FRIDAY February 22, 2019
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
MIXED COUNCIL REACTION TO LANDING DEAL
THE MATHIS REPORT
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The Jacksonville Landing opened in 1987 at 2 Independent Drive W. along the Downtown Northbank. The shopping center could soon be owned by the city.
Photo by Monty Zickuhr
The $18 million plan for city to take possession of the Downtown shopping center must be approved by council. BY DAVID CAWTON ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jacksonville City Council members offered mixed reactions Thursday to an $18 million plan that could see the city of Jacksonville gaining control of the Jacksonville Landing and demolishing it. The city announced Wednesday it is resolving a two-year legal fight with the Jacksonville Landing’s owner, Sleiman Enterprises Inc., by offering a $15 million buyout of the company’s long-term lease.
The agreement includes $1.5 million to address tenant subleases, relocation expenses and other costs and $1.5 million to demolish the structures. The agreement and the other spending measures need approval from council members through legislation being introduced Tuesday. The bill will go through the usual sixweek legislative process that includes two public hearings with council standing committees followed by the 19-member body taking a final vote, expected in April or May. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said in an email Thursday that the administration didn’t have any other details to share. The administration declined to answer questions about how it calculated the $1.5 million to pay for Landing tenants’ subleases and relocation costs, or how it settled on $1.5 million in demolition costs. No timeline is available beyond the
legislative process. Calls and emails to Sleiman Enterprises were not returned. The Landing opened in 1987 at 2 Independent Drive W. along the Downtown Northbank. The mall had early success with a mix of restaurants and retail tenants but has declined since. Sleiman Enterprises bought the buildings in 2003. It last announced redevelopment plans in 2014. At the time, the estimated $55 million to $75 million plan sought $11.8 million from the city to improve infrastructure. Mayor Alvin Brown included the line item in his proposed 2014-15 Capital Improvement Program budget, but it was moved by council members to the following fiscal year. Brown served one term before losing his re-election bid to Curry, who pushed the SEE LANDING, PAGE 2
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
NorthPort Logistics Center sold
Graham Commercial Properties pays $49 million for the site. GCP – Graham Commercial Properties – paid $49 million to buy the 872,627-square-foot NorthPort Logistics Center in North Jacksonville. The center, at 11530 New Berlin Road, was built in 2009 and is fully occupied by Gildan Activewear and Grimes Logistics. Wells Fargo provided financing. GCP, based in Birmingham, Alabama, bought the property from Coloradobased Real Crolius Capital Solutions, which paid $33 million for it in 2015. Peter Crolius, regional director of investments for GCP, said in statement that NorthPort is a significant addition. “The purchase provides additional scale to our Florida holdings and aligns with GCP’s focus on acquiring Class A distribution facilities in growth markets throughout the Southeastern U.S.,” Crolius said.
KMATHIS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
Construction begins on eTown apartments Construction is underway on the $35 million Luxury Apartments at eTown in South Jacksonville, Summit Contracting Group announced Wednesday. The apartments will be within the Village Center, south of eTown’s single-family neighborhoods. The community will comprise 332 units in seven buildings. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2020. The developer is Catalyst Development Partners and the architect is Humphreys & Partners Architects/Florida LLC.
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