JUNE 19 TO JUNE 25, 2025 | JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
BUSINESS & LEGAL NEWS IN BAKER, CLAY, DUVAL, NASSAU AND ST. JOHNS COUNTIES
‘LAUNCHPAD FOR THE FUTURE’
Otto Aviation selects Jacksonville for $430 million jet plant.
INSIDE
CITY GOVERNMENT
How Council set aside its land swap differences PAGE 10
THE MATHIS REPORT
Whole Foods Market store Downtown takes step
THE PHANTOM IS COMING TO TOWN Above: The Otto Aviaton Phantom 3500 jet can seat nine passengers. It will be built at Cecil Airport in West Jacksonville.
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Right: Otto Aviation CEO Paul Touw, backed by officials including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, announces plans June 16 at the Paris Air Show to build the Phantom 3500 in Jacksonville.
INSIDE Otto says Phantom 3500 will hit net-zero in emissions. Page 8
REAL ESTATE Otto Aviation
BY DAVID CRUMPLER ASSISTANT EDITOR
T
exas-based Otto Aviation announced June 16 it will establish a manufacturing and production facility to build its Phantom 3500 corporate jet at Cecil Airport in West Jacksonville. The company’s headquarters will also relocate to Jacksonville.
Otto had short-listed Jacksonville as its production site among an undisclosed number of locations. The Jacksonville facility will serve as the primary site for the final assembly of the Phantom 3500, with production of its flight test vehicles slated to begin in 2026, according to a news release. “This new facility will become more than a manufacturing site — it’s the launchpad for the future of sustainable
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aviation,” Paul Touw, CEO of Otto Aviation, said in the release. “Jacksonville stood out as a city that shares our long-term vision: pushing boundaries in aerospace innovation while creating high-quality jobs and meaningful impact. We’re excited to become a part of this dynamic community.” Gov. Ron DeSantis formally announced SEE OTTO, PAGE 8
RESTAURANTS
Electric Dough Pizza Co. opens The concept by chef Tom Gray offers Detroit-style pies and more inside the former San Marco Theatre space. PAGE 14
Travis Hunter buys a home The Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick joins several team veterans in the city’s first gated community. PAGE 16 REAL ESTATE
Home prices, inventory rise The median price of a single-family home increased 0.2% in May. PAGE 17 THE BASCH REPORT
Dun & Bradstreet sale advances Shareholders overwhelmingly approved the $7.7 billion buyout deal. PAGE 6
VOLUME 112, NO. 32 | TWO SECTIONS | PUBLISHED SINCE 1912