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February 6-12, 2020
The Mathis Report: Arlington lands Southern Coast Seafood PAGE 4
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JACKSONVILLE
Record & Observer DISCOVERING Record & Observer
Khan says Lot J will take 3 years to finish
JACKSONVILLE
CRANE ISLAND
Timeline for mixed-use project next to TIAA Bank Field still faces city regulatory process.
JACKSONVILLE
Record & Observer BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
JACKSONVILLE
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan says he expects construction of the nearly $500 million Lot J development west of TIAA Bank Field to begin by the end of March. In an interview with Jaguars reporter Ashlyn Sullivan posted Feb. 4 on Jaguars.com, Khan said that once construction begins, it will take 18 months to two years Khan before the restaurants, apartments and other Lot J elements are open. The total project, he said, would take three years. The proposed first phase of Lot J comprises a 300-unit residential tower, 200-room hotel, 120,000-square-foot Class A office tower and a Live! Entertainment District. Jacksonville I-C Parcel One Holding Company LLC, a joint venture of Jaguars subsidiary Gecko Investments LLC and the Baltimore, Maryland-based The Cordish Companies, is the project developer. Khan’s timeline is up against the full city regulatory process. Jaguars President Mark Lamping told reporters in a conference call Feb. 4 with Khan that an estimated $233.3 million incentive and development agreement with the city should be finalized in 30 to 60 days.
Record & Observer Photos by Maggie FitzRoy
Guests gather outside the 2019 Southern Living Idea House on Crane Island for its grand-opening celebration in June. The property at 50 Cord Grass Court in Fernandina Beach sold Jan. 22 for $3.55 million.
Developers focus on preserving the history and ecology of the Nassau County property. BY MAGGIE FITZROY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
J
ohn Broadbent purchased a forested 185-acre island off Amelia Island in 1886 for $1,000. After his death, his daughter Sarah Alice lived there for decades alone, in a house with no electricity or running water. The house burned down in 1952, the same day Sarah Alice mysteriously disappeared. And the land, known as Crane Island, remained uninhabited until now. Not only is it inhabited, but it is
the subject of international interest. Southern Living chose the island for its 2019 Idea House, built on about a half-acre at 50 Cord Grass Court on Crane Island, between the Intracoastal Waterway and Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport in Nassau County. It sold Jan. 22 for $3.55 million to 50 Cord Grass Court LLC, managed by Jamie Levitt. The house was listed at $3.99 million, furnished. The public still has a chance to SEE CRANE ISLAND, PAGE 6
Mendenhall Report: City to pay Gator Bowl for not installing seats PAGE 3 Innovate Jax plots course for the coming year PAGE 5 The Basch Report: Restaurant firm owned by Cannae bankrupt PAGE 12
The roads on Crane Island wind around oak trees that dot the property. The island is between the Intracoastal Waterway and Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport in Nassau County.
SEE KHAN, PAGE 7
THE SAILER REPORT
Beach Marine is sold to Windward Marina Group Company plans ‘placemaking project.’ PAGE 10 VOLUME 2, NO. 36 • ONE SECTION
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WHAT’S TRENDING
JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / J ACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
Big news doesn’t break just 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.
GROCERY STORES
Earth Fare closing all its stores Earth Fare, the natural and organic grocer, announced Feb. 3 it will close all its stores, including two in Duval County and one in St. Johns. Asheville, North Carolina-based Earth Fare operates about 50 stores nationwide. Besides Florida, Earth Fare has stores in North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. The company cited “continued challenges in the retail industry” and the inability to refinance its debt as reasons for closing its stores. Earth Fare opened its newest Northeast Florida store in October at 120 Shops Blvd. in the Shoppes at St. Johns Parkway in St. Johns County. It opened its first area store in 2014
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in the Atlantic North shopping center at 11901 Atlantic Blvd. In 2017, it opened in the Mandarin South Shopping Center at 11700 San Jose Blvd.
SPORTS Jaguars to play two home games in London The Jacksonville Jaguars will play two home games at Wembley Stadium in London in 2020. Jaguars President Mark Lamping said Feb. 4 the team is working to improve its financial standing in the league as it waits for the Lot J and Shipyards projects to develop. Lamping said the team is entering an “uncertain time” and pointed to the Los Angeles Rams, Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders as teams with new
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stadiums who are improving their financial positions. “Our work to create new sources of revenue to help us improve our long-term outlook and commitment to operating a thriving franchise in Jacksonville will continue and never end,” Lamping said. Lamping said season tickets would cost 15% less in 2020 because of the move. The team will use variable pricing for the six Jacksonville home games.
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REAL ESTATE Sifakis group buying home of Sweet Pete’s A group led by Jacksonville developer and investor Alex Sifakis is buying the historic Downtown Seminole Building at 400 N. Hogan St. “We think that the revitalization Downtown is really important to Jacksonville as a whole and we want to be a part of it,” Sifakis said Jan. 30. “We see this as a great piece of that,” he said.
Sifakis said 400 Hogan LLC, owned by JWB Real Estate Capital, is paying $1.7 million for the property. He is a manager of JWB. The three-story building is anchored by Sweet Pete’s candy shop, which signed a long-term lease to remain there, Sifakis said. The 10/Six Grille restaurant also will stay.
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City seeks to pay Gator Bowl for money saved not installing seats A deal between city officials and the Gator Bowl Association could leave the city contractually obligated to pay the group $334,725 in lost revenue for the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl — but the deal still will save the city money. A memorandum of understanding dated Dec. 5 and signed by city Chief Administrative Officer Brian Hughes and Gator Bowl Sports President Richard Catlett states that the association would allow the city to forgo installing 2,082 seats at TIAA Bank Field if the city reimbursed it for the lost revenue.
MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
Paying bowl $334,725 for lost revenue is less than the cost of reconfiguring TIAA Bank Field.
Hughes said during a Mayor’s Budget Review Committee meeting Jan. 13 that the timing of the Dec. 29 Jacksonville Jaguars game and the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl made it more expedient to not install the seating. An amendment to the lease in December 2016 obligates the city to install the seats, which replace the larger, club seats at midfield used for Jaguars games. The club seats reduce the stadium’s capacity and available premium seats. In a follow-up interview, Hughes, who chairs the committee, said the association approached the city about
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
The fact sheet breaks down where the Gator Bowl officials told the city they lost revenue from the reduction in seats. n Lost ticket sales: $284,810 n Lost concession sales: $19,164 n Lost merchandise revenue: $2,644 n Lost parking revenue: $28,107 Hughes said the city will be in breach of the contract if Council does not approve the reimbursement.
Former TIAA Bank executive Kelly to join the DIA
The Downtown Investment Authority filled the last of three open staff position Jan. 6, hiring former TIAA Bank Vice President Steven Kelly to lead Downtown real estate forecasting efforts. The DIA’s Kelly director of Downtown real estate will produce financial reports to aid the board in decisions on real estate transactions, as well as execute terms and conditions of agreements the DIA negotiates with developers. At TIAA Bank, Kelly was responsible for community development lending and investing. Kelly’s annual salary is $130,000 plus benefits.
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THE MENDENHALL REPORT
City of Jacksonville photo
The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 featured the University of Tennessee and Indiana University.
exchanging the reimbursement for the seats in mid-November as the city and Gator Bowl officials began lease renewal discussions. The lease between the city and the Gator Bowl Association expires March 31. “At a time when the Gator Bowl (administrators) were really rounding the corner of the game and thinking about it, it made more sense to have access to cash rather than the seats,” Hughes said. Hughes said it would have cost the city more to install and remove the seats than provide the association the requested reimbursement. The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl attendance of 61,789 attendees didn’t reach TIAA Bank Field’s Jaguars game capacity of 69,132. The Gator Bowl has exceeded that capacity six times since the current agreement was drafted in 1994. The last time the game filled TIAA Bank Field was 2004 when Florida State and West Virginia brought 70,112 spectators. City Council President Scott Wilson filed Ordinance 202071 on Jan. 22 at the request of Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration to approve the payment. The Council Auditor’s Office will review the proposed lease amendment in detail, an auditor’s spokesperson said via email Jan. 14. It will be presented to Council committees Feb. 19. A legislative fact sheet filed with the bill states it would cost $74,275 less to compensate for the Gator Bowl than the cost to install the seats.
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THE MATHIS REPORT
Arlington lands Southern Coast Seafood
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
The restaurant, owned by the Joseph family, plans to open by Feb. 10 in a renovated former Mudville Grille space offering gator, shrimp, steak and more. By Feb. 10, owners intend to open Southern Coast Seafood, a family-run restaurant at the former Mudville Grille in the Regency area to bring the neighborhood another dining option. “We’re going to treat you like family,” said Matt Joseph, who owns the business with his brother, Louis J. Joseph, and their cousin, Louis M. Joseph. Mudville Grille closed in June. “The neighborhood was great to me the last 20 years,” Mudville owner Louis M. Joseph said in October. “We just wanted to change the concept and give Arlington a game-changing restaurant,” he said. Louis M. Joseph owns the St. Nicholas Mudville Grille, which is not affected by the Regency concept change. On Feb. 3, the brothers were working on the final details of the 3,600-square-foot restaurant, with a full bar, at 1301 Monument Road.
Photos by Karen Brune Mathis
Brothers Louis J. and Matt Joseph at Southern Coast Seafood. They and their cousin, Louis M. Joseph, own the restaurant along Monument Road north of Regency Square Mall. They renovated a former Mudville Grille and intend to open by Feb. 10.
Southern Coast Seafood at 1301 Monument Road seats 150 inside and about 30 outdoors. More photos at JaxDailyRecord.com.
It seats 150 inside, including a dozen at the bar, and about 30 outdoors on the 300-square-foot deck. Southern Coast Seafood will open at 11 a.m. daily and close at 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. It employs about 30 people.
Menu starters include shrimp and sausage nachos, oysters, Florida gator fritters, smoked wings and Mayport shrimp; soups and salads; fried platters with chicken tenders, fish, oysters, gator, shrimp and deviled crab; and handhelds such as po’boys, burgers,
chicken sandwiches and fish tacos. After 5 p.m., main entrees are available such as steak, rib chops, fresh catch, scallops and Cajun shrimp pasta. There’s also a children’s menu. The overall menu features locally caught fish, including from Matt and Louis J. Joseph, who run Outta Line Fisheries LLC. When they talked about the plans in October, they considered making barbecue a regular feature but decided to make it a special menu item. Prices begin at $6 for starters, $4 for soups and salads, $9 for handhelds, and $18 for mains. Southern Coast Seafood partners put in new flooring, wall coverings, kitchen and bar equipment and bathroom fixtures. Mudville’s booths were replaced by banquette seating lining the side wall. There are a few TVs, but the setup focuses on dining and not sports like at Mudville. Furnishings in the dining area are new or renewed, such as the bar stools that were refinished with metal plates on the back with the Southern Coast Seafood name. The partners declined to provide an estimate of their investment. The Josephs initially thought they could have opened in November. Louis J. Joseph said that as the project progressed, they decided to add to the list of renovations, which delayed completion. In addition to local contractors, the Josephs say they did much of the work themselves. The Josephs trace their Duval County heritage to 1897, when their great-great-grandfather arrived from Syria. The cousins grew up in
RESTAURANT NOTES Another Broken Egg in Riverside: The city is reviewing a permit for work on the former M Shack in Riverside for conversion into Another Broken Egg Cafe. Bryan Construction is the contractor for the $27,000 renovation at 1012 Margaret St., No. 9. Franchise owner James Buckner said in December he plans to complete renovations by February. Mellow Mushroom to Durbin Pavilion: St. Johns County approved a permit for construction of an almost 5,000-squarefoot building for Mellow Mushroom at 295 Durbin Pavilion Drive in The Pavilion at Durbin Park at a cost of $1.4 million. Starbucks to Baymeadows Park: The city issued a permit for construction of a shell building for Starbucks Coffee Co. at 7981 Baymeadows Circle W. in Baymeadows Park. Elfrink Custom Construction Inc. of Oviedo is the contractor for the $500,000 project.
Arlington and said they want to take part in efforts to reinvigorate the neighborhood. KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
RETAIL NOTES Cinemark at The Pavilion at Durbin Park: Cinemark Theatres said it will open Feb. 14 in The Pavilion at Durbin Park at 435 Durbin Pavilion Drive in St. Johns County. It’s a 12-screen theater with 1,081 seats. Cinemark said its upgraded movie experience will feature surround sound; swivel tables and heated luxury loungers; and enhanced food and beverage offerings through the on-site StudioEats restaurant.
Bad Axe Throwing to Springfield: Bad Axe Throwing wants to sell and serve beer and wine at its proposed Springfield location at 1719 N. Main St. The property owner, Shoppes of Lakeside Inc., seeks a zoning exception from the city. The Jacksonville Planning Commission scheduled a Feb. 20 public hearing.
A Sophisticated, Modern-Day Answer to the Barbershop.
Aerie to The Avenues: The city is reviewing a permit for tenant finishes for Aerie, an American Eagle Outfitters Inc. brand at The Avenues mall at 10300 Southside Blvd., space 2220, near AEO. No contractor is listed for the 5,000-square-foot store at a project cost of about $365,000. Aerie sells intimates, apparel, swim and activewear.
Three Publix renovations: The city issued permits for Elkins Construction LLC to renovate two Publix Super Markets Inc. stores at 13820 Old St. Augustine Road in the Shoppes at Bartram Park at a cost of $950,000 and at 4495 Roosevelt Blvd. in Westside for $930,000. McIntyre, Elwell & Strammer will renovate the Lakewood store at 2875 University Blvd. W. at a cost of $989,058.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER
Plans for the initiative include more events in the coming year. Forcura CEO Craig Mandeville knows there’s innovation in Jacksonville, but he believes few people see it like he does. To solve that, in June he started Innovate Jax, an initiative to create awareness of innovators in the city through events and a podcast. His goal is for Jacksonville to be the innovation hub of the Southeast. “What always has been rattling through my brain is what can we do to make better connections and have awareness of the innovation that’s happening? How can we bring these innovative minds together and just kind of break down those silos?” Mandeville said.
“So that was really the inspiration behind it.” Mandeville founded Forcura, a health care tech company, in 2012. Although Forcura and Innovate Jax are separate, the initiative is led by three Forcura leaders. They are Mandeville; Annie Erstling, chief strategy officer; and Kate Warnock, director of communications and brand strategy. Warnock serves as host and producer of the Innovate Jax podcast. The podcast has featured 10 guests, including Generation W CEO Donna Orender and Jacksonville University President Tim Cost. Up next, the podcast will feature JAXUSA President Aundra Wallace. Warnock said people around the world have listened to the podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts. Since it debuted in June, people have been asking to be featured. Erstling said there are Jacksonville events that focus on innovation, but those often are attended by the same circles of people. “We wanted something that could bring everybody together across the whole entire region and something digital seemed to have the ability to do that more because of the geograph-
HEALTH & BUSINESS
Innovate Jax works to connect, elevate city, its innovators
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Special to the Daily Record
From left, Forcura executives Annie Erstling, chief strategy officer; CEO Craig Mandeville; and Kate Warnock, director of communications and brand strategy.
ic expanse of the city,” Erstling said. They plan to host a panel this year with several podcast guests, as well as other events. “Looking at all the guests that we’ve had the opportunity to interview, every single one of them are world-class and not doing their job in New York,” Warnock said. “They’re doing it here in Jacksonville. So the benefit of having that kind of experience, thought leadership, the connections that they bring with them – we can only go up from here.” The three agreed that Jacksonville has a “PR problem” when it comes to marketing itself as an innovative place to outsiders, as well as letting
those who live here know about the innovative companies, people and achievements in the city. Companies like SoFi are seeing that Jacksonville is a good place to locate, not only because there are other tech companies here but also because it’s a great place for employees to live, Mandeville said. SoFi is a digital personal finance company that intends to hire about 300 people. Warnock added that companies that have been here for years, such as Mayo Clinic and Haskell, are moving more toward innovation. Mayo Clinic opened its Life Sciences Incubator in August, and Haskell began Dyrsuptek,
a venture capital arm of the company. Mandeville has seen Jacksonville come a long way since he moved here 10 years ago from Austin, Texas. He wants to keep it moving forward and hopes Innovate Jax helps to accelerate that. “That’s what we’re committed to doing with Innovate Jax,” Mandeville said. “This is working. People want to be a part of this. People are asking what’s next and people are describing it as a movement. So I think, wow, let’s do more, let’s keep going.” KGARWOOD@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
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The entrance to Crane Island will be gated after the community is completed.
Crane Island CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
tour the five-bedroom, 5½ -bath, 4,540-square-foot showpiece. The house was open for paid tours June 8-Dec. 8 and reopened Jan. 15 through March 29. Some local residents opposed developing the natural piece of maritime coastal Florida. Facing years of lawsuits and local government reviews, ownership changed hands several times. Then in 2014, longtime friends and business executives Jack Healan and Saad Wallan bought it for $10 million and began the process of turning it into a luxury community of 113 homesites. The first home was Southern Living magazine’s 2019 Idea House. To celebrate, several hundred invited guests from around the First Coast took a preliminary tour June 6. For most, the occasion offered a first glimpse of Crane Island — and many expressed relief that the land’s history and ecology are being preserved. Roads have been designed to
wind around 200-year-old Spanish-moss-draped oaks. Homesites are laid out to preserve as many trees as possible. Bioswales, instead of retention ponds, drain excess water through raised roads. They say the land looks much as “Miss Alice” Broadbent would remember. “I think they have been very respectful of her, in naming of the streets and saving every tree that they can,” Southern Living Editor Sid Evans said at the celebration. As a recluse, Miss Alice was known to shoot at trespassers, and for walking barefoot for miles to Fernandina Beach for groceries. With no utilities or running water, “I think she would probably say ‘wow,’” to the Idea House, Evans said. “I hope she would feel welcome here. It is designed to be a very welcoming house,” Evans said. Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin said he found it so. Aware there had been a Sierra Club lawsuit against development that was resolved before he took office four years ago, he considered the house “very impressive.” “Who wouldn’t want to live
Photos by Maggie FitzRoy
Alice Park, in the middle of Crane Island, is a waterfront park named in honor of decadeslong reclusive resident Sarah Alice Broadbent, known as “Miss Alice.”
here?” said his wife, Lisa Martin. “People didn’t want Crane Island to be developed. I didn’t want to see it developed. It’s a beautiful piece of property, and environmentalists fought it hard,” said Realtor Susan McEwen, with Watson Realty in Amelia Island. She has since changed her mind. Her brother bought one of the first lots. “Once I saw it, I said ‘I want to live here, too,’” she said. Idea House landscape architect Don Hooten, who incorporated the property’s massive oaks into his design, called the island “a hidden treasure.” The entry road runs past the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, over a short bridge, and then enters into the woods, a transition from open space to nature. Proximity to the airport was part of the island’s appeal for Healan and Wallan, who are pilots.
As a 41-year resident of Amelia Island Plantation and its former CEO, Healan said he had his eye on the property for years. He thought it would be a good community for pilots, who would be able to ride golf carts home after flying in. While not designed to be a flyin community, some of the first Crane Island homesites were purchased by pilots, Healan said. “They find it attractive —landing your plane and being on your boat in the Intracoastal Waterway within 30 minutes,” he said. Located in the center of Amelia Island, “it is convenient to the south end and Fernandina Beach, but remote and isolated,” Healan said. He and Wallan wanted to preserve a sense of its history, so to honor Miss Alice, they named one of the roads Broadbent, and created
a waterfront park called Alice Park. The well that Miss Alice used to draw water is the only physical remnant of her presence. Almost hidden at the edge of a wooded area, Healan said they plan to preserve it as a monument to her. No one claims to know what happened to Miss Alice. She disappeared after her house burned to the ground Nov. 7, 1952, never to be heard from again. No traces of her were found in the ruins of the fire, although some people believe she was murdered. Some believe she is buried somewhere on the island, and that perhaps during construction, her remains will be found. Potential homebuyers do not seem spooked. If anything, her fate “adds a little magic and a little mystery to the island,” Evans said. “It’s a magical place, so I am not surprised there’s a story like that.”
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
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Old FBI building in Arlington could become apartments Kozman Realty Inc. paid $1.2 million in September for the six-story structure that was built in 1975. BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
There’s some indication of what might be planned at the former FBI building along the Arlington Expressway – apartments. JEA is reviewing a service availability request to see what utility connections exist to serve a potential 120-room multifamily development. The requested service is electric, water, sewer and reuse. Joe Loretta of Halff Associates is the representative. He did not have a comment on behalf of his client. T h e s i x- s to ry, a l m os t 94,000-square-foot building was built in 1975 at 7820 Arlington Expressway. It was leased to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Jacksonville field office until the FBI moved in 2009 to a governmentowned building at 6061 Gate Parkway. Kozman Realty Inc., with an address in Canada, paid $1.2 million for the vacant building on 4.8 acres. The deed was executed Sept. 26. It has not returned calls for comment about its plans. The city issued a permit Nov. 13 for All American Debris & Wreck-
File image
A map of the Lot J site west of TIAA Bank Field and Daily’s Place.
Khan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Photo by Karen Brune Mathis
The vacant 45-year-old former FBI building at 7820 Arlington Expressway. The FBI moved to Gate Parkway in 2009.
ing LLC to gut the interior of the building at a cost of $275,000. The permit lists the proposed use as storage. All American Debris was cleared to demolish the interior and remove some of the exterior elements. The plumbing system will remain, the permit shows. Kozman Realty is led by Marc Peter Kozman and Barthina Kozman. Miami-based Bnei Zipora Inc. sold the property to Kozman Realty. A quitclaim deed shows the group acquired the property in 2017 for $250,000.
The LoopNet.com commercial real estate site said the Class C office building had been vandalized and without power, “adding to the demise of its visible condition.” The site said the building could be useful to “a savvy value-add investor” who would recognize it has a better use or could be held for development. KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
That agreement will have to clear the Downtown Investment Authority, which convenes monthly. Its next scheduled meeting is Feb. 19. The City Council also has to approve the agreement. Lot J construction also will need permitting and architectural designs to receive conceptual and final review from the Downtown Development Review Board. Khan and Lamping ’s Feb. 4 call mainly focused on the team’s intent to play a second home game in London. Khan told Sullivan that Lot J construction, as well as plans to demolish the Hart Bridge Expressway ramps, will create “physical disruptions around TIAA Bank Field for the next three years.” “We’re talking about taking
the highway overpass down so we have access to the river and really mixed-use development, a hotel, entertainment, etc. Jobs which are really the core of it, right close to the stadium,” Khan said. “So, what is the best thing for the Jaguars at this point, I say we play back-to-back games in London,” he said. City Director of Public Affairs Nikki Kimbleton said in a Feb. 4 email that Mayor Lenny Curry approved a recommendation to hire Jacksonville-based J.B.. Coxwell Contracting Inc. for $25.45 million to demolish part of the elevated Hart Bridge Expressway and construct new ramp connections. Kimbleton said the contract has been extended and construction will begin in late February. MMENDENHALL@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MIMENDENHALL (904) 356-2466
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JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / J ACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
JaxDailyRecord.com
Top commercial sales of the week BY SCOTT SAILER • STAFF WRITER
Here are the top 10 commercial real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded Jan. 27-31.
Jax Offices 200 LLC paid $25.5 million for office buildings at 12276 San Jose Blvd.
DUVAL
DUVAL
DUVAL
DUVAL
DUVAL
$25,500,000
$25,000,000
$12,400,000
$7,650,000
$5,500,000
12276 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville
2079-2315 Beach Blvd. and 2573 Second Ave. N., Jacksonville Beach
9119 Merrill Road, Jacksonville
Park Village Drive, Jacksonville
Type: Midgard Self Storage, Big Lots and Salvation Army Donation Center Parcel size: 10.38 acres Building size: 169,277 square feet Buyer: Midgard Self Storage Jacksonville Fl LLC Seller: Bluewater Storage LLC Previous sale: $8,625,000 in 2015
Type: Southside Quarter undeveloped multifamily Parcel size: 17.68 acres Buyer: SSQ Multifamily Phase II LLC Seller: S 15 Land Holdings LLC
9523-9531 Florida Mining Blvd. E., Jacksonville
Type: Office Parcel size: Not available Buyer: Jax Offices 200 LLC Seller: Associate Equity LLC
Type: Beach Marine Parcel size: Not available Building size: Six buildings totaling 124,295 square feet Buyer: Windward Jacksonville Beach Owner LLC Seller: Rose & Ken Inc.
Type: U.S. Xpress Parcel size: 11.32 acres Building size: Three buildings totaling 26,840 square feet Buyer: SFG NL USX Jacksonville FL LLC Seller: U.S. Xpress Inc.
DUVAL
DUVAL
DUVAL
ST. JOHNS
DUVAL
$4,597,000
$3,150,000
$2,100,000
$1,550,000
$1,400,000
6107 Youngerman Circle, Jacksonville
5216 Shad Road, Jacksonville
Gran Bay Parkway, Jacksonville
1045-1065 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine
6575 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville
Type: Motel 6 Parcel size: 2.24 acres Building size: 32,876 square feet Buyer: Narayan Jacksonville Hotel LLC Seller: G6 Hospitality Property LLC Previous sale: $3,925,100 in 2008
Type: Innovative Construction Group Parcel size: 5.93 acres Building size: 25,333 square feet Buyer: Innovative Acquisition Co. LLC Seller: JAR Real Property Investments LLC
Type: Undeveloped Parcel size: 4.93 acres Buyer: Darifair Foods LLC Seller: Oakridge Realty LLC Previous sale: $1,546,000 in 2015
Type: Anastasia Fitness Parcel size: 1.35 acres Building size: 13,960 square feet Buyer: The Refinery Athletic Club LLC Seller: The Mansfield Family Trust and JM & MM Consultants Inc.
Type: Commercial Parcel size: 3.01 acres Building size: Two buildings totaling 8,263 square feet Buyer: Equipmentshare.com Inc. Seller: Pearl Collision Center Inc. Previous sale: $260,100 in 2013
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Edge
Ravoira
Basra
Long
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
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Switzer
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Promotions, hirings and happenings for business people in Northeast Florida. Send items to ssailer@jaxdailyrecord.com
Lawanda Ravoira, who founded the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center organization in 2013, will move March 1 to the role of president emeritus and focus on expanding the agency’s public policy and advocacy work. Senior Vice President Inderjit Vicky Basra, who has been with the policy center since June 2013, will succeed Ravoira as president and CEO. Melissa Long and Ryan Switzer joined the North Florida Land Trust board of directors to serve three-year terms. Long is chief of the city Environmental Quality Division, focusing on surface and groundwater, along with air, tanks, hazardous waste and petroleum cleanup. Switzer is a licensed sales associate with Cantrell & Morgan where he focuses on commercial retail properties throughout the Southeast. Both board positions are new and expand the nonprofit land conservation organization’s board to 13 members.
Adam Levine is leaving the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens on April 24, a year after taking over as the George and Kathleen Gibbs director and CEO. He will return to Ohio to become director of the Toledo Museum of Art, where he previously served as deputy Levine director and curator of ancient art. Board installed: The First Coast Manufacturers Association installed its 2020 board of directors comprising representatives of member companies Auld & White Constructors, Carlisle Interconnect Technologies, Dupuy Silo Facility LLC, Florida Power & Light Co., Georgia-Pacific Corp., Harbinger, IFF Chemical Holdings, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Johnson Controls Inc., Kaman Aerospace, Miller Electric Co., Nu-Trend Plastics, Proforma Northpoint, Progressive Power Products, Rulon International, Smith Gambrell & Russell and Vac-Con, Inc. Trent Baalke joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as director of player personnel. Baalke was a football operations consultant. He was general manager of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-16.
BUSINESS CALENDAR To find more business events or to submit your event to the the business calendar, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/calendar. FEB. 7 Avendano inauguration: Florida State College at Jacksonville will inaugurate John Avendano as its sixth president from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 7 in the formal academic ceremony to install him into office. The event is at the FSCJ South Campus Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts at 11901 Beach Blvd. FEB. 13 David Altig at Economic Roundtable: David Altig, executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, is scheduled to speak about “The U.S. Economy: Is This as Good as it Gets?” to the Economic Roundtable of Jacksonville. The reception at 5 p.m. will be followed by dinner and the program 6-7:30 p.m. at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Jack-
sonville Branch at 800 Water St. Downtown. Single tickets are $35 and a table of eight is $280. Student tickets are $25. Register by Feb. 10 at ertjax.org. FEB. 18 Women at the Top: CREW Jacksonville will feature three women who lead organizations at the Leadership Vision 2020 luncheon Feb. 18 at The River Club Downtown in the Wells Fargo Center. Panelists are Lori Boyer, Downtown Investment Authority CEO; Deloris O’Neal, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office chief; and Debbie Buckland, BB&T Jacksonville market president. Registration and networking start at 11:15 a.m. and the program begins at 11:50 a.m. Tickets are $35 for members and $50 for nonmembers. Registration is due by noon Feb. 14. For information and registration, visit crewjax.org/events.
DEVELOPMENT TODAY These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued Tuesday by the city of Jacksonville.
Moe’s Southwest Grill, 9301 Atlantic Blvd., contractor is B&S Signs Inc., wall sign, $4,400.
OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL Next Level Primary Care PLLC, 7880 Gate Parkway, contractor is Ash Construction LLC, 1,913 square feet, tenant build-out, $250,000. Nails Capital of Jax Inc., 6855 Wilson Blvd., No. 12, contractor is Auld & White Constructors LLC, 1,071 square feet, tenant build-out, $105,300. Worldwide Express, 10375 Centurion Parkway N., No. 320, contractor is Adams Interior Contractors Inc., 1,825 square feet, tenant build-out, $77,802.
STORES, MERCANTILE Publix, 2875 University Blvd. W., contractor is McIntyre Elwell & Strammer General Contractors Inc., 57,640 square feet, renovation, $989,058. CVS, 50 Duval Station Road, contractor is Diamond Contractors Inc., 12,976 square feet, interior renovation, $225,000. Metro PCS, 6855 Wilson Blvd., No. 13, contractor is Auld & White Constructors LLC, 1,030 square feet, tenant build-out, $50,000. The Consignment Barn, 5121 San Jose Blvd., contractor is Harvest Construction and Remodeling Inc., truss repair, $15,000.
SIGNS Campers Inn RV, 14590 Duval Place W., contractor is B&S Signs Inc., two permits for wall signs, $12,517.
Compiled by Scott Sailer
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“I love my job. “It’s hard work. But it fits me, because I’m a people person. I love to meet new people and talk to them about their businesses, to find out what we can do to help them. “I know I’m in advertising sales, but I see myself more as a marketing consultant and business partner. My job is to help all my customers grow their business. “I love the creative challenge of helping them figure out how best to market their businesses, how to help bring them new customers and figure out strategies and business plans to help them succeed. “We’re like marketing and advertising doctors. We help them solve their pain. “We make a difference … I find that very rewarding.” Cyndi Gustafson Multimedia Advertising Executive West Orange Times & Observer
Be a part of our success. Join the Observer Media Group’s multimedia advertising team at the Jacksonville Daily Record. Please send resume and cover letter to: Matt Walsh 10 N. Newnan St. Jacksonville, Fla. 32202 jobs@yourobserver.com
328888-1
Aubrey Edge was appointed to a seven-year term on the State University System board of governors by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Edge is president and CEO of Jacksonville-based Petro Services Inc. and First Coast Energy LLP, a gasoline and convenience store management provider, including the Daily’s chain. The appointment is subject to Florida Senate confirmation.
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JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / J ACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
JaxDailyRecord.com
THE SAILER REPORT
Windward Marina Group acquires Beach Marine
SCOTT SAILER STAFF WRITER
The company acquired the St. Augustine Shipyard last year and plans redevelopment. St. Augustine-based Windward Marina Group paid $25 million for Beach Marine at 2315 Beach Blvd., near Adventure Landing. The sale closed Jan. 17. Windward bought the more than 140-acre property through Windward Jacksonville Beach Owner LLC from Rose & Ken Inc., led by Rose and Kendall Taylor. Beach Marine has been family-owned and operated in Jacksonville Beach for more than 30 years. Windward Marina Group declined to comment about plans for Beach Marine. It said on its website it would expand “the Windward Lifestyle to Jax Beach,” creating “another placemaking project which will provide desirable amenities, catering to the com-
Special to the Daily Record
An artist’s rendering of “Windward Town,” the proposed redevelopment of the St. Augustine Shipyard that was acquired by Windward Group in 2019.
munity’s needs and enhancing our customer’s experiences on the waterfront.” Beach Marine’s amenities comprise boat sales and service, a bait shop, 350 wet slips, 350 dry slips and Mavi Waterfront Bar & Grill. Windward Marina Group, founded by Stefan Johansson, is a development company committed to creating communities with “a lifestyle of sustainable waterfront experiences,” according to mywindward.com. Johansson’s partners in Windward are Robert Finvarb and Thomas D. Wood Jr. Finvarb is founder and CEO of Aventura-based Robert Finvarb Cos., a privately held developer and owner-operator of mixed-use hotel developments across the United States.
The company has more than $1 billion of market value, comprising more than 3,000 hotel rooms and 200,000 square feet of retail space across the country. Wood is co-founder and president of Miami-based Thomas D. Wood and Co., a private real estate investment firm focusing on commercial and multifamily real estate capital markets. Windward’s properties comprise wet slips, boat storage, marine sales and services, commercial, hospitality, residential and restaurant properties. Windward owns two properties in St. Augustine on opposite sides of the San Sebastian River. The St. Augustine Marine Center, a 23-acre full-service
Photo by Scott Sailer
Windward Marina Group paid $25 million for Beach Marine at 2315 Beach Blvd. Windward said on its website it plans to expand “the Windward Lifestyle to Jax Beach.”
marine facility, also is home to the U.S. Customs & Border Protection National Marine Training Center. In 2019, Windward acquired the St. Augustine Shipyard, a 50-acre master-planned mixed-use development that started 2015. Windward’s mission as a “steward of sustainable placemaking” and champion of “new urbanism” plans to turn the St. Augustine Shipyard into
“Windward Town,” combining a working waterfront with residential options, green spaces, retail, outdoor recreation and entertainment. Miami-based Duany PlaterZyberk & Co., an urban design, architecture and planning firm known as DPZ, designed the new community. SSAILER@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
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JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER
JaxDailyRecord.com
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
ST. JOHNS
$1,100,000
$1,050,000
150 Twelve Oaks Lane, Ponte Vedra Beach
4300 Oceanhomes Court, St. Augustine
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.66 acres House size: 3,564 square feet Buyer: Bryan M. and Tammy L. Blades Seller: John and Valerie Marchese Previous sale: $986,000 in 2007
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.55 acres House size: 2,365 square feet Buyer: George E. Raymond Jr. and Barbara A. Sullivan Seller: Barry and Susanne Bullard Previous sale: $770,000 in 2007
House size: 4,540 square feet
ST. JOHNS
CLAY
Buyer: 50 Cord Grass Court LLC
$1,080,000
$950,000
Seller: The Range at Crane Island LLC
5490 Atlantic View, St. Augustine
1300 Oaklanding Lane, Fleming Island
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.17 acres House size: 2,904 square feet Buyer: Robert D. Goodwin Revocable Trust Seller: Walter N. Riback, Elena M. Wood, Riback Family Trust Agreement
Type: Single-family Lot size: 1.86 acres House size: 5,130 square feet Buyer: Steven F. and Laurie L. McIntyre Seller: Emeric J. and Becky J. Ignelzi Previous sale: $1,000,000 in 2002
Top 10 home sales of week BY SCOTT SAILER • STAFF WRITER
Here are the top 10 single-family residential real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded Jan. 27-31. NASSAU
$3,550,000 50 Cord Grass Court, Crane Island, Fernandina Beach Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.53 acres
About the property: The Southern Living 2019 Idea House along the Intracoastal Waterway. Features five bedrooms, 5½ baths, 1,400 square feet of front and back porch space, a game room, garage and cart shed.
DUVAL
DUVAL
DUVAL
ST. JOHNS
ST. JOHNS
$2,750,000
$1,400,000
$1,115,000
$1,075,000
$866,000
3940 Alhambra Drive W., Jacksonville
1673 Atlantic Beach Drive, Atlantic Beach
1842 Epping Forest Way S., Jacksonville
552 Rutle Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach
112 King Sago Court, Ponte Vedra Beach
Type: Duplex Lot size: 0.96 acres House size: 8,240 square feet Buyer: Edward Ashurian Seller: Deborah R. and Robert Schiller Previous sale: $3,100,000 in 2015
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.17 acres House size: 3,563 square feet Buyer: Christine A. Jasinski Restated 1990 Revocable Trust and the Scott B. Jasinski Restated 1990 Revocable Trust Seller: Laura Coley
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.29 acres House size: 4,125 square feet Buyer: John T. and Robin B. Moore Seller: Morton A. and Delores M. Kesler, the Kesler Real Estate Trust Previous sale: $1,500,000 in 2006
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.48 acres House size: 2,603 square feet Buyer: Akinita LLC Seller: 330 Pablo Terrace LLC Previous sale: $1,225,000 in 2005
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.42 acres House size: 3,302 square feet Buyer: Shane and Shanna Edge Seller: Fraydun Manocherian
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ST. JOHNS
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Directions: From I-95 take exit 373 for FL-200/FL-A1A east towards Fernandina Beach for approximately 6.2 miles. Turn right onto Amelia Concourse, right onto Majestic Walk Blvd, then right on Village Walk. Model home will be just ahead on the right.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
JaxDailyRecord.com
THE BASCH REPORT
Restaurant firm owned by Cannae files bankruptcy
MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
File image
American Blue Ribbon Holdings, the company that operates the Village Inn and Bakers Square restaurant chains, is 65.4% owned by Cannae Holdings Inc. ABRH is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Cannae Holdings Inc. was spun off from Jacksonville-based Fidelity National Financial in 2017. A restaurant company formerly controlled by Fidelity National Financial Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring last week. American Blue Ribbon Holdings, operator of the Village Inn and Bakers Square restaurant chains, filed petitions for Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The Nashville, Tennesseebased company is 65.4% owned by Cannae Holdings Inc., the investment company spun off from Jacksonvillebased Fidelity in 2017. “Financial trends have been negative since 2017 as the restaurant operations struggled with declining sales and acceptable margins,” ABRH said in a news release. The company said “the reorganization will facilitate the company’s Village Inn and Bakers Square restaurant brands evolution to a healthy core of restaurants and support an approach to the brands that is most beneficial for all stakeholders.” Village Inn has 159 locations and Bakers Square has 22. ABRH said it is closing 33 underperforming restaurants as part of the reorganization. ABRH also operates a piemaking business called Legendary Baking. Cannae has majority ownership of two other restaurant chains, O’Charley’s and 99 Restaurants, which are not affected by the bankruptcy filing. All of Cannae’s restaurant group reported revenue of $772 million and a net loss of $32.8 million in the first nine months of 2019. ABRH said last week it
expects losses at its operations to continue in 2020. Cannae is headquartered in Las Vegas but is run by executives with ties to Fidelity.
Dun & Bradstreet files for IPO When it was a subsidiary of title insurance firm Fidelity, Cannae was known for wheeling and dealing with investments in other businesses and the trend is continuing as an independent company. In addition to the restaurant news, Cannae also last week said Dun & Bradstreet Corp. filed a confidential registration statement for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was just a year ago that a consortium led by Cannae bought Dun & Bradstreet for $6.9 billion. Cannae owns 24.3% of the business data firm. The investment group includes another company spun off from Fidelity, Jacksonville-based Black Knight Inc., which acquired 18.1% of Dun & Bradstreet. No details of the proposed IPO were announced.
Insurance costs hit Landstar Landstar System Inc. reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings last week because of higher insurance and claims costs. The Jacksonville-based trucking company reported earnings of $1.27 a share, below its forecast of $1.40 to $1.46 a share. Landstar already had been expecting earnings to be lower than the $1.68 it posted in the fourth quarter of 2018 because of a difficult freight environment. Revenue dropped 16% in the quarter to $994.9 million.
“During the first half of 2019, I believe we were in a relatively healthy freight environment,” CEO Jim Gattoni said in Landstar’s conference call with analysts. “Throughout the second half of 2019 however, weaker economic conditions, especially in the U.S. manufacturing sector, led to seasonal softness in Landstar’s truckload volumes,” he said. “The softness began mostly in September and continued through the end of the 2019 fourth quarter.” Landstar Gattoni expects the softness to continue in early 2020. The company projects first-quarter earnings of $1.10 to $1.20 a share, down from $1.58 in the first quarter of 2019, and revenue of $915 million to $965 million, down from $1.33 billion. Gattoni said industry trends are increasing its insurance costs, as opposed to safety concerns. “We believe Landstar is one of the safest operators in the industry based on our low frequency of accidents,” he said. “In recent periods, even though our frequency has remained relatively consistent, we’ve been experiencing elevated insurance and claims costs.”
Loss for Patriot Transportation Jacksonville’s other publicly traded trucking company, Patriot Transportation Holding Inc., reported a loss for its first quarter ended Dec. 31. Patriot recorded a net loss of $464,000, or 14 cents a share, in the quarter with revenue
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PulteGroup buys construction firm PulteGroup Inc. last week said it acquired Innovative Construction Group, a Jacksonville-based provider of wood-framed construction services. Atlanta-based PulteGroup said ICG will continue to operate as a stand-alone operation. The homebuilding company said the deal builds on its strategy to drive greater production efficiency. “In acquiring ICG, we see the potential for our Jacksonville operations to benefit through faster cycle times, precision structural components and savings on lumber and other materials,” PulteGroup CEO Ryan Marshall said in a news release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. PulteGroup said in an SEC filing the acquisition will not have a material impact on its finances. MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
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International Baler Corp. recorded a net loss of $323,614, or 6 cents a share, for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31, according to its annual report filed last week with the SEC. The Jacksonville-based company, which makes balers used for recycling and waste disposal, said sales fell 14.3% to $9.53 million, mainly because of lower sales of autotie balers. International Baler said sales have been impacted by a sharp drop in prices for old corrugated cardboard over the last three years, and a slowdown in demand for rubber balers.
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Duos Technologies Group Inc. said last week it expects to report 2019 revenue of $13.6 million, up 13% from 2018, and also projects revenue to continue growing this year. “We’ve entered 2020 with significant operating and sales momentum. Based on our current projections, we are anticipating continued, robust double-digit growth in 2020 and are reaffirming our annual revenue expectations of $20 million,” CEO Gianni Arcaini said in a news release. The Jacksonville-based provider of intelligent analyti-
International Baler reports loss
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Duos Technologies increases revenue
cal technology estimates it will report an operating loss of $2.5 million to $3 million for 2019. Duos three weeks ago completed a reverse split in which stockholders received one share for every 14 shares they previously owned. The company implemented the reverse split to raise its stock price and qualify for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Duos currently trades on the OTCQX market. With the reverse split, the stock has been trading near $7 recently, well above the $4 level needed to gain a Nasdaq listing.
Timothy J. McDermott
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falling 11.6% to $24.8 million. The company said the closing of a terminal in Charlotte, North Carolina, last year and downsizing certain customer accounts caused revenue to fall. “While our business has not produced acceptable returns in the last couple of years, we are not accustomed to reporting a quarterly loss, and management is making changes to be sure we improve our results going forward,” CEO Robert Sandlin said in Patriot’s quarterly conference call. That includes controlling costs and a new compensation Sandlin program to help the company attract and retain drivers. Despite the loss, Patriot in December declared a one-time special dividend of $3 a share and a quarterly dividend of 15 cents, its first-ever cash payments to shareholders. “Our balance sheet remains strong with $19 million of cash and no outstanding debt,” Sandlin said. Landstar is a nationwide freight transportation company while Patriot focuses on fuel transportation in the Southeast. “Demand for our services during the quarter was lower than normal, but we anticipate demand to be high in most of our markets going into the busy season and we continue to evaluate new and current business based on price and efficiency of the daily operation,” Sandlin said.
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MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Lawyers can find a path to boost their careers at The Jacksonville Bar Association Mentoring Boot Camp on May 7. The Jacksonville Bar Association wants to help new lawyers connect with seasoned practitioners who can help them learn some of the fine points of the profession that can’t be taught in law school. “It’s like having a legal life coach. I’d like for every lawyer who has been practicing for less than five years to have a mentor,” said Duval County Judge Gary Flower, chair of the JBA Mentoring Committee.
For less experienced attorneys, a mentor can be a source of knowledge in areas such as networking into the local legal community, navigating office politics, communicating effectively with clients and developing business. A longtime mentor, Flower said the commitment is spending about an hour a month with a mentee, plus a few phone calls and emails. “Every one of us has had someone in their career who helped guide them. Being a mentor gives us Flower the chance to give that back,” Flower said. The JBA offers a free oneyear membership to attorneys who sign up for a mentor before they leave the courtroom where they are sworn in to the Bar. Flower said there are about 60 mentors in the program, but more are needed. The association will present a “mentoring boot camp” noon-2 p.m. May 7 at the JBA office at Wells Fargo Center.
Mentor/mentee breakfasts: 8 a.m., Feb. 11, March 11, April 8, May 13 and June 10 in the sixth floor conference room at the Duval County Courthouse. Professionalism and Mentoring Committee meetings: Noon, March 5, April 7, May 5 and June 2 in the sixth floor conference room at the Duval County Courthouse Mentoring Boot Camp: Noon-2 p.m. May 7 at the JBA office at Wells Fargo Center. Jacksonville Bar Association members are invited. Visit jaxbar.org to register.
Flower said several “distinguished members of the Bar” have been invited to share their experiences as mentors and offer advice to attorneys considering taking on the role. “We’ll show mentors how to ensure a successful relationship,” Flower said. Registration will be available at jaxbar.org.
or day-ahead notifications. Studies in jurisdictions where electronic alerts have been implemented show significant reductions in “failures to appear,” or instances in which defendants miss their court events. Failure to appear for a court event can result in a warrant being issued for the arrest of a defendant.
Don’t miss your court date: There’s an app for that
Bodiford joins Terrell Hogan Former federal and state prosecutor Bradley Bodiford joined the Terrell Hogan law firm, where he will represent consumers injured by defective products including medical devices, consumer products, professional uniforms and Bodiford tobacco. A graduate of Florida State University College of Law, he was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2010.
The Duval County Clerk of Courts has a way for people to register to receive alerts of upcoming criminal court events by text or email. The new system is accessible at enotify.flcourts.org and is intended to keep people informed about their required attendance in court. Defendants and other interested parties who sign up for the service choose how they will get alerts – by email, text or both – and the timing of the reminders, choosing any combination of 14-day, seven-day
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Gunster promotes two attorneys to shareholders
THE MARBUT REPORT
A mentor is like having a ‘legal life coach’
JBA MENTORING EVENTS
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Lauren Vickroy Purdy was promoted to shareholder in the Gunster law firm’s Jacksonville office. Purdy advises clients in business disputes in state and federal courts. Her practice is focused on commercial litigation, transportation and professional liability matters at the trial and appellate court levels. Purdy Purdy received a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2011. She joined Gunster in 2013. New Jacksonville shareholder Jason Van Lenten’s practice focuses on probate, trust, guardianship and fiduciary litigation, as well as fiduciary risk management and counseling professional fiduciaries. Van Lenten received a bachelor’s from Rutgers Van Lenten College and a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
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or 20 years, attorney Sean Cronin has helped clients in Florida with injuries and deaths caused by medical malpractice. As attorneys who are also veterans, our military experience helps us serve medical
malpractice victims and their families throughout Northeast Florida. Our attorneys handle both civilian and
Entrepreneurs defy conventional wisdom every day with a guts-then-glory approach to business. If this is a fit - for you or someone you know - here’s your chance. On April 9, the Jacksonville Daily Record and Jacksonville Record and Observer will recognize nine of the region’s top entrepreneurs. If you know a business owner who has built a successful enterprise from scratch; has shown consistent growth and profitability over the past three to five years; or who has overcome market and economic obstacles to achieve success, let us know. To nominate someone, please e-mail nominations@jaxdailyrecord.com with the name of the nominee, the business and a brief description of why the person is a top entrepreneur. For more information visit: JaxDailyRecord.com/topentrepreneurs
Deadline: Friday, February 21
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Bar Bulletin The
PROTECTING RIGHTS • PURSUING JUSTICE • PROMOTING PROFESSIONALISM YLS PRO CHARITY BONO CHILI COOK-OFF FROM THE PRESIDENT
IT’S TIME TO GET COOKIN’
INSIDE
COMMENTARY
Social Security Disability primer Social Security Disability benefits fall into two categories. It is important to know which benefit your client is drawing. PAGE 16
JBA BRIEFS
Earn CLE credits The 2020 Bench & Bar Conference is Feb. 26. at the Duval County Courthouse.
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From left, Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association past President Jamie Karpman, Gail Dawson, Angie Miller and Lynn Salvatore.
The 12th annual Charity Chili Cook-off is Feb. 15 at the Riverside Arts Market.
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KAYLA HAINES JBA YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION BOARD OF GOVERNORS
or the Jacksonville legal community, February means chili. It is time for the Young Lawyers Section Charity Chili Cook-off at Riverside Arts Market on Feb. 15. For those who have never attended, it is a chili and cornbread competition. Around 50 teams from local law firms compete for awards that include best overall, crowd favorite, meatiest and spiciest. Over the past few years, we have averaged more than 4,000 members of the general public in attendance. The purpose of the competition is not
only to win bragging rights, but also to raise money for a local charity. It is a day of fun, fundraising and friendly competition. The event has grown to be one of the biggest for the local legal community and has raised thousands of dollars for some amazing charities, including Rethreaded and Best Buddies of Jacksonville. This year, the event benefits Clarke School of Jacksonville, an organization that provides children who are deaf or hard of hearing with the listening, learning
PRO BONO
Nearly 400 cases accepted Christian Legal Society attorney chapter conducts pro bono service project at the City Rescue Mission. PAGE 17
SEE HAINES, PAGE 19
COMMENTARY PRO FROMBONO THE PRESIDENT
The 19th Amendment to U.S. Constitution: 100 years later It’s an American milestone that’s worth celebrating.
LINDSAY TYGART JBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS
In December, I celebrated a milestone birthday: The big 4-0. And while I had a month’s worth of dinners, happy hours, lunches and parties with family and dear friends, there is a more important milestone coming up and it deserves a far greater and more elaborate celebration than it seems to receive each year.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women in this country the right to vote. Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about the issues women face, both professionally and domestically. This is true even more so now that I am raising two little warrior women. When I think about my middle and high school U.S. history classes, and what I learned about suffrage and women fighting to
obtain the right to vote, my mind is a complete blank. In full disclosure, I very well may have no memory because, as I was sitting in class, I was thinking about the test I didn’t study for next period, or what my plans were for the weekend. But, in any event, I have clear and distinct memories of learning about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase (yawn), the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg, our Supreme Court’s deci-
sion in Plessy v. Ferguson and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Each marks a monumental event in our nation’s history that had a role in shaping the future of this country – OK, maybe not the Louisiana Purchase – but, most certainly, the others. The point is that the women’s movement often does not get the attention it rightfully deserves. Before everyone breaks out their laptops to write letters to SEE TYGART, PAGE 18
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JBA CALENDAR COMMITTEE MEETINGS For all meetings, register at jaxbar.org FEB. 6 Diversity & Inclusion Noon, Moseley Prichard Parrish Knight & Jones FEB. 10 Pro Bono Noon, Jacksonville Bar Association FEB. 11 Elder Law Noon, Jacksonville Bar Association, Conference Room A FEB. 11 Judicial Relations Noon, Jacksonville Bar Association, Conference Room B FEB. 11 Mentor/Mentee Roundtable Breakfast 8 a.m., Duval County Courthouse FEB. 12 Mental Health & Wellness Noon, Jacksonville Bar Association FEB. 20 Veteran & Military Affairs Noon, Duval County Courthouse
Leadership, learning & more: The benefits of Bar involvement It’s how to gain friendships, resources and assets. BY K. BETH LUNA & SARAH SULLIVAN JBA FAMILY LAW COMMITTEE
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another,” former President John F. Kennedy said. Not only are they indispensable, it is impossible to have one without the other. Bar involvement has many benefits. Lisa Dasher said it best: “I have found that involvement on committees leads to great friendships, mentors and learning. Working on committees stretches your abilities by providing opportunities to put together educational programs, researching on current topics in the law and presenting on those topics.” More than 20 years ago, Sarah Sullivan’s mentor encouraged her to tag along at The Florida Bar annual meeting. It was truly awe-inspiring, intimidating and exciting to see the depth and breadth of what our Bar members were doing to support, improve and uplift the practice of law. She was hooked. Around the same time, the local family law Bar was building the Florida Family Law American Inn of Court. Sarah applied and was admitted as an associate. As a young lawyer, it was essential for her to share time and space with experienced lawyers to learn, hear war stories and establish professional networks. The organization identified best prac-
Luna
Sullivan
tices and expectations of professionalism of its members, and having access to that mentoring proved invaluable to Sarah. Our careers benefit from involvement in Bar activities such as education, networking and having the benefit of friends within the legal community to call on for support. In addition to her leadership role with the Jacksonville Bar Association Family Law Section, Beth Luna leads several Florida Bar Family Law Section committees, including as secretary of the Legislation Committee. This new role has required her to study pending legislation, existing family law statutes and case law. Seeing the legislative process in action and drafting and reviewing legislation drastically improves her knowledge of the law and provides an avenue to shape law and policy for the benefit of Florida’s families. Involvement in committees provides a good backbone for developing leadership skills. It forces us to work collaboratively rather than as adversaries. Family lawyers often wear multiple hats. We are not only attorneys and trial lawyers, we also are small busi-
THE JACKSONVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP President Elizabeth Ferguson Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin President-elect Michelle Bedoya Barnett Alexander DeGance Barnett Treasurer Michael Fox Orr Orr | Cook
Secretary Fraz Ahmed Coker Law Young Lawyers Section President Alessandro Apolito Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman Executive Director Craig Shoup
ness owners, counselors, bosses, payroll administrators, office managers, law firm marketers and a number of other roles. Benefits of developing and improving leadership skills impact how we lead staff, conduct business with other attorneys and interact with self-represented litigants. Continued involvement equals positive growth as attorneys and leaders. Local Bar involvement connects us with attorneys in our community who may not practice in our area of law. These connections can quickly become sources of referrals and a place to refer our own clients when they need assistance outside of our legal expertise. These individuals provide guidance on issues impacted by another area of law in family law cases. So often in family law, we have crossover issues involving criminal law, dependency, probate and real property. We encourage you to engage in Bar involvement, whether it is local, statewide, practice-specific or even national. For those already involved, we encourage you to foster involvement by others, mentor those who wish to elevate their practice and celebrate the many Bar associations in our community.
FEB. 21 Hispanic & Latino Interest Noon, Jacksonville Bar Association
UPCOMING EVENTS For all events, register at jaxbar.org
FEB. 15 YLS Chili Cook-off 11 a.m., Riverside Arts Market The 2020 Annual Young Lawyers Section Chili Cook-off is Feb. 15 at Riverside Arts Market. This year, the Cook-off will benefit Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech. Founded in 1996, Clarke Jacksonville teaches children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk. Your support will benefit programs and services provided to children to prepare them academically and socially for a world of limitless possibilities. Register at jaxbar.org FEB. 27 Hispanic & Latino Interest Committee Happy Hour 5:30 p.m., Ameris Bank
K. Beth Luna is appointed as a general magistrate in the 4th Judicial Circuit and serves in Clay County. Sarah Sullivan is the pro bono director at Three Rivers Legal Services in Jacksonville.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEMBERS Brian T. Coughlin Bedell Firm
Adina Pollan Pollan Legal
Christian P. George Akerman
Asghar A. Syed Gunster
Jamie Karpman U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Blane McCarthy Blane McCarthy
Cyndy Trimmer Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow Lindsay L. Tygart Coker Law
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Editor-in-chief Kelly Karstaedt Jacksonville Justice Association | ABOTA Editors Iana Benjamin Cordell & Cordell Ashlea Edwards Akerman
Kirsten Oliver Law Offices of William W. Kurtz, Jr.
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COMMENTARY FROM THE PRESIDENT eligibility. There are ways to distribute settlement proceeds, spend down the proceeds or put them into a Special Needs Trust that will avoid losing eligibility for SSI benefits. For wrongful death attorneys With wrongful death claims, the spouse, children and possibly the stepchildren of the decedent may be eligible to receive survivor benefits under the Social Security Act. Benefits are limited by the date a person applies for benefits, so application should be made as soon as possible.
Social Security Disability: A primer for lawyers TRACY TYSON MILLER SOCIAL SECURITY LAW COMMITTEE CHAIR
Benefit issues touch many areas of law.
Social Security Disability benefits fall into two categories: benefits you draw based upon your or another worker’s Social Security taxes (Social Security Disability Insurance benefits or SSDI) and benefits you draw in part due to indigence (Supplemental Security Income or SSI). It can be difficult to understand the difference between SSDI and SSI because people often refer to their benefits as “disability.” However, it is important to know which benefit your client is drawing because benefit issues touch on many other areas of law. For criminal defense attorneys If your client goes to jail for more than 30 days or is kept in a
mental facility for more than 30 days pending determination to stand trial, your client is ineligible to receive either SSDI or SSI benefits. Advise your client to let The U.S. Social Security Administration know, in writing, that he or she is in a state facility; otherwise, your client runs the risk of an overpayment being assessed. If a person is incarcerated for 12 months, he or she will have to reapply for benefits after release. Prison liaisons may be able to help incarcerated individuals reapply prior to release. For estate planning attorneys If an estate or trust beneficiary also receives SSI benefits, the receipt of additional sums via an inheritance will jeopar-
dize that individual’s capacity to receive SSI and the Medicaid that accompanies SSI. Consider a Special Needs Trust or ABLE account to preserve eligibility. If parents express concern about how their disabled child will care for himself after the parent’s death, the adult child may be eligible to receive SSDI or SSI benefits. Disabled minor children with limited household income may be eligible for SSI benefits. For personal injury attorneys If a client is unable to return to work for at least 12 months, SSDI or SSI should be considered. If SSI benefits are being received or are likely to be approved, any settlement will jeopardize SSI and Medicaid
For family law attorneys Clients who are close to being married for 10 years may want to consider delaying a divorce until after their 10-year anniversary to protect the eligibility to draw as a divorced spouse. If a non-custodial parent is drawing SSDI benefits, a child support obligation may be able to be offset by the auxiliary benefits that often are available to the children of disabled individuals. Unpaid support should be reduced to a judgment. Presenting the judgment to SSA when the debtor begins to draw SSDI or retirement benefits can result in a significant portion of the benefits being sent to the judgment holder. For worker’s compensation attorneys Clients need to have access to and keep information about worker’s compensation benefits paid to them as well as their official settlement documents and payout ledgers. The Social Security Administration cannot process SSDI benefits without these documents, which are used to determine if there will be an offset. Lack of documentation will regularly delay benefit payment for as long as eight months. Social Security Disability is a complex area of practice and there is intersection with many areas of law. If anyone has questions about how to proceed in matters described above, any member of the JBA SSD committee would be happy to answer your questions. Tracy Tyson Miller is a sole practitioner focusing on assisting people seeking Social Security Disability benefits.
LEGAL BRIEFS
Need CLE hours? Check out the JBA website
Upcoming CLEs
The Jacksonville Bar Association has a CLE video library where you can purchase online CLE presentations and get those CLE credits you need in the convenience of your home or office. You may choose from as few as 0.5 CLER hours to as many as 8.0 CLER hours, including various certification hours. Just select the videos that correspond with the CLE credits you need, purchase them, watch online and submit for credit. Topics include family law, technology law, transactional law and professionalism for new practitioners. Visit jaxbar.org/store
FEB. 26 2020 Bench & Bar Conference Noon, Duval County Courthouse
Register for CLE’s at jaxbar.org
The conference kicks off with lunch and a presentation on proposals for settlement. Attendees will then select breakout sessions from three featured tracks: Family law, civil litigation and criminal issues for civil practitioners. The conference concludes with a networking social. 5.0 CLE credits, including pursuit of ethics, pending accreditation by The Florida Bar
Keep involved in the JBA
Key reasons to renew your JBA membership
The driving force behind this organization is the active participation of its members. Please give the association the benefit of your ideas and talents by volunteering to serve on one or more of the committees shown on the JBA website. With your active involvement, this association will flourish. To join or change your committee preferences, open your web profile at jaxbar.org and click on “Join a Committee.”
n Bench & Bar Holiday Party free to members n General and Law Day luncheons free to members n Annual golf tournament n Free committee participation n Access to Attorney Conference Center, Duval County Courthouse n Bar Bulletin – First Thursday monthly edition of the Jacksonville Daily Record n CLE seminars at reduced rates n Optional Lawyer Referral Service membership n Savings on exclusive member benefits n JBA E-News member email n Free listing in website directory with photo
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PRO FROMBONO THE PRESIDENT
Project benefits City Rescue Mission
MISSY DAVENPORT JBA PRO BONO COMMITTEE CHAIR
Christian Legal Society makes a difference. Since 2001, Jacksonville’s Christian Legal Society attorney chapter has conducted a pro bono service project at the City Rescue Mission. Members of the society, led by Blane McCarthy, provide legal guidance to residents in the Lifebuilders program several times each year. Lifebuilders is a 12- to 18-month residential recovery program at the mission’s McDuff campus designed to help participants overcome addiction and other destructive habits and become productive and self-sufficient members of society. In the past eight years, volunteers in the Christian Legal Society Pro Bono Project have conducted 839 interviews, volunteered almost 800 hours providing legal advice at City Rescue Mission outreach events and have accepted almost 400 cases. The volunteer attorneys who assisted with this project in recent years include: Jessica Baker, Judi Cowart, McCarthy Crenshaw, Hollyn Foster, Karl Green, Thomas Harper, Jeanne Helton, Laura Jacqmein, Debbie Lee-Clark, Blane McCarthy, Bryan Owens, Rose Marie Preddy, Jeanine Sasser, Joseph Scone, William Scott, Timothy Snyder, John Tolson, Annie Tran and Michele Waddell. Their efforts have positively impacted the lives of so many people and have enriched our community. McCarthy and Michele Waddell discuss their experiences with this project here:
Blane McCarthy
Why was the project important to you? Jacksonville’s Christian Legal Society attorney chapter has been honored to serve alongside the staff and other volunteers of the City Rescue Mission in its Lifebuilders program since 2001. We realized that many of the obstacles that perpetuate homelessness are legal and we feel compelled to bring our skill set and knowledge to help address those matters. Without exception, our ses-
Photo by Monty Zickuhr
Christian Legal Society Pro Bono Project volunteers have worked almost 800 hours at the City Rescue Mission outreach events.
sions give the volunteer lawyers encouragement to continue serving the less fortunate. We meet City Rescue Mission residents who willingly tell their stories of how Jesus Christ has transformed their lives. As scriptures declare, they are new creatures. In Matthew, Chapter 25, Jesus tells a parable about McCarthy people who helped the needy, which got the attention and commendation of the King: The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). The CLS Pro Bono Project is an effort to well serve our fellow man and, in doing so, our King, Jesus Christ. What advice do you have for other attorneys considering pro bono involvement? Self-focus is a powerful force that takes effort to overcome. The need for legal services is great and no other segment of the population but lawyers is equipped to meet that need. Dismiss the fear that you don’t know enough, aren’t experienced enough or have too specialized a legal practice to help. You may not be able to fix every
Volunteer attorney Michele Waddell assists a Christian Legal Society clinic attendee at City Rescue Mission. Special to the Daily Record
legal issue you encounter, but you know far more than the one needing help and your interest and sacrifice will be a great help.
Michele Waddell
Why was the project important to you? I became a lawyer to be a voice for people, especially those who are disadvantaged. Participating in the pro bono clinic at City Rescue Mission is important to me because it allows me to do this. In addition, I am exposed
to a variety of legal matters, which has helped me grow as an attorney. What advice do you have for other attorneys considering pro bono involvement? I think many avoid pro bono because they believe they don’t have the knowledge to handle the issues presented. However, much of what we do at City Rescue Mission is provide advice, rather than substantive legal work. The students are appreciative just to have someone listen and
care. When there is a case that we may not, or cannot, personally handle, both Christian Legal Society and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid have attorneys available to help. My advice to those considering doing pro bono work is jump in with an open heart and mind. Attorneys interested in pro bono opportunities in the 4th Judicial Circuit are encouraged to contact Missy Davenport at missy.davenport@ jaxlegalaid.org
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Tygart: Marking the 19th Amendment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
the editor, understand that I am not minimizing the importance of any of the aforementioned events. I am simply saying that the facts and circumstances surrounding the passage of the 19th Amendment should get a little face time as well. The women’s rights movement was started in 1848, in part, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She is one of my favorite historical figures because she was strong and mouthy. She wasn’t afraid to say what was on her mind, whether it was a popular public opinion or not. And with her, it was most of the time not. Cady Stanton got married in 1840 and she requested the minister remove the phrase “promise to obey” from her wedding vows. When the minister asked why, she was quoted as saying “I obstinately refuse to obey one with whom I am entering into an equal relation.” At the start of the women’s movement, Cady Stanton was the mother of four children and lived in upstate New York. She, and more than 300 people, attended the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. It was there that Cady Stanton read the “Declaration of Sentiments,” which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. And it was there, for the first time, that she proclaimed men and women are created equal. She proposed, among other things, a highly controversial resolution demanding voting rights for women. Thereafter, strong, passionate women, including Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, Harriet Tubman and Lucretia Mott fought for more than 70 years to secure the right to vote for women. I am on a constant crusade to raise my two girls to be brave and bold and to stand up and fight for what is right, even when it isn’t easy or popular. I have found that one of the best ways to teach them about female empowerment is to show them and teach them about other amazing women. Our bedtime routine includes reading stories about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Frida Kahlo,
Special to the Daily Record
Fraz Ahmed, Lindsay Tygart’s husband, with their daughters, Silas, left, and Salem at the family’s 19th Amendment party.
Rosa Parks and Cleopatra. And we watch Disney’s Moana on a repeating reel. So, this year, we decided to honor the milestone birthday of the 19th Amendment, just as mommy celebrated her 40th, with a party. Silas, our boister-
ous 2-year-old, was just thrilled to see cake, but Salem, our very inquisitive 4-year-old, wanted details about what we were celebrating and why. I explained to her that a long time ago girls didn’t have the same rights and opportunities
and they weren’t allowed to do the same things as boys, just because they were girls. She thought for a minute, looked up at me and scrunched up her nose and said “That’s silly. Girls are the best.” Yes, my angel, we sure are.
Lindsay Tygart is an attorneymom at Coker Law. Her practice includes medical malpractice, wrongful death and nursing home neglect.
Plata, Lockamy recognized for pro bono service From left, Shannon Schott, partner at Plata Schott Attorneys & Counselors at Law; Hank Coxe, director at the Bedell Firm; Belkis Plata, partner at Plata Schott; and Bedell Firm director Michael Lockamy at The Florida Bar Pro Bono Awards on Jan. 30 at the state Supreme Court in Tallahassee. Plata received the statewide pro bono award from The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, presented each year to an attorney 36 years of age or younger, or who has been practicing law for fewer than five years. Lockamy was recognized as this year’s outstanding pro bono attorney in the 4th Judicial Circuit, comprising Clay, Duval and Nassau counties.
Special to the Daily Record
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File images
Fisher, Tousey, Leas & Ball took home the Spiciest award in the 2018 Young Lawyers Section Charity Chili Cook-off. The 12th annual Charity Chili Cook-off is Feb. 15 at the Riverside Arts Market.
Haines: Cook-off to benefit Clarke School CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
and spoken language skills they need to succeed in mainstream schools. The Jacksonville campus opened in 1996 and serves children from birth to age 7 through early intervention, preschool/ kindergarten, primary, mainstreaming and speech and language services. I have visited and toured the campus three times since we selected Clarke as our beneficiary, and I can attest to how amazing this facility is and how inspiring the children are that it serves. I leave every time with a tear in my eye and hope in my heart for these children. Booker T. Washington said, “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” There’s not a more true statement for me as it has been an honor to chair this incredible event this year. My committee is a bunch of rockstars and the staff of the Jacksonville Bar Association has stepped up to support me. We have all committed to reach our common goal of raising as much money as possible for Clarke School. I hope to see our legal community come out in full support toward this goal Feb. 15. Kayla Haines is an associate attorney with Smith Hulsey & Busey practicing in the firm’s business and health care departments.
File images
Cook-off judges Duval County Judges Michelle Kalil and Ronald Higbee and Circuit Judge John Guy at the 2018 Charity Chili Cook-off.
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LEADERS IN THE LAW
JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / J ACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER
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BELKIS PLATA
BELKIS CHRISTINA PLATA
BY MAX MARBUT • ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Belkis Plata was selected from among all the attorneys in the state under 36 years of age or practicing for less than five years to receive The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award for 2020. What inspired you to become a lawyer? I went to college planning to become a doctor. During my time at the University of Florida, I took a class called “Exceptional People,” an introduction to issues of a diverse population in our society. One of the requirements of the class was to complete a volunteer service project with a person or persons significantly different than you. I selected the Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center. My time there showed me that I had many similar life experiences with those children and but for the love and support of my family I could have been where they were. I decided to change my major and go to law school in order to become an advocate for children in the system.
are unique. Justice is only served when the punishment fits the crime and that can only be done when a court can decide on a caseby-case basis.
Special to the Daily Record
Someone who inspires me: My mother and my father are equally my biggest inspiration. How did you decide your practice area? After completing the Exceptional People class, I continued to volunteer at the juvenile detention center. I found that most of the children I interacted with had been exposed to toxic stress at home. Sometimes the stress was due to physical and/or emotional separation from their loved ones, neglect and abuse, and sometimes from their financial circumstances. I wanted to be an advocate for these children and show them that they were more than the offenses they were accused of committing. By understanding the intricacies of juvenile court and its rules, I could propose ways to improve the personal, familial and contextual circumstances of these children, in turn reducing their recidivism rates. What has been the biggest change in your practice area since you passed the Bar? The biggest change I have seen is the way in
which our criminal justice system treats children convicted of serious crimes. Advances in brain science is reforming juvenile justice policy and practices across our nation by confirming the common sense understanding that children are different from adults and their sentences should take that into account. Following the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. Alabama, courts are required to consider the circumstances of each juvenile defendant in determining an appropriate sentence. I have seen firsthand how this individualized sentencing reform has given a second chance at life to young offenders. If I could change anything in the legal system ... I would remove minimum mandatory sentences. Mandatory minimums are directly tied to charges, meaning the same minimum sentence applies every time there is a conviction, even though the actual crimes
What community service have you pursued and why that? I find it a great privilege to work with children who come from similar upbringings as myself. From a very young age, I learned that poverty begets poverty. Intervention often is the only way to break the cycle. In elementary school, I was fortunate to be selected to participate in the Take Stock in Children program, a way for low-income children to escape the cycle of poverty through education. It provided me with a college scholarship and my amazing mentor, Mindy. Because of the scholarship I was able to focus on my studies while in college and I graduated with honors and debt-free. I am now living my dream and want to pay it forward. I enjoy volunteering with programs like TSIC, and others, that target the factors that put youth at risk and provide them the tools and resources to become successful and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. What’s your advice for new lawyers? My advice is to strive to incorporate pro bono work from the onset of their career. We each have the responsibility to uphold the law and provide access to justice for all and pro bono work is one of the greatest ways to do that. Pro bono work can afford attorneys an opportunity to meet a broader section of the legal community while gaining experience, confidence and visibility both inside and outside the offices in which they work. Pro bono work can be the foundation for a healthy, successful and satisfying career.
Managing partner, Plata Schott Attorneys & Counselors at Law Age: 34 Education: University of Florida, bachelor’s in criminology; University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D. Hometown: Bronx, New York Family: Luz, my mother (Colombian), Ramon, my father (Puerto Rican), and sisters Luz Elena and Donny Favorite book: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee Books I’m reading now: “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry and “Mi mundo adorado” by Sonia Sotomayor Websites or apps I can’t live without: Google search, YouTube Favorite nonwork activities: Spending time with family and friends, Ignite dance class and traveling
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