FEBRUARY 5 TO FEBRUARY 11, 2026 | JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
BUSINESS & LEGAL NEWS IN BAKER, CLAY, DUVAL, NASSAU AND ST. JOHNS COUNTIES
LEGAL FIGHT ERUPTS OVER REGENCY SALE Impact Church files lawsuit alleging that it was shut out of plans to buy the closed shopping center by its eventual purchaser, Rurmell McGee, who denies the claim.
INSIDE
AWARDS
Darrin Eakins named Small Business Leader of the Year PAGE 3
THE BASCH REPORT
Rayonier paying $3.25 billion for PotlatchDeltic PAGE 11 Photo by Monty Zickuhr
Impact Church’s complaints include breaches of agreements and misrepresentation related to the former Regency Square Mall’s April 2025 change of ownership. The church owns its buildng at Regency Square while the surrounding portions of the mall were sold to Blackwater Regency LLC.
BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
A
legal battle has broken out over the former Regency Square mall, with the owner of most of the Arlington property accused of diverting a deal away from a Jacksonville church on the mall grounds to acquire it instead. Impact Church of Jacksonville Inc., owner of one of three independently owned buildings on the former mall grounds, filed two complaints since late 2025 in the 4th Judicial Circuit Court against Blackwater Regency LLC, Blackwater Regency Acquisition LLC, Blackwater principal Rurmell McGee, real estate developer Ramzy Bakkar, Xera
Realty Inc. and Mustard Tree LLC. The church alleges that after making an unsuccessful attempt to buy the mall in partnership with McGee in 2021, it reached an agreement with him in 2024 to provide licensed real estate sales services. Eric Lawson, corporate counsel for Impact, said the church wanted to buy the mall property at 9501 Arlington Expressway and began working with McGee in his capacity as a real estate broker for the purchase to earn a commission on the $19.1 million sale. “He was going to make about $360,000. We had it all lined up until Rurmell diverted the deal,” Lawson said. Blackwater bought the remaining portion of the mall structure and the 90-acre site surrounding the building in April
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2025 from Mason Asset Management Inc. and Namdar Realty Group LLC, both in Great Neck, New York. Impact Church alleges McGee breached the 2024 agreement by purchasing the property without the church’s knowledge. McGee and Blackwater deny it. “We are disappointed that Impact Church has chosen to file these two meritless lawsuits. Impact’s lawsuits are both premised upon false and misleading allegations and ignore Impact’s own repeated failures to honor its commitments,” attorney Alan Wachs with Smith, Gambrell & Russell, representing Blackwater and McGee, said in response to the complaints. SEE REGENCY, PAGE 6
THE MATHIS REPORT
Bob’s Discount Furniture on Jacksonville site plan The Connecticut-based company, with no stores in Florida, plans an IPO that is expected to support expansion. It is shown on a site plan for Argyle Village shopping center. PAGE 4
GROCERY STORES
Winn-Dixie trims store locations Winn-Dixie reduces jobs as it updates its focus to Florida after selling hundreds of stores. PAGE 7 LAW AND THE COURTS
CLEs, seminars and charity on JBA’s calendar
Agenda includes county courts, protecting older adults and pro bono growth. PAGE 14
VOLUME 113, NO. 13 | TWO SECTIONS | PUBLISHED SINCE 1912