at far left and Starbucks at right.
build the structures and lease them to tenants. The project is being developed by Hallmark Partners and is being marketed by NAI Hallmark and retail specialists Austin Kay and Eric Yi. Synovus Bank provided financing and England-Thims & Miller Inc. is the civil engineer. Miranda Contracting is providing site work. The contractor for the buildings will be negotiated. Basham & Lucas Design Group Inc. is the architect. Conn said site work should be completed by year-end and construction on a building could start by late fall for completion in the spring. The fenced work involves drainage improvements. Conn said his group reached an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation to relocate the system. His
group will do the work and the department will pay for it. Conn is president of Boulevard Crossing LLC, which paid almost $1.9 million in October 2014 for about 8 acres at 5751 Beach Blvd. Boulevard Crossing LLC is led by Conn and Vice President Alex Coley, also a co-founder and principal of Hallmark Partners. Conn also is the agent for Boulevard Investors LLC, which bought more property at the site fronting Beach Boulevard, including the McDonald’s, for $365,000. The 108,341-square-foot Kmart store has been vacant since the retailer closed it in 2012. Conn’s group doesn’t own it but had a contract to buy it because Walmart Inc. wanted to develop a Walmart Neighborhood Market there and had a letter of intent with Conn’s
group to do the deal, he said. “We had closed and owned the parking lot with the idea we were going to buy the building,” he said. Plans were to tear it down and put up a Walmart market and more shops. The parking lot was leased to the Kmart owner and that lease expired in March 2018, he said. But Walmart changed its mind. “Once the Walmart deal ceased, we moved to a different strategy,” he said, and canceled the contract to buy the Kmart. That building also is on an 8-acre site. Conn expects it will be redeveloped. “There’s been plenty of interest in the building,” he said. “There are ways to make it work.” KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
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Taqueria Cinco in Five Points: The city issued a permit for Taqueria Cinco to build-out at 809 Lomax St. in the Five Points area of Riverside at a cost of $55,000. The Jacksonville Planning Commission approved a zoning exception Jan. 17 for the restaurant to allow the outside sale and service of beer and wine in conjunction with a restaurant. Plans indicate 18 seats inside and 30 on a back patio. Kazu in Promenade, Tinseltown: Kazu Sushi Burrito is building-out at Town Center Promenade at 4600 Tropea Way and at Tinseltown Plaza at 4549 Southside Blvd. Marco’s Pizza in Mandarin: Marco’s Pizza will build-out in the Mandarin Oaks Shopping Center at 11406 San Jose Blvd. Ticon Commercial Inc. is the contractor for the 1,555-square-foot project at a cost of $208,000. Allstarrz in Arlington: Allstarrz Restaurant & Lounge LLC applied to the city for a waiver of minimum distance requirements for a liquor license location at 1111 Cesery Blvd., the former Famous Amos restaurant in Arlington. The application shows it will do business as Skyline Allstarrz, a full-service restaurant. Plans show a dining area, kitchen, an oyster prep area and oyster cooler, the bar and kitchen equipment. The waiver is to reduce the required minimum distance from a church or school from 500 to 418 feet. River House Grill at JU: The River House Pub is becoming River House Grill at Jacksonville University at 2800 University Blvd. N. The city is reviewing a permit application for Stellar Group Inc. to upgrade the kitchen to install new equipment to include a countertop griddle and floor fryer at a cost of $110,000. The River House Pub now serves sandwiches, flatbreads and salads as well as nightly entertainment during the semester. The catering kitchen also serves the meeting rooms at the River House. JU spokeswoman Laura Phelps said the River House Grill upgrades will allow for an expanded menu.
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Page 6 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE BASCH REPORT
Vision care boosting Johnson & Johnson
MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jacksonville-based business sees sales of contact lenses climb 2.1% to $824 million. As medical products giant Johnson & Johnson reported first-quarter earnings last week, its Jacksonville-based vision care business was one of its strongest growth segments. Sales from its contact lens business rose by 2.1% in the quarter to $824 million but excluding the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations on international sales, its growth was 6.1%. “We’re pleased with our performance in contact lenses,” said Ashley McEvoy, executive vice president in charge of Johnson & Johnson’s medical devices business, during the company’s conference call with analysts. “It’s had about three years of consistent above-market performance,” she said. “We’ve been gaining market share in our contact lens business McEvoy and really emerging markets is driving that as well as innovation, and meaningful innovation, in some of the developed markets.” One innovation the company touted last week was a new lens called Acuvue Oasys with Transitions, which has technology that adapts to changing light. Johnson & Johnson introduced the product as the major league baseball season opened last month. “A lot of our baseball players in opening (the) season have started to use it,” McEvoy said. She said the company also expects to introduce a contact lens next year that releases an antihistamine to reduce the impact of allergens on eyes. Johnson & Johnson has operated the contact lens unit since 1981 when it acquired a Jacksonville company called Frontier Contact Lenses. Johnson & Johnson Vision Care began expanding beyond the contact lens business two years ago with acquisitions of other eye health businesses. The vision care business produced total revenue of $1.13 billion in the first quarter, up 1.2% from last year. New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson’s total revenue was basically flat at about $20 billion but it said excluding currency adjustments and the impact of acquisitions and divestitures, revenue rose by 5.5%. Adjusted earnings of $2.10 a share were 4 cents higher than the first quarter of 2018 and 7 cents higher than the
Johnson & Johnson
Acuvue Oasys with Transitions is a contact lens that adapts to changing light and balances the amount of indoor and outdoor light entering the eye. Acuvue says the lenses will filter blue light and block UV rays. The lenses also will help vision recover from bright light up to 5 seconds faster and offer enhanced color contrast.
consensus forecast of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research.
After months of talks, FIS-Worldpay deal timing is right
Before Fidelity National Information Services Inc., or FIS, agreed to buy Worldpay Inc. last month in a $34 billion deal, the two companies’ CEOs had talked about a possible merger for almost two years. However, when FIS Chief Executive Gary Norcross and Worldpay CEO Charles Drucker first talked in June 2017, they “agreed that the timing was not right for such a transaction,” according to proxy statements filed for the proposed merger. The timing apparently became right in January, when board members of Jacksonville-based FIS discussed possible merger and acquisition opportunities at a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting. “Financial attributes and impact for FIS were also discussed as to potential targets, and Worldpay stood out as one of the top potential opportunities,” the proxy said. Drucker came to Jacksonville on Feb. 1 to meet with Norcross and negotiations began. Less than two months later, the companies reached agreement on the deal. FIS provides technology services for financial institutions and Worldpay provides payments technology, includ-
ing services for e-commerce transactions. The two companies combined produced more than $12.3 billion in revenue last year and have more than 50,000 employees worldwide. The merged company will retain the FIS name and continue to be headquartered in Drucker Jacksonville, where FIS employs nearly 1,400. The date of each company’s shareholder meeting to approve the deal has not been set. The companies hope to complete the merger by the end of this year.
SharedLabs withdraws plans for incentives
SharedLabs Inc., which has been planning to go public by merging with an existing publicly traded company, sent a letter to the state withdrawing from a $107,000 incentive agreement. The Jacksonville-based IT services company received Jacksonville City Council approval in July for Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund incentives to create 107 jobs as it moved its headquarters to the Downtown Dyal-Upchurch Building at 6 E. Bay St. “Based on recent executive leadership changes, Shared-
Labs must reassess its previously projected growth and hiring practices as planned,” the company said in an April 12 letter to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. SharedLabs also had filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May for an initial public offering but instead, it agreed in November to become public by merging with Denver-based Glowpoint Inc. In its last IPO filing before the merger agreement, SharedLabs said it had 567 employees with additional offices in California, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia, Vermont and Montreal. Its city incentives application said it had only six employees in Jacksonville before moving to the new office. Glowpoint last week enacted a 1-for-10 reverse stock split to increase the trading price of its stock. The company had received a letter in January from the NYSE American stock exchange saying it was not in compliance with listing requirements because of its low stock price. The stock had been trading below 20 cents but opened at $2.07 Friday after enacting the reverse split. Two news releases about the reverse split over the past week did not say anything about the merger with SharedLabs. Glowpoint said in an information statement about the split a month ago “we believe that SharedLabs is working to prepare its 2018 year-end financial statements, and working with its independent auditors to complete the audit thereof” before it could file a proxy statement for the merger. The two companies said at the time of the merger agreement they had combined annual revenue of $86 million.
Kraft Heinz replaces CEO
File image
The SharedLabs Inc. headquarters is in the Dyal-Upchurch Building at 6 E. Bay St. in Downtown Jacksonville.
Amid reports Kraft Heinz Co. may sell its Maxwell House coffee business, the global food giant Monday announced the appointment of a new chief executive. Miguel Patricio, a native of Portugal who has been an executive at Anheuser-Busch
InBev for two decades, will become CEO on July 1. The company did not say if current CEO Bernardo Hees is leaving voluntarily, but Hees has been under fire for its recent poor performance. “I bring fresh eyes to the business,” Patricio told Bloomberg News after his appointment was announced. CNBC reported in February the struggling company was considering a Patrico sale of Maxwell House as part of a restructuring of the business. The iconic century-old coffee plant in Downtown Jacksonville at 735 E. Bay St., which employs about 200 people, is Maxwell House’s last remaining U.S. plant. Kraft Heinz has not confirmed that it was considering a sale of Maxwell House.
Two Jacksonville companies land defense contracts
The U.S. Department of Defense continues to award multimillion-dollar contracts to Jacksonville companies. The Defense Department last week announced a $23.9 million contract modification by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command was awarded to BAE Systems Ship Repair. The contract is for postshakedown availability services for the USS Paul Ignatius. Work on the contract will be performed at BAE facilities in Jacksonville and is expected to be completed by May 2020. The Defense Department also announced a $19.6 million contract by the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command was awarded to Jacksonville-based Sauer Inc. However, the work will be performed at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. The contract is for airfield security and fence upgrades, motorized vehicle gates and pedestrian turnstiles. The work by Sauer is expected to be completed by June 2021.
MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, April 25, 2019 • Page 7
BY SCOTT SAILER • EDITORIAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Here are the top 10 commercial real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded April 15-19.
File image
From left, Gramercy Woods office Buildings 100 and 700 were among six structures sold to Atlantabased Glenfield Capital for $53 million.
$53,000,000
$48,500,000
$26,100,000
$4,860,000
$4,500,000
9000 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville, Duval County
8681 AC Skinner Parkway, Jacksonville, Duval County
3660 Deerpark Blvd., Elkton, St. Johns County
Duval Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
3186 New Berlin Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
Type: Gramercy Woods Tracts A,B and D Size: 19.18 acres Buyer: Glen Southside LLC Seller: GPT FL Jacksonville Owner LLC
Type: Lost Lake Apartments Size: 17.43 acres Buyer: BMG Lost Lake Florida LLC and BMG Lost Lake Florida II LLC Seller: Jacksonville Multifamily DST
Type: Conagra Brands Size: 32.46 acres Buyer: USDLP LL LLC Seller: RT Elkton LLC Previous sale: $15,750,000 in 2010
Type: 80 single-family lots in Summer Walk Size: Not available Buyer: Forestar USA Real Estate Group Inc. Seller: Duval Investment Group LLC
Type: Goodwill store Size: Not available Buyer: Weisberg Family Investments LLLP Seller: Sadler Equities LLC
$2,700,000
$2,700,000
$2,475,000
$2,200,000
$1,033,527
11190 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, Duval County
10209 Town Center Parkway, Jacksonville, Duval County
Scott Road, St. Johns County
10885 Harts Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
1840 Dunn Ave., Jacksonville, Duval County
Type: Al’s Pizza Size: 1.96 acres Buyer: LCR 11190 San Jose LLC Seller: Mansur 11190 LLC Previous sale: $1,875,000 in 2008
Type: Ida Claire, South of Ordinary Size: 1.24 acres Buyer: FB 635 RE LLC Seller: FLLM LLC Previous sale: $2,500,000 in 2014
Type: Knights Inn Size: 2.28 acres Buyer: RE Investments Capital Group 18 LLC Seller: DC Hotels One LLC
Type: Office Size: 1.06 acres Buyer: Physicians Medical Center Northside Inc. Seller: Richard E. Kersey Jr. Previous sale: $1,300,000 in 2007
Type: 32 single-family lots in the Worthington subdivision Size: Not available Buyer: KB Home Jacksonville LLC Seller: Mill Creek Plantation North LLC
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
Top commercial sales of the week
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Financing offered by DHI Mortgage Company, Ltd. (DHIM) 4220 Race Track Road, Suite 900, St. Johns, FL 32259. Branch NMLS #257647 Company NMLS #14622. DHIM is an affiliate of D.R. Horton/Emerald/Express/Freedom Homes. For more information about DHIM licensing and its affiliation with D.R. Horton please visit www.dhimortgage.com/affiliate. Provided for informational purposes only. This is not a commitment to lend. Not all borrowers will qualify. At Closing, Seller will pay a contribution towards Buyer’s Standard Items equal to the total of Buyer’s Standard Items (except as noted herein). “Buyer’s Standard Items” include: the adjusted origination charge (up to $995), transfer taxes, Lender’s title policy, escrow/settlement fees, title fees, appraisal fee (up to $450), survey, pest inspections and other usual and customary closing costs, prorations and prepaids charged to Buyer by other settlement service providers, and up to $100 for any other lender charges. *Closing costs incentive of up to $5,000 is available to all buyers. Buyer must contract and close by 12/31/19 to receive the incentive. Additional closing costs incentive of up to $10,000 is available if buyer funds and closes with seller’s affiliated lender OR another seller “Preferred Lender” however, buyer must use DHIM or another seller “Preferred Lender” to receive the incentive. Buyer must contract by 6/21/19 and close by 12/31/19 to receive the incentive. In no event will Seller contribute more than the maximum allowed by Lender under the loan program selected by Buyer. Some restrictions apply. See sales agent for complete details including a list of all seller “Preferred Lenders. Does not apply to discount points, interest rate buydowns or other prepaids, simultaneous issue fee for title insurance, VA funding fee, conventional Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium or Upfront Guarantee on USDA loans. Prices and availability subject to change without notice. This is not an offer in states where prior registration is required. You are NOT required to use DHIM or DHI Title as a condition to purchase a D.R. Horton home. You are free to shop around to determine that you are receiving the best services and the best rate for these services. Requesting a loan pre-qualification and making a loan application do not constitute a loan approval or otherwise indicate that a consumer will qualify for a loan. Financing is not guaranteed and not all consumers will qualify. Please see a Loan Officer for financing details. See your New Home Consultant and the home purchase agreement for pricing and features, additional information, disclosures and disclaimers related to this incentive, the home and its features. Void Where Prohibited by Law. Pictures, elevations, features, sizes and colors are approximate for illustration purposes only and will vary from the homes as built. CBC058997 ©2019 D.R. Horton, Inc. All rights reserved. EXP: 6/21/2019
Page 8 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE MENDENDHALL REPORT
Program develops the builders of tomorrow
MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
Skilled trades shortage bolsters need for programs like NEFBA apprenticeship. On a job site in Daytona Beach, 36-year-old plumber’s apprentice Caleb Sedelmeyer has known his journeyman for years, not just in the field but in the classroom as his instructor. When Sedelmeyer was 32, he said he took “a leap.” The Jacksonville native applied for the Northeast Florida Builders Association Apprenticeship Program. “It’s the first thing I ever truly saw through in my life. It’s amazing to be a part of. They go out of their way to be placed in the right program and are always available,” Sedelmeyer said. Now entering his fourth and final year of the NEFBA program and working for Campbell Plumbing Contractors, Sedelmeyer said returning to school to learn a trade is “the best thing I ever did.” “I was a little intimidated about the idea of going back to school,” he said. “But two nights per week, 6-9 p.m., everybody can make a little sacrifice like that for something bigger and better.” NEFBA honored 12 high school seniors from around the region April 17 in the association’s first signing day ceremony for its apprenticeship program as part of the annual NEFBA Trade Show and Expo. Nearly 60 parents, current and graduate apprentices filled the room at the University of North Florida Adam W. Herbert University Center to see students sign commitment papers to the four-year NEFBA Apprenticeship program. The inaugural public sign-
Photos special to the Daily Record
Lukas Lopez of Orange Park High School signs up for the Northeast Florida Builders Association Apprenticeship Program on April 17 at the University of North Florida Adam W. Herbert University Center.
ing ceremony is meant to give NEFBA’s post-secondary apprenticeship school a platform and draw more attention to its comprehensive curriculum at a time when industry officials say there are not enough skilled workers to meet housing and construction market demands. NEFBA Apprenticeship Director and instructor Christina Thomas said last year’s signing ceremony was more of a private event, held in the NEFBA offices. Response from students, she said, was so strong she and other NEFBA officials thought a more public venue could boost the training initiative’s visibility. Bill Garrison is the executive officer for NEFBA and has been a witness to the nonunion program since 1992. He said since its inception in 1972 the NEFBA Apprenticeship Program has been creating a pipeline of qualified workers in the construction industry.
Classes, taught at donated space at Keiser University, are led by certified practicing journeymen — many who graduated from the program. Students get hands-on experience and are required to work a 40-hour per week job in their respective fields in addition to classes. Currently, NEFBA provides training in four trades — HVAC, electrical, plumbing and carpentry. “The first few years you’re doing the hard work, pulling the wires. But in four years when you graduate, you’re a journeyman. You’re leading your own team,” Thomas said. The program is expanding. Beginning in the fall semester, NEFBA will be adding sheet metal to its training opportunities. Garrison said a graduate of the plumbing program, who now bores underground trenches for piping, has asked NEFBA to add his specialty to their offerings, and the asso-
The Northeast Florida Builders Association honored 12 high school seniors from around the region April 17 in the association’s first signing day ceremony for its apprenticeship program as part of the annual NEFBA Trade Show and Expo.
“The first few years you’re doing the hard work, pulling the wires. But in four years when you graduate, you’re a journeyman. You’re leading your own team.” CHRISTINA THOMAS, NEFBA APPRENTICESHIP DIRECTOR AND INSTRUCTOR
ciation also was approached by a representative in the fire sprinkler trade. “We want to, but it’s all about resources,” Garrison said. “You have to have the capital to have more lab space and add instruction.” Program organizers say growth is the goal. NEFBA said last year’s senior class graduated 38 apprentices. Next year that number will likely rise to 54-55. “We’re looking forward to the year we have 100 graduates,” Garrison said. NEFBA officials are planning for a capacity of 400 students across four grade levels. “We’re now at the second generation, so you’ll have someone who graduated in the 1970s or ‘80s and now their children are in the program,” Garrison said. NEFBA is beginning to coordinate with Duval County Public Schools to market the program and introduce more skilled trades opportunities into local public schools. Both Thomas and program training manager Charlie Libretto were teachers in Clay County District Schools. They said they have been asked by district officials to explain to students their options for other than a four-year liberal arts degree. Networking in the schools fights a stigma against skilled labor, Thomas said. and helps fill the void in many fields related to homebuilding. Garrison said NEFBA and other skilled trades organiza-
tions are seeing a shortage of workers in Northeast Florida and nationwide. NEFBA is attempting to expand the program at a time when Northeast Florida is seeing an uptick in home sales. The March total of 2,495 sales was the largest since October, according to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. Although 6.6% lower than in March 2018, the number, coupled with a home inventory supply of 3.6 months, creates a seller’s market. Garrison said that shows how essential it is to recruit more people into building trades. Before making a decision. students should do their research, Thomas said. More non-Florida based trade training programs are making their way into the state. While some may have national certification, she said many cannot provide the same state certificate as the NEFBA program. Thomas compared it to the differences between not-for-profit and for-profit universities. “Apprenticeship is the buzzword right now.” she said. “You’re seeing a lot of national attraction. Some people are coming into the state calling themselves apprenticeship programs but are not following the ‘no tuition’ laws and they are not registered (with the state).” MMENDENHALL@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MIMENDENHALL (904) 356-2466
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, April 25, 2019 • Page 9
Did you know? Women’s Council has the most extensive network presence in the National Association of Realtors and they are the largest percent of RPAC donations of any NAR network or council.
www.WCRJax.org
April Member Spotlight Jim Carson, IMOTO Photo
A little known or unknown fact (past or present) about yourself. I started my professional career as an engineer for the Telephone company in Washington DC. I actually did work on the communication systems at the White House, Capital Building and the Pentagon.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
8:30am - 1:00pm EDT | Morocco Shrine Auditorium 3800 St Johns Bluff Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32224
Our WCR Jacksonville Community Outreach Committee is asking for your assistance again this year. Please join TEAM Jacksonville WCR for the third consecutive year as we participate in the “NEFAR Helps Feed The Hungry” packing event on Wednesday, May 1st. We need a TEAM of 10-15. Hunger Fight’s mission is to provide nutritious meals for children and families deemed food insecure and hungry in our local communities. The goal of this event is with all the council teams together to package 75,000 meals in 2 hours! And although you don’t need to be a donor to volunteer, they are looking to have a minimum goal of $1000 in donations per team towards the melas. Any amount is appreciated and tax deductible. For more information, to sign up with TEAM Jacksonville WCR, or to donate, please contact: Tiffany Mayer at TiffanyMayerJAX@gmail.com Sign up on our Women’s Council of Realtors team page here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044baaaa2ea5f49-2019 or http://www.hungerfight.org
What is your passion in the office? Outside the office? Jim Carson At work I’m focused on taking care of the customer. IMOTO Photo I hate to hear a ringing phone go unanswered. Outside of work I love the golf course, although I don’t get to play as much as I would like. How has Women’s Council of Realtors benefited you personally and professionally? When I first joined Women’s Council of Realtors I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, being that the name indicated it was for women. I quickly learned that the WCR is far more than just for women. The culture I have learned to appreciate is that Women’s Council of Realtors focuses on doing business with other members that supports WCR. Personally I have met some awesome people that are involved with Women’s Council and from a professional standpoint I have come to appreciate what WCR stands for in the community.
2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY 1
Packing Food for Hungry Kids Everyone is welcome to join us!
MAY 9
MAY 4
Best Buddies Walk Jacksonville Beach
MAY 21
Governing Board Meeting
Networking & Social
9:00-10:00 a.m. | NEFAR
5:00-7:00 p.m. | Veterans United Craft Brewery
Industry Event Reservations MUST BE MADE by the Friday before the event due to final count needed for the venue.
Visit www.wcrjax.org to register.
Or contact Paula Givler at (904) 233-3562.
facebook.com/ groups/wcrjax/
If you wish to receive updated text messages from the Women’s Council of Realtors please text
“WCRJAX” to 662-200-4303
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RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
Page 10 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Top 10 home sales of week BY SCOTT SAILER • EDITORIAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Here are the top 10 single-family residential real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded April 15-19.
$6,300,000 1263 Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Johns County Type: Single-family Lot size: 1.49 acres House size: 12,751 square feet Buyer: Daniel L. and Carol J. Wildermuth Seller: Michael D. and Jo A. Gowen Previous sale: $5,300,000 in 2012
About the property: The two-story home, built in 1995, features 200 feet of beach front. It includes eight bedrooms, eight full and three half bathrooms. Features include a pool and hot tub, home theater, two full-size kitchens, office, golf simulator, wine cellar, six garage spaces and an outdoor kitchen.
$1,584,000
$1,185,000
4454 Ortega Forest Drive, Jacksonville, Duval County
33 Dolphin Drive, St. Augustine, St. Johns County
Type: Single-family Lot size: 1.09 acres House size: 5,331 square feet Buyer: Matthew E. and Rita N. Kenyon Seller: Hans J. and Patsy Thomsen Previous sale: $994,000 in 2016
Type: Single-family lot Lot size: 0.37 acres House size: 0 square feet Buyer: Dennis M. and Julia B. Smith Seller: Robert F. and Joanne T. Hytner Previous sale: $1,100,000 in 2003
$1,540,000
$1,145,000
130 Club Drive, Jacksonville, Duval County
10 Jessica Lynn Place, Crescent Beach, St. Johns County
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.18 acres House size: 3,272 square feet Buyer: James E. and Kimberley B. Graham Seller: Curtis V. and Jennifer J. Hill
Type: Single-family lot Lot size: 0.82 acres Buyer: Jessica Land Trust Seller: Michael R. and Nancy E. Hook Previous sale: $972,500 in 2002
$1,100,000
$1,775,000
$1,700,000
$1,679,925
$1,275,000
129 Muirfield Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Johns County
5263 Bentpine Cove Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
3554 Richmond St, Jacksonville, Duval County
82 Grand Palm Court, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Johns County
830 Hagler Drive, Neptune Beach, Duval County
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.54 acres House size: 4.952 square feet Buyer: Portland Love LLC Seller: Brian and Amber Moorman
Type: Single-family Lot size: 1.05 acres House size: 5,998 square feet Buyer: Deidra and Robert Radel Seller: Epic Custom LLC
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.49 acres House size: 4,445 square feet Buyer: Rachael H. Naylor Seller: Arnold S. and Patterson H. Rogers Previous sale: $668,500 in 1994
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.4 acres House size: 3,064 square feet Buyer: Gerald P. and Shelly B. Morgan Seller: Dream Finders Homes LLC
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.47 acres House size: 4,372 square feet Buyer: Brie and Matthew Sloan Seller: Levi E. Pence Previous sale: $280,000 in 2016
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, April 25, 2019 • Page 11
Lot J
NEXT STEPS n Completion of a development deal with city-backed financial commitment.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“These days, I hate to put timelines on anything,” Hughes said. “You have both an administration and a development team that are both very eager to begin.” Hughes will become the city’s chief administrative officer when CAO Sam Mousa retires in June. Hughes also is the interim CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority. “The deal’s in the details, so as soon as we can get the details worked out, we’re going to move as fast as we can,” Hughes said. Hughes said representatives from the mayor’s office and the Jaguars are in conversations and “nothing is on paper.” “The team is hammering out a development agreement right now, they’re conversing to get something we can bring forward,” Curry said. WHAT COULD BE IN THE DEAL
Hughes said Jacksonville taxpayers should expect the “typical menu” of incentives, including Recapture Enhanced Value grants. The funding stream could be used for the proposed 300-unit apartment community which, according to parameters set by the DIA, would be no greater than 75% of the city/county portion of an incremental increase in taxes for a 15-year period. Completion grants also could be used in the project, Hughes said, specifically citing the hotel component. That would be similar to the $33 million in incentives the city offered to the Berkman II hotel development at 500 E. Bay St. Downtown. Those completion guarantees are part of the negotiations and could mandate financial commitments, a penalty for delay and/or meeting timeline benchmarks. Basing that funding stream on
Daily Record CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
lisher and CEO Matt Walsh said Wednesday the newspaper is committed to a seven-year lease in the 121 Atlantic Place building at 121 W. Forsyth St. The Daily Record intends to relocate in early 2020 into about 5,600 square feet on the first floor formerly occupied by Ameris Bank. Walsh said Wednesday the Jacksonville Daily Record and
n Announcement, public vetting and City Council approval. n Dec. 29: End of Jaguars regular season, possible Lot J groundbreaking. n June 2021: Estimated end of 18-month elevated Hart Bridge ramp removal.
Special to the Daily Record
The Jaguars showed this site plan for the Lot J development at the State of the Franchise presentation.
partner, has agreed to operate the Live Arena — an outdoor courtyard-style entertainment stage enclosed by multiple levels of bars, restaurants and retail spaces. The apartment tower will be a joint venture between Khan’s Iguana Investments and Cordish. A hotel operator already is secured for the 200-room boutique hotel. The company will be announced after the city and Jaguars come to a development agreement. Lamping said Tuesday his group is not waiting for a commitment from a corporate anchor to start development on the office building, but the Jaguars are “talking to a number of candidates.”
performance, Curry said, protects taxpayers from investment risk. Hughes said he’s not seeing resistance from prospective Lot J developers on the idea. So far, no- or low-interest loans from the city are not part of the development discussion, according to Hughes, and he doesn’t expect them as part of the final deal “given the liquidity” of Khan. The 68-year-old Jaguars owner is on the Forbes’ list of wealthiest people with a net worth of $7.3 billion as of April 24. Curry said Tuesday “all options are on the table.” “They’ll be a mix — if you look at some of the things they’re talking about for Lot J,” Hughes said. “There will be things the city does. There will be things we do in partnership, and there will be things that are private — essentially privatized components of the property.” Parking, public spaces and utility work at Lot J likely will be publicly funded projects — infra-
structure that “the city participates (in) whenever it does any of this type of work,” Hughes said. “Those models can work differently. Sometimes we build it and then they develop adjoining it. Other times, they can build it into their construction and we, ultimately, pay as if we had built it. It just depends on the model that works,” Hughes said. Once the development deal is complete, Curry’s office will take it to the public and start to build consensus with City Council. Curry said his office will not wait for the May 14 election to strike a deal and is prepared to work with the current or next council on Lot J. The Jaguars announced that Lot J will comprise a Live Arena, residential tower, hotel and an office building. According to Lamping, The Cordish Companies, the Baltimore-based Lot J development
THE REST OF THE COMPLEX
its staff occupied the 117-yearold, three-story Newnan Street building for 47 years. The 10,363-square-foot building was constructed in 1902, property records show. “By the time we move, the newspaper will have published more than 12,200 editions from this location,” Walsh said. “So why leave? Frankly, it’s far more space than we need. And now that the old City Hall and courthouse across the street are gone, this location is not as convenient as it was.”
Walsh said the company will consolidate the Daily Record staff in updated space on one floor in the former Atlantic Bank Building, closer to City Hall, the Duval County Courthouse and the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse. The old City Hall was imploded and the former courthouse is being demolished along East Bay Street. “I have to say it will be sad to drive on Bay Street and not see ‘The Daily Record’ signage on the side of this sturdy old building. But as we all know, times change,
and in business you have to do what makes sense,” Walsh said. Walsh bought the Daily Record in January 2017. Bailey sold the publication after 104 years of family operation. McAlister said no plans are finalized at 10 N. Newnan St., but he envisions a service-industry related concept on the first floor, such as lounge or restaurant with a ground-level patio. McAlister said the top two floors and part of the first will be available for lease as offices. He said Bobby Knight with Coastal
WHAT TO EXPECT ON LOT J
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The city and the Jaguars plan to develop Lot J and work on peripheral projects simultaneously. Both the mayor’s office and Lamping have confirmed the estimated 18-month demolition
of the elevated highway connected to the Hart Bridge that divides the Sports Complex from the Shipyards and Metropolitan Park will be done simultaneously with Lot J construction. Lamping said at the State of the Franchise last week and Curry reiterated Tuesday that the ramp demolition will begin after the Jaguars regular season ends Dec. 29, with possible delays if the team hosts a postseason playoff game. “We can start Lot J while that’s happening. After that happens that will also open up the opportunity for more development on the river after Lot J is started and the ramps come down,” Curry said. Lamping said Tuesday it’s possible, although “not probable,” they could push groundbreaking of Lot J before the end of the Jaguar’s regular season. “Our goal is to do as many things as possible at the same time,” he said. “We think it’s really important we create critical mass. Our goal is to move forward with the entirety of Lot J at the same time,” he said. MMENDENHALL@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MIMENDENHALL (904) 356-2466
Commercial Real Estate will be the leasing agent. Knight was the transactional broker in the sale. McAlister’s many projects include the Phoenix Bar & Bowling on Blanding Boulevard; The Garage on Post Street; and the Bearded Buffalo Brewing Co. and Whiteway Deli & Tavern on King Street. He said he is working on two new projects but declined to identify them. KMATHIS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
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Page 12 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Circle K adding stores in St. Johns, Nassau BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Circle K is adding three stores – two in St. Johns County and one in Nassau. St. Johns County is reviewing plans for two Circle K gas stations and convenience stores. The county is reviewing a rezoning request for 1.68 acres at 215 Florida 16. The county also is reviewing an application for Circle K to build a 5,200-square-foot store at southeast St. Johns Parkway and Race Track Road. In Nassau County, Circle K is looking at a location at northwest Florida A1A and Gene Lasserre Boulevard. Rimrock Lasserre LLC is the developer of the 6.09-acre site, which comprises two outlots, of which one will be Circle K.
Tinseltown Plaza nears build-out Tinseltown Plaza at 4549 Southside Blvd. is preparing to build-out four tenants. Triforce Development is the developer. Tenants and build-out costs include Class by UFC Gym, almost 3,000 square feet, $300,000; Soupa Saiyan, 2,064 square feet, restaurant, $250,000; Insomnia Cookies, 650 square feet, $160,000; Pizza Hut, 1,505 square feet, carryout-delivery build-out, $140,000; and Kazu Sushi Bur-
rito, $90,000.
Burlington/Ross in Mandarin Regency Centers wants to redevelop part of the Burlington Coat Factory in Old St. Augustine Plaza into Ross Dress for Less. The city is reviewing a permit for a $745,000 renovation that involves reducing the space used by Burlington.
Publix in Arlington, Deerwood Publix Super Markets Inc. is renovating two stores at a total cost of almost $1.8 million. The city issued permits Monday for Elkins Construction LLC to renovate the 54,645-squarefoot store at 7117 Merrill Road in Arlington at a cost of $874,409 and the 44,271-square-store at 4320 Deerwood Lake Parkway at $884,882.
5.11 Tactical at Town Center The 5.11 Tactical store was approved for build-out in 4,000 square feet at 4600 Tropea Way in Town Center Promenade. Heartland Retail Construction Inc. of Racine, Wisconsin, is the contractor for the $200,000 project. KMATHIS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
RETAIL NOTES AutoZone on Beach Boulevard: AutoZone Stores will build a 7,381-square-foot store at 10338 Beach Blvd. at a construction cost shown at $522,500.
fee was calculated at $29,207 to mitigate the traffic impact. The site is near the Walmart Supercenter.
Love’s Travel Stops near Amazon: Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is moving closer to developing at Duval Road and Interstate 295. Adkinson Engineering is the civil engineer. The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing plans.
VyStar in Lakewood: Dana B. Kenyon Co. will demolish structures at 2890 University Blvd. W. in the Lakewood area for development of a VyStar Credit Union branch. The city issued a permit for Dana B. Kenyon to take down two single-story buildings and a former gas station at a cost of $96,977.
Dollar General in Southwest Jacksonville: The city approved construction for Dollar General at 8000 103rd St. in Southwest Jacksonville. Concept Construction is the contractor for the 7,500-square-foot building on 1.17 acres at a cost of $304,368.
Daily’s at Kernan: The city issued a permit for construction of a Daily’s gas station, convenience store and car wash at northwest Kernan and Butler boulevards. C.&R. General Contractors Inc. is the contractor for the project on 2.85 acres at a cost of $575,000.
Dollar General developer in Murray Hill: Concept Development Inc., the developer of Dollar General stores, proposes a 7,512-squarefoot retail store on about an acre at northwest Post Street and McDuff Avenue. Steve Diebenow with the Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow law firm applied to rezone the property to support commercial development.
RaceTrac in Baymeadows: A former Wells Fargo branch is being demolished at 8715 Baymeadows Road for construction of a RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. gas station and convenience store. The city issued a permit for Coastal Construction and Petroleum Services Inc. to demolish the 5,633-square-foot building at a cost of $90,000.
Goodwill at Oakleaf: Goodwill Industries of North Florida intends to build a store at 8460 Merchants Way in Oakleaf Station. Target Contractors Inc. is the contractor for the 16,447-square-foot building on 1.15 acres at a cost of $904,585. The city issued a foundation permit Friday. Former Village Inn in Mandarin: Bakkar Group is redeveloping the closed Village Inn in Mandarin for speculative retail space. The city is reviewing a permit application for Bakkar Group to remodel the 5,087-square-foot building at a cost of $350,000. Retail building in Kendall Town Center: The city issued a mobility fee calculation certificate for an 8,400-square-foot multitenant retail building on 1.18 acres along Hutchinson Park Drive in Kendall Town Center in Arlington. The
Gate Express on Beach Boulevard, in St. Johns: The city issued mobility fee and concurrency reservation certificates for a 4,375-square-foot Gate Express Carwash on 1.39 acres at 10913 Beach Blvd. The fee is $920 to mitigate the traffic impact. In St. Johns County, the St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing plans for a 4,362-square-foot Gate Express Carwash at 225 Sampson Way in St. Augustine. Wawa at Bartram Market: St. Johns County is reviewing an application for a 5,636-square-foot Wawa gas station and convenience store with 16 fueling positions on 2.03 acres at northwest Bartram Park Boulevard and Race Track Road. Mavis Discount in Yulee: Mavis Discount Tire plans to build a store on 1.14 acres at Florida A1A and Gene Lasserre Boulevard in Yulee in Nassau County. The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing plans.
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Site plans, community maps, photos and depictions are for illustration purposes only, are conceptual in nature, and should not be relied upon. GreenPointe Communities, LLC reserves the right to make changes to the foregoing at any time without notice. Home design, pricing, terms and offers are subject to change. See Home Builders’ Sales Consultant for details.
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Levy
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Thursday, April 25, 2019 • Page 13
Della
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Promotions, hirings and happenings for business people in Northeast Florida. Send items to ssailer@jaxdailyrecord.com Eric Levy was promoted to vice president of business development at Corporate Traffic Logistics. Levy is responsible for sales of all modes of transportation. Levy was vice president of sales and marketing at Raven Transport. U.S. Navy Capt. Tracy Skipton, a psychiatrist at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, was promoted to director for mental health. Eric Bruder was named vice president for marketing and communications at the University of North Florida starting June 17. Bruder will be responsible for marketing the UNF brand. He also will serve as the UNF spokesperson and as a member of the crisis management team. Bruder served as chief marketing officer at Indiana University since 2013.
Dr. Kenneth L. Hill Jr. joined Memorial Hospital and Memorial NeuroSpine as a neurological surgeon. Brad Coburn was named vice president Hill Jr. of human resources at Orange Park Medical Center. Coburn, in the HCA Healthcare system since 2013, was vice president of human resources at Capital Regional Medical Center in Tallahassee.
904-777-6000 · 1-800-445-6289 Certain restrictions and limitations apply. All loans are subject to credit approval. No Closing Costs offer available only when obtaining a VyStar Credit Union First Mortgage Loan and is not available on VA and FHA Mortgages. Available for purchase or refinance. VyStar will pay borrower closing costs up to a maximum amount of $5,000 excluding origination fee, discount points, private mortgage insurance, prepaid interest or funds to establish the member’s escrow account. If the borrower pays off the mortgage within the first 36 months, they will be required to reimburse VyStar for a portion of the closing costs paid by VyStar. Offer available for a limited time and subject to change without notice.
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A dedication and grand opening was April 18 at the Frisch Family Welcome Center at Jacksonville University.
mile of marshfront on Clapboard and Bogey creeks. The park will be open daily from sunrise to sunset. Compiled by Scott Sailer
DEVELOPMENT TODAY These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued Tuesday by the city of Jacksonville.
OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL Waste Pro, 2903 Strickland St., contractor is Arwood Waste Inc., 2,400 square feet, two permits for partial demolition of buildings, $45,700. ROOFING Home Street Apartments, 1444 Home St., contractor is Arango Insulation Inc., new building roof, $324,000. Lofts at Jefferson Station, 799 Water St., contractor is Arango Insulation Inc., new building roof, $309,000. Isram Merrill LLC, 9180 Merrill Road, contractor is Thrift Roofing LLC, roof over existing, $41,000. The Landings at Belle Rive Condominium Association Inc., 10200 Belle Rive Blvd., contractor is American Roofing of Jacksonville LLC, roof replacement, $40,000.
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JU Frisch Family Welcome Center opens: The Frisch Family Welcome Center at Jacksonville University opened April 18. The $4.5 million, 11,750-square-foot center is named in honor of four generations of the Frisch family. Their Beaver Street Foundation is a supporter of JU.
CycleBar, 5010 Gate Parkway, contractor is ADI Construction LLC, 2,527 square feet, tenant build-out, $265,000.
of your client’s closing costs for purchase or refinance.
Compiled by Scott Sailer
Record airport traffic: March was the busiest month in the history of Jacksonville International Airport. The record 664,479 passengers capped 18 months of year-over-year growth at JIA, starting in October 2017. March had 99 more flights and 18,002 more available seats per week than the month a year ago.
AMUSEMENT RECREATION
$5,000
Gislaine Della joined Ameris Bank as a mortgage banker at the Baymeadows branch. Della was a mortgage loan officer with Reunion Bank of Florida.
BUSINESS IN BRIEF
Park to open: The new 75-acre Bogey Creek Preserve Park in Northeast Jacksonville will open May 4. The park is at 6141 Cedar Point Road near Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Bogey Creek is the first for the North Florida Land Trust. The park, features maritime hammock forest, mixed pine-oak forest and seep-fed cypress swamp. It protects almost a
We’ll pay up to
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SCHOOL, LIBRARY, OTHER EDUCATIONAL Jacksonville University, 2800 University Blvd., contractor is Stellar Group Inc., 135 square feet, interior renovation of restrooms in Merritt Penticoff Building, $50,000. STORES, MERCANTILE Surterra Wellness, 13642 Atlantic Blvd., contractor is DLP Construction Co. Inc., 2,117 square feet, tenant build-out, $425,447. UTILITIES T-Mobile, 4507 Sunbeam Road, contractor is New-Tech Construction Corp., cell tower equipment upgrade, $65,000. T-Mobile, 2952 St. Augustine Road, contractor is New-Tech Construction Corp., cell tower equipment upgrade, $65,000. * VyStar Title Agency, a division of VyStar Financial Group LLC; a wholly owned subsidiary of VyStar Credit Union. Not federally insured and not underwritten or guaranteed by the credit union.
Compiled by Scott Sailer
VYS 2411 Mortgage Ad for Real Build Connect#3 5x16_Approved.indd 1
12/22/17 3:16 PM
Page 14 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE MARBUT REPORT
Fresh faces wanted to apply for judge Christian Legal Society delivers Easter baskets Jacksonville Chapter of the Christian Legal Society President Joe Scones and Senior Circuit Judge Mallory Cooper were among the volunteers who helped fill more than 80 Easter baskets that were delivered to clients at City Rescue Mission, patients at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and guests at Ronald McDonald House. The annual project was created 15 years ago by the late Scott Schildberg, a past president of the Christian Legal Society.
MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission seeking applicants to fill spot to be vacated by Meredith Charbula. The deadline to apply for an upcoming vacancy on the Duval County Court is Monday and the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission is particularly interested in interviewing candidates who have not previously submitted their names for judicial vacancies. “This casts no aspersion on the people who have applied. Our mandate is to recruit highly qualified people and we want to make sure all members of the Bar are aware of the process,” said commission Chair Patrick Kilbane at a public meeting Tuesday at the Duval County Kilbane Courthouse. After Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Duval County Judge Meredith Charbula to the circuit court April 5, he instructed the commission to convene to evaluate and interview candidates to replace Charbula on the county bench. The qualifications are laid out in Article V, Section 8 of the state constitution. Candidates for judge in Duval County must be a resident of the county, registered to vote and a member of The Florida Bar for at least the preceding five years. After the application deadline, each candidate will be vetted by a member of the commission, including reviewing the written application and contacting the personal and professional references submitted. The Florida Bar will provide
Special to the Daily Record
a grievance report on each candidate and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct a background check on each, Kilbane said. All applicants will be interviewed by the nine-member commission May 8 in the chief judge’s chambers at the courthouse. After the interviews are complete, the commission will deliberate and then submit to DeSantis six candidates for the vacancy. This is the first time the commission has convened since DeSantis was sworn into office. Based on his discussions with the new governor’s staff, Kilbane said DeSantis is looking for judicial candidates who believe in the constitutional separation of powers and who have a “mature judicial philosophy.” Applications may be downloaded at floridabar.org by clicking on the Members section on the homepage and then Appointments/Applications, JNC Applications & Judicial Vacancies. Completed applications
must be submitted via email no later than 5 p.m. Monday to pkilbane@ullmannbrown. com.
Rutherford meets federalists May 6 U.S. Rep. John Rutherford will speak to the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federalist Society at noon May 6 in the Multipurpose Room at the Main Library Downtown. Topics include border and national security and the state of the Congress. A former Jacksonville sheriff, Rutherford is Rutherford a Republican and represents the 4th Congressional District. He is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and Subcommittee on Homeland Security. The Federalist Society exists to promote the exchange of ideas, not to promote particular policies, appointments or politicians.
Joel Settembrini, Jr.
• Board Certified in Business Litigation by The Florida Bar with 35+ years of litigation and trial experience at Saalfield Shad (2013-present), Smith Hulsey & Busey (1987-2013) and Office of Chief Counsel, IRS (1983-1987). • Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Florida Legal Elite and Florida Super Lawyers and rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
“
Great job today Joel. I have a tough client who put a lot of faith in your analysis. Will put you on the firm list of go-to guys in Jax. – Michael D. Sechrest, Esq. Warner, Sechrest and Butts, Gainesville
“
Saalfield Shad, P.A.
245 Riverside Avenue, Suite 400 | (904) 394-3804 jsettembrini@saalfieldlaw.com | www.saalfieldlaw.com
Burr & Forman added counsel John Baker to the firm’s Jacksonville office. Baker has a general litigation practice with a focus on commercial litigation, mass and toxic torts, products liability and cases involving catastrophic injuries. “John’s addition to the Jacksonville office Baker reflects the continued growth of our litigation, torts and products liability practices across Florida,” said Gregory Lunny, Burr & Forman Jacksonville office managing partner, in a news release. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Florida Lawyers Representing Injured Floridians Asbestos Exposures: Shipyard, USN, Construction, Automotive, Power Plants, Paper Mills, Household, Etc.
You truly did a great job. No one would have handicapped it as an easy one to settle. Your adjustment to the situation is what got it done. – Juan M. Muñiz, Esq. Gunster, Miami
Contact Information
The Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association will present a CLE presentation at its May luncheon with Melanie Griffin, an attorney with Dean Mead in Tampa and a past president of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division. Griffin’s Griffin topics will be how attorneys may analyze their professional brands, creating the best client experience and how to build a sustainable balance between work and personal life.
John Baker joins Burr & Forman
Representing Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer Victims for Over 25 Years Throughout Florida
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Endorsements
JWLA looking at building your brand
The program begins at noon May 9 at The River Club. Guests are welcome. Visit jwla. org to register.
Asbestos
CERTIFIED STATE AND FEDERAL MEDIATOR Qualifications
It does not adopt political stances, advocate for political outcomes or lobby for legislation. It does not sponsor or endorse nominees or candidates. The meeting is open to members and the public. Tickets are $15 at the door with lunch provided.
Terrell Hogan Alan Pickert
(904)632-2424 www.FloridaAsbestos.com
Anita Pryor
The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience.
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, April 25, 2019 • Page 15
Class action lawsuit certified in Costa Del Mar sunglasses case Daytona Beach manufacturer’s warranty policy is being challenged.
Special to the Daily Record
The warranty information printed on the box that Costa Del Mar sunglasses were shipped in is at the center of a class action lawsuit filed in the 4th Circuit Court in Jacksonville. Holladay-Tobias
BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
If you live in Florida and purchased a pair of nonprescription Costa Del Mar sunglasses within the four years before Jan. 31, 2018, you are part of a class action lawsuit certified April 12 in Jacksonville. Brendan Haney, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, is suing the Daytona Beach-based sunglass manufacturer for claims arising from the sale of nonpromotional, nonprescription Costa sunglasses. The complaint was filed July 28, 2017. A motion for class certification was filed Nov. 1, 2018. Hearings on the motion that led to certification were convened
Hargitai
Dec. 4-6, 2018, and Feb. 25, 2019. “For 35 years Costa has been committed to making performance sunglasses and servicing its loyal consumers. This lawsuit does not change Costa’s commitment to either. The company respectfully disagrees with the court’s rulings and intends to appeal,” said attorney Sara Holladay-Tobias, a partner with McGuireWoods in Jacksonville who is representing Costa Del Mar. Haney and the class members are represented by Peter Hargitai, a partner with Holland & Knight in Jacksonville. The lawsuit alleges that Costa promotes and advertises its sunglasses as being “backed for life”
and refers to its warranty as “the best in the industry” with “no gimmicks” and “no disclaimers.” The complaint further contends that on the side of every Costa sunglasses box, the company warrants that if its sunglasses are damaged by accident, normal wear and tear or misuse, the company will replace scratched lenses, frames and other parts “for a nominal fee.” The lawsuit states that the “nominal fee” is false, deceptive and misleading. The lawsuit asserts two counts against Costa. Count 1 is brought under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act on behalf of
all citizens of Florida who purchased Costa sunglasses between Feb. 1, 2014, and Jan. 31, 2018. Count 2 is brought under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act on behalf of all Florida citizens who, within five years preceding Jan. 31, 2018, were charged a fee by Costa to repair or replace its sunglasses. Haney says he purchased a pair of Costa sunglasses in Jacksonville for about $150. The sunglasses later were damaged when one of the lenses shattered. He sent his sunglasses to Costa for evaluation and paid the cost of shipping. After inspecting the sunglasses, Costa advised Haney that he would need to pay $89,
plus tax and shipping and handling, for a total of $105.18 for Costa to repair his sunglasses. According to court documents, Costa’s position is that “nominal” is synonymous with “reasonable.” The plaintiffs cite Black’s Law Dictionary’s definition of nominal as “trifling, especially as compared to what would be expected” while it defines reasonable as “Fair, proper or moderate under the circumstances; sensible.” Pending appeal, the case is being heard by Circuit Judge Adrian Soud. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
COMMENTARY
Understanding trauma can help prevent child abuse You can help be a voice for a child by volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem. BY VANESSA TRIVENTO GUARDIAN AD LITEM DIRECTOR FOR THE 4TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
To prevent child abuse, we must understand it. That’s why you have seen blue pinwheels and other signs that April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The better we understand the long-term damage that trauma inflicts on children, the better we’ll be at stopping it. We know childhood trauma
– like regularly being hit or belittled, or witnessing domestic violence – can physically harm the body and brain for a lifetime. And we know that fully half of Florida children who come into the child welfare system are there due to parental substance abuse, compared to 39% of children nationwide. How can we help parents struggling with violence, addiction, mental illness or poverty, and keep more children in their homes and communities? That’s the discussion those of us at Guardian ad Litem want to have this month and every month. That’s why the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program is studying trauma-informed care:
So that our staff and volunteers understand how trauma manifested in the nearly 40,000 children we represented in Florida’s dependency courts last year, and how we can help the children we will serve in the future. In the 4th Judicial Circuit, which includes Clay, Duval and Nassau counties, there are 1,875 children in the dependency system, most in out-of-home care. You can help them by learning about the programs and services offered and about what you can do to make sure they are available and accessible. You can mentor children or families, serve on a committee or board, or contact your elected officials to ask for their sup-
port of child abuse and neglect prevention. You can help by attending or hosting child abuse prevention fundraising events, or by making a personal contribution. According to Prevent Child Abuse America, most adults already do prevention work by mentoring children or parents (70%), donating time or money to groups that serve children (80%), or advocating for policies that improve children’s wellbeing (77%). So, although you probably are involved in some form of prevention already, consider taking it to the next level. Can you volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem to be the voice for a
child? Without an advocate, the odds are stacked against children in foster care. A child with a volunteer advocate spends 20% less time in foster care than a child without one. Studies show children with volunteer advocates receive more critical services than those without and are four times more likely to find a permanent home. We are grateful for the 508 certified Guardian ad Litem volunteers in the 4th Circuit and to our many donors and community partners. Lasting change comes from their positive actions. To learn more about how you can help, visit galfirstcoast.org or call (904) 255-8440.
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IN THE LAW
Page 16 • Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
FRANCINE PALMERI BY MAX MARBUT • ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Francine Palmeri is the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association chapter representative to the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She was selected as one of FAWL’s 2019 “Leaders in the Law.” What inspired you to become a lawyer? As cliché as it may sound, I was determined early on to pursue a career that would afford me the ability and resources to provide a voice for the voiceless. While I didn’t land in public service, I derive tremendous satisfaction from being the voice of a woman-owned business in the corporate world and through my civic work. Someone other than my spouse who inspires me: My parents always led by example; They were active at home, in our community, and in the church. As a family, we would make time to care for our elders, those in need and the less fortunate. I grew up in a home where we were encouraged to love boldly, serve generously and never stop pursuing your dreams. I am especially inspired by my father, who for many years directed music programs and was called to lead groups of inner-city students, otherwise voiceless kids, to success against all odds in band competitions across Canada and the U.S. I also draw inspiration from Nick Vujicic. Born with a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs, he maintains the positivity and strength of mind to inspire people across the globe to live life without limits. How does your undergraduate degree relate to your practice of law? My education in psychology has helped me better understand human behavior. Psychology and the law make assumptions about what causes people to act the way they do. I believe the study of psychology can better prepare attorneys for the interpersonal aspects of practicing law. It forces you to think more
the business. What do you think will be the next biggest change in your area of law? Today, in-house attorneys do more than provide legal or strategic advice. We are driving innovation, business development and even recruiting initiatives. Corporate legal departments are becoming more sophisticated consumers by outsourcing, automating and systemizing more than before. If I could change anything in the legal system, I would: Provide more educational opportunities to the public to promote a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the legal system. Knowledge is power.
Special to the Daily Record
holistically. It has certainly broadened my ability to manage risk beyond the contract. How did you decide your practice area? I fell into corporate law early and immediately fell in love with it. Working in an in-house legal department gives me the opportunity to work closely with a company’s executives across various business units and specializations. My role allows me to focus on my sole client (the company), to develop an intimate understanding of the business and appreciate the various roles of the people that make the magic happen. The result of my efforts is tangible and I often see how my work directly impacts the short- and long-term success of
What community service have you pursued and why that? I became involved in the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association when I became an attorney and have proudly served on the board for many years. I enjoy representing the Jacksonville chapter at the state level and furthering the organization’s mission of promoting gender equality and leadership opportunities for women lawyers. What’s your advice for new lawyers? Don’t strive to just survive, thrive. If you’re unhappy, make a change. It may not be easy but the alternative is harder. Also, search for a position that fits your needs professionally and personally so you can enjoy greater fulfillment, meaning and satisfaction in your work, in your career and in life. Third, carve out time to get involved in a nonprofit organization with a mission that aligns with your core values. “For it is in giving that we receive,” said St. Francis of Assisi.
FRANCINE A. PALMERI Corporate counsel for Workplace Solutions Inc. Age: 25 for life Education: Bachelor of Arts from the University of Manitoba; J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Family: Husband, Salvatore, and our loving (big) Italian family Favorite book: “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy Book I’m reading now: “Defending Jacob” by William Landay Apps I can’t live without: Waze and Uber. Favorite nonwork activities: Spending time with my family, practicing yoga, traveling, going to the beach and being the world’s best wife to Salvatore and Zizi Cine to my nieces and nephew.
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Bring your family and friends to our Grand Opening Event at Cascade Point in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, May 4th from 11AM-1PM. Tour our Oasis model at 2,155 sq. ft. featuring single story living at its finest with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms plus flex and a 2-car garage. Learn about our line-up of 8 single-family home designs ranging from 1,447 to 3,022+ sq. ft. Enjoy refreshments provided by local Smallcakes Cupcakery in River City Market Place (located just 5 miles from the community) and face painting by Art-ZFace. What are you waiting for? Come view the community’s 85 homesites situated less than 20 minutes from the Jacksonville International Airport and less than 5 miles from superior schools! Visit Pulte.com/CascadePoint for more information. Prices may not include lot premiums, upgrades and options. Community Association fees may be required. Prices, promotions, incentives, features, options, amenities, floor plans, elevations, designs, materials, and dimensions are subject to change without notice. Square footage and dimensions are estimated and may vary in actual construction. Community improvements and recreational features and amenities described are based upon current development plans which are subject to change and which are under no obligation to be completed. Actual position of house on lot will be determined by the site plan and plot plan. Floor plans, interiors and elevations are artist’s conception or model renderings and are not intended to show specific detailing. Floor plans are the property of PulteGroup, Inc. and its affiliates and are protected by U.S. copyright laws. For further information, see our terms of use. This is not an offering to residents of NY, NJ, CA or CT or where otherwise prohibited by law. Pulte Homes of California, Inc. is a licensed California real estate broker (lic. #2023929). ©2019 Pulte Home Company, LLC. All rights reserved. [4/3/19] CGC1519936