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Jacksonville Record & Observer 4/8/21

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April 8-14, 2021

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JACKSONVILLE

Record & Observer February 2020

HOTELS & HOSPITALITY JACKSONVILLE

77.9%

Record & Observer THE

COVID Record & Observer CRASH & THE Record & Observer RALLY

February

67.5%

JACKSONVILLE

Photo by Max Marbut

Visit Jacksonville President and CEO Michael Corrigan and Director of Sales and Services Jeanne Bothwell in the Downtown visitor center at 100 N. Laura St. They are working to boost hotel occupancy in Duval County.

JACKSONVILLE

July

March 2020

54.6%

55.8%

It was 76.2% in 2019.

December

Jacksonville’s hospitality industry is recovering faster and stronger than other markets.

Hotel occupancy in Duval When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, hotel occupancy plummeted in Duval County.

43.6%

April 2020

30.2%

By comparison, occupancy was 77.8% in 2019.

What’s Trending: Gun accessories retailer plans new HQ PAGE 2 Silver Airways launching service to New Orleans PAGE 9 The top sales of the week in residential real estate PAGE 11

It was 62.6% in 2019.

INSIDE

BY MAX MARBUT

May

52.5%

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

I

f Jacksonville’s hospitality industry was a person, the coronavirus would have put the patient in intensive care on life support just days after the pandemic began in March 2020. According to data provided by Visit Jacksonville, the convention and visitors bureau for Jacksonville and the Beaches, hotel occupancy dropped from nearly 80% of rooms booked in February 2020 to barely more than 30% in April, the first full month of the pandemic shutdown. When the bottom fell out of demand for hotel rooms, the average daily rate for the 18,717 hotel rooms at 164 properties in Duval County also suffered, declining from $100.94 in February to $65.05 in April.

■ Fred Pozin, owner and manager of the Ramada by Wyndham Jacksonville Hotel and Conference Center, on surviving the pandemic. Page 4 ■ The top 10 biggest hotels in Duval and what’s in the pipeline. Page 5 ■ Move to delivery, takeout boosted Firehouse Subs. Page 6

SEE HOTELS, PAGE 6

THE BASCH REPORT

Fidelity’s Foley a big player in the SPAC boom Plus: Landstar System downgraded. PAGE 3 VOLUME 3, NO. 45 • ONE SECTION


WHAT’S TRENDING

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8, 2021 DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER THURSDAY, APRIL JACKSONVILLE

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.

Daily Record JACKSONVILLE

HOW TO REACH US 121 W. Forsyth St., Suite 150, Jacksonville, FL, 32202 Phone: (904) 356-2466, Fax (904) 353-2628 jaxdailyrecord.com

ABOUT US

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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE

HOW TO REACH US JACKSONVILLE

Daily Record 121 W. Forsyth St., Suite 150, Jacksonville, FL, 32202 Phone: (904) 356-2466, Fax (904) 353-2628 jaxdailyrecord.com

Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE ABOUT US

Jacksonville Daily Record and Jacksonville Record & Observer are a division of Observer Media Group Inc.

Jacksonville Daily Record and Jacksonville Record & Observer are a division of Observer Media Group Inc.

Established in 1912, the Financial News & Daily Record, now the Jacksonville Special to theDaily Daily Record Record, is published Monday-Friday and is the Official Court Newspaper of the Circuit Concealment Express LLC is seeking to renovate a building at 451 Louisa St. for Courtits and publisher ofand public notices in Duval County. headquarters showroom.

Established in 1912, the Financial News & Daily Record, now the Jacksonville Daily JACKSONVILLE Court Newspaper of the Circuit Record, is published Monday-Friday and is the Official Court and publisher of public notices in Duval County.

Jacksonville Record & Observer is a free weekly business newspaper available in DOWNTOWN SOUTHBANK Downtown Jacksonville and key business nodes throughout Jacksonville. To find a location near you, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/rack-locations.

Jacksonville Record & Observer is a free weekly business newspaper available in Downtown Jacksonville and key business nodes throughout Jacksonville. To find a location near you, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/rack-locations.

EditorialA content focuses onhandgun news and trends, withDIA a concentration on development, staff recommends in its report West Jacksonville acreal estate, construction, law, to companies, industry trends and how that and the design review board denylocal cessories retailer wants renovate aeconomic and state government affects business. conceptual design approval. Downtown Southbank building for its

Editorial content focuses on news and trends, with a concentration on development, real estate, construction, law, companies, economic and industry trends and how local and state government affects business.

Gun accessories retailer plans new HQ

The staff report included in the April headquarters and showroom. Concealment Express LLC is seekSTAFF8 board meeting packet said a proposed 32-foot vertical feature with an ing Downtown Development Review Publisher / Matt Walsh Director of Advertising / Jay Lesowitz attached sign is not in proportion with Board conceptual design approval for mwalsh@jaxdailyrecord.com jlesowitz@jaxdailyrecord.com the building and the attached sign’s its plans to renovate a two-story brick Publisher Emeritus / James F. Bailey Jr. / Codi Gildberg lettering,Coordinator shape and colors do not and stucco building at 1451 Louisa St., Advertising jbailey@jaxdailyrecord.com adassist@jaxdailyrecord.com conform with the surrounding Southaccording to Downtown Investment EditorAuthority / Karen Brune Mathis released April 1. Legal Advertising Manager / Janet Mohr bank area. documents kmathis@jaxdailyrecord.com legal@jaxdailyrecord.com The review was planned for the 2 Concealment Express says on its Managing Editor / Monty Zickuhr Advertising Associate / Rhonda p.m. April 8 DDRB meeting at theFisher Jackwebsite it specializes in concealable, Legal mzickuhr@jaxdailyrecord.com rfisher@jaxdailyrecord.com sonville Main Public Library at 303 N. U.S.-made handgun holsters that fit Associate Editor Legal Affairs / Max Marbut LauraAdministrator St., but was deferred. inside a waistband. Network / Erik Wagner mmarbut@jaxdailyrecord.com

Staff Writer / Katie Garwood kgarwood@jaxdailyrecord.com

webadmin@jaxdailyrecord.com Court Typeset / Paula Steiner

WAREHOUSES admin@jaxdailyrecord.com Staff Writer / Mike Mendenhall Director of Circulation / Anne Shumate mmendenhall@jaxdailyrecord.com ‘Project Pineapple’ planned at NorthPoint subscriptions@jaxdailyrecord.com Business Manager / Angie Campbell It’s called “Project Pineapple” and acampbell@jaxdailyrecord.com

Distribution / Tim Reagan name indicate a specific tenant is involved. shown on plans as an industrial build-to- distribution@jaxdailyrecord.com

The city is reviewing a permit applisuit, but there’s no other reference to the cation for the foundation construction identity of the tenant for a large NorthPRESS RELEASE/INQUIRY/REPRINTS for the 351,520-square-foot Building Point warehouse in North Jacksonville. “I cannot comment on prospects Submit a press release or editorial inquiry online9 at 3559 Port Jacksonville Parkway in NorthPoint Industrial Park. Arco but to say we are permitting buildingor email jaxdailyrecord.com/submit-news-release editorial@jaxdailyrecord.com. with the intent to construct ASAP,” said Design/Build is the contractor. Article reprints are available at jaxdailyrecord.com The building site plan shows a future Peter Anderson, vice president of deexpansion of 132,080 square feet, indiveloper Pattillo Industrial Real Estate, HOW TO SUBSCRIBE cating a potential structure of 483,600 by email March 26. square feet. our subscription A build-to-suit and a project code Subscribe online at jaxdailyrecord.com/subscribe or contact department by phone at (877) 231-8834 or email subscriptions@jaxdailyrecord.com

STAFF Publisher / Matt Walsh mwalsh@jaxdailyrecord.com

Director of Advertising / Jay Lesowitz jlesowitz@jaxdailyrecord.com

Publisher Emeritus / James F. Bailey Jr. jbailey@jaxdailyrecord.com

Advertising Coordinator / Codi Gildberg adassist@jaxdailyrecord.com

Editor / Karen Brune Mathis kmathis@jaxdailyrecord.com

Legal Advertising Manager / Janet Mohr legal@jaxdailyrecord.com

Managing Editor / Monty Zickuhr mzickuhr@jaxdailyrecord.com

Legal Advertising Associate / Rhonda Fisher rfisher@jaxdailyrecord.com

Associate Editor Legal Affairs / Max Marbut mmarbut@jaxdailyrecord.com Staff Writer / Katie Garwood kgarwood@jaxdailyrecord.com

Court Typeset / Paula Steiner admin@jaxdailyrecord.com

Staff Writer / Mike Mendenhall mmendenhall@jaxdailyrecord.com Business Manager / Angie Campbell acampbell@jaxdailyrecord.com

OFFICIAL DESIGNATIONS THE DAILY BRIEF The Official Newspaper for The Official Newspaper The Official Court There’s to staying in loop Court thethe U.S. Bankruptcy of The Jacksonville Bar Newspaper of Duval a shortcut for the send Middle District of Association, Nov. 21, 1926. County by Order of the Don’t miss a story. Subscribe to the Daily Brief and we’ll our 4, 1947. Circuit Court, July 7, top news to1961. you Monday-Friday morning via email.Florida, To signJan. up, visit JaxDailyRecord.com and look for the “Sign up” box, enter your email and AFFILIATIONS you’ll be set. Florida Press Association

Distribution / Tim Reagan distribution@jaxdailyrecord.com

Submit a press release or editorial inquiry online jaxdailyrecord.com/submit-news-release or email editorial@jaxdailyrecord.com. Article reprints are available at jaxdailyrecord.com

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Subscribe online at jaxdailyrecord.com/subscribe or contact our subscription department by phone at (877) 231-8834 or email subscriptions@jaxdailyrecord.com PRICES 2 years ................................... $154 1 year ........................................$89 6 months .................................$55

Thursday only ..........$66 per year Single copy ......................35 cents

HOW TO ADVERTISE Display & Digital Advertising: Call Jay Lesowitz at (904) 356-2466 or email advertise@jaxdailyrecord.com Legal Advertising: Submit public notices via email to legal@jaxdailyrecord.com

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Monument Landing center sold for $13.7M POSTAL retail INFORMATION the shopping centerSaturday, June 26, 2017, for llinois-based Terraco Real190-620) Estate is published Jacksonville Daily Record (USPS daily except Sunday million. Day, Labor Day, Development & Management bought Day,$12.2 & legal holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Independence The property is assessed atSt., $8.5 the Monument Landing retail center in & Observer Thanksgiving and Christmas) by Daily Record LLC, 121 W. Forsyth millionpaid for tax purposes, according for $13.7FL million. SuiteArlington 150, Jacksonville, 32202. Periodicals postage at Jacksonville, Florida to the Duval County Appraiser. Terraco, based in Wilmette, nearno circumstances and at additional mailing offices. Under will anyProperty news or records The 66,780-square-foot center Chicago, bought the property March 19 of Duval County be suppressed for anyone. Information in this newspaper retail is for our is on acres atpurposes. 2485 Monument throughonly BGP Orland L.L.C. subscribers and mustPark not be used by anyone for8.85 publication Road. Major tenants include Walgreens, The Josephs Group of Orangeburg, Bailey’s Health & Fitness, UF Health New York, sold the center through POSTMASTER Family Medicine and Dollar Tree. Monument Landing LLC. It bought Send address changes to Jacksonville Daily Record, P.O. Box 15456, North Hollywood, CA, 91615-9965

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PRESS RELEASE/INQUIRY/REPRINTS

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PRICES Thursday only ..........$66 per year 2 years ................................... $154 Pair of apartment communities sold for $51M Single copy ......................35 cents 1 year ........................................$89 6 months .................................$55 for $17,765,431. A group of six New Jersey buyers The group bought both properties bought two West Jacksonville apartfrom Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based ment communities, according HOW to TO ADVERTISE group Princeton Enterprises LLC, deeds recorded March 25 with the Display & Digital Call Jay Lesowitz at (904) 356-2466 or email through Preserve at Cedar River LP Duval CountyAdvertising: Clerk of Courts. advertise@jaxdailyrecord.com and Heritage on the River LP. The six entities share the same The 464-unit Preserve at Cedar address in Jackson, New Jersey, with LegalAdvanced Advertising: Submit publica notices via email Rivertoislegal@jaxdailyrecord.com at 4207 Confederate Point Precision Group, multifamRoad in West Jacksonville. ily real estate company. The 301-unit Heritage on the River They purchased the Preserve at CeFOLLOW US Apartments is at 4375 Confederate dar River Apartments for $33,234,569 Point Road. and Heritage on the River Apartments JaxDailyRecord

Network Administrator / Erik Wagner webadmin@jaxdailyrecord.com

POSTAL INFORMATION Jacksonville Daily Record (USPS 190-620) is published daily except Saturday, Sunday & legal holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas) by Daily Record & Observer LLC, 121 W. Forsyth St., Suite 150, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Periodicals postage paid at Jacksonville, Florida and at additional mailing offices. Under no circumstances will any news or records of Duval County be suppressed for anyone. Information in this newspaper is for our subscribers only and must not be used by anyone for publication purposes.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Jacksonville Daily Record, P.O. Box 15456, North Hollywood, CA, 91615-9965

OFFICIAL DESIGNATIONS The Official Court Newspaper of Duval County by Order of the Circuit Court, July 7, 1961.

The Official Newspaper of The Jacksonville Bar Association, Nov. 21, 1926.

AFFILIATIONS Florida Press Association

The Official Newspaper for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jan. 4, 1947.


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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Foley a big player as SPAC trend heats up

Hundreds of “blank check” firms launched IPOs without having an operating business.

File image

Four Jacksonville companies were in various stages of initial public offerings during the first three months of this year, suggesting the IPO market is heating up. However, the real hot market trend is the special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. SPACs are companies that launch IPOs without having an operating business, with the intention of finding an acquisition target after the IPO. The market reached Jacksonville two weeks ago when space technology company Redwire LLC agreed to go public by merging into a SPAC formed last year. But Jacksonville already had a connection to the SPAC market through Bill Foley, chairman of Fidelity National Financial Inc. Foley is one of the biggest players in the SPAC market and The Wall Street Journal this week spotlighted his history of making money by investing in undervalued companies. The SPAC market is so hot that the Journal a month ago began sending out a twiceweekly emailed newsletter to keep up with that specific market. That newsletter last week reported there were 433 SPACs looking for private firms to take public as the first quarter ended. SPACs are considered a glitzy investment by some but in its story this week, the Journal called Foley a “staid insurance executive.” Foley told the newspaper “I’m a big fan of boring companies.” His latest deal, completed last week, was a $9 billion

Bill Foley, chairman of Fidelity National Financial Inc., says he’s “a big fan of boring companies.”

acquisition of payments processing company Paysafe Ltd. through a SPAC formed last year. Cannae Holdings Inc., an investment company spun off from Jacksonville-based Fidelity, has joined with Foley’s SPACs in several investment deals. During Cannae’s quarterly conference call with analysts in February, Foley said he expects the pace of SPAC deals to continue. “Our efforts are focused on high quality companies with defensible profitable business models,” he said. “We are confident in our approach to sourcing transactions, demonstrating our discipline, value-based approach which we believe ultimately delivers superior long-term returns to our shareholders over the market cycle.”

Traditional IPO market mixed The traditional method of going public through an IPO provided mixed results in the first quarter, as far as Jacksonville companies go. Dream Finders Homes Inc. completed its IPO in January and the homebuilder’s stock more than doubled in price in the early days of trading. But at the same time, Southeastern Grocers Inc. pulled its IPO from the market, apparently because it couldn’t get the price it wanted on Wall Street. Southeastern Grocers, parent of Winn-Dixie and two other grocery chains, has not made any new IPO filings with

the Securities and Exchange Commission since January and did not update its financials with fourth-quarter results, leaving the future of its IPO uncertain. “Southeastern Grocers has thoroughly explored the current market conditions and determined that market dynamics were not ideal for our IPO at this time. However, we will continue to evaluate the timing for a potential offering in the future,” spokesman Joe Caldwell said in an emailed statement. Two other Jacksonville area companies filed for IPOs in March: specialty insurance company Fortegra Group LLC and surgical device company Treace Medical Concepts Inc. No date has been set for those IPOs to reach the market.

Acquired Sales sees earnings surge Acquired Sales Corp. reported last week that fourth-quarter sales rose 46% from the third quarter to $2.2 million and earnings quintupled to $549,531, or 2 cents a share. The company which focuses on hemp-derived, cannabinoid-infused products, had no operating business until acquiring a company called Lifted Made in early 2020, so its year-earlier results are irrelevant. Acquired Sales in January moved its headquarters office from Lake Forest, Illinois, to Jacksonville, and said a month ago said it is changing its name to LFTD Inc. to reflect its operating business.

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Landstar System Inc.’s stock continues to hit record highs, but some analysts are skeptical that it will keep rising. Stephens analyst Jack Atkins downgraded the Jacksonvillebased trucking company last week from “overweight” to “equal weight.” Atkins had nothing but positive things to say about Landstar in his report but he noted

Ameris Bancorp’s stock jumped 140% over six months, prompting D.A. Davidson analyst Kevin Fitzsimmons to lower his rating last week. “We are lowering our rating on Ameris from Buy to Neutral mainly owing to the stock’s recent outperformance and premium valuation (and in turn, less implied upside for the shares in coming months, in our view), as well as a looming top line headwind from normalizing mortgage,” Fitzsimmons said in his research note. He said with the hot mortgage market, Ameris’ revenue from mortgages rose from 19.8% of core revenue in the second half of 2019 to 36.9% in 2020. “Ameris was certainly an outsized beneficiary of the boom in mortgage activity, and arguably was ‘over-earning’ relative to a more sustainable pace of EPS and core profitability,” he said. Ameris is headquartered in Atlanta after moving its executive offices from Jacksonville in 2019.

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ParkerVision Inc. reported last week a 2020 loss of $19.6 million, or 42 cents a share, as the Jacksonville-based developer of wireless technology waits for patent infringement claims to be heard in court. ParkerVision has no operating business and is focusing on several lawsuits against major electronics manufacturers alleging they illegally are using the company’s patented technology. The company said a jury trial in its lawsuit against Qualcomm Inc., scheduled to begin in July, was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. ParkerVision now expects that trial to begin in November or December. Another case against Intel Corp. is scheduled for trial in February.

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the stock had risen 26% since the beginning of the year. “We have long admired (and still do) the Landstar business model that generates returns on invested capital of about 45% and a return on common equity of about 30%,” he said. Landstar’s business model uses drivers who own their own trucks to haul freight. “In many ways Landstar already has the model that several of the largest assetbased carriers in the industry are looking to replicate over the next several years to drive revenue growth without having to add additional assets,” Atkins said. Atkins said several factors should help Landstar grow its market share. However, with the stock trading at about 25 times expected earnings, the price is less likely to keep rising. Atkins’ downgrade follows Goldman Sachs analyst Jordan Alliger downgrading Landstar from “neutral” to “sell” last month because of the high price.

THE BASCH REPORT

MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Its headquarters is a home office space provided by CEO Gerard Jacobs, the company said in its annual report filed last week with the SEC. The report said Acquired Sales has 46 full- and parttime employees working mostly in Lifted Made facilities in Wisconsin and Illinois. Jacobs said in a news release last week that the company is focusing on acquiring businesses and letting entrepreneurs continue to run them. “This decentralized approach is critical in a fastpaced, evolving industry like hemp-derived products, where these entrepreneurs must maintain a close pulse on the direction of their business, must be nimble and make critical decisions quickly, and must be excited to continue to lead and rapidly grow their businesses,” he said.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

JaxDailyRecord.com

Fred Pozin has new strategies for his hotel, restaurant and nightclub in Mandarin. BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Special to the Daily Record

Ramada by Wyndham Jacksonville Hotel and Conference Center owner and General Manager Fred Pozin, right, with Rob Schneider, one of the many celebrity comedians who have performed at The Comedy Zone, Pozin’s nightclub on the property.

“It’s like opening the business all over again with the COVID protocols and the cleaning procedures,” Pozin said. Face masks and social distancing will be the norm for the foreseeable future, along with having fewer seats to sell. “I ask my customers to wear masks and social-distance. I think it’s the right thing to do, but when you have 100 people in a room, if they want to sit close together, that’s up to them,” Pozin said. One bright spot in the industry is a new segment of business that has appeared because of the pandemic. “Relocation travel is becoming big,” Pozin said. “A lot of people want to move to Florida and there’s a lot of growth-related business.” Another bright spot came as a surprise to Pozin, who was a member of the Duval County Tourist Development Council and helped develop Jacksonville’s annual leisure, convention and group travel marketing plan. “Before the pandemic, I was

File image

The Ramada by Wyndham Jacksonville Hotel and Conference Center at 3130 Hartley Road in Mandarin comprises a 150-room hotel, Gigi’s restaurant and The Comedy Zone nightclub.

have found some other kind of work,” Pozin said. Payroll is part of Pozin’s strategy to sustain his business. He said with labor costs one of his biggest line items, he is watching his hiring practices to be more conservative. He also is keeping inventory under control considering the pandemic restrictions.

“I’m careful about getting too far ahead. When the music stopped, I had a lot of food in the cooler and a lot of liquor in the liquor room and no one to consume either of them,” Pozin said. Being able to open the restaurant and nightclub at half capacity means the property is adapting to attract customers and survive.

a believer that a town worth its salt had to have a vibrant convention and group business. Now, I believe cities that depend on large convention business like Atlanta, Orlando and Tampa won’t see a recovery until 2022 or beyond. Jacksonville is basically a limited-service market with just a few convention hotels Downtown. We’ll recover more rapidly,” Pozin said. The Ramada, Gigi’s and The Comedy Zone survived the financial downturn created for the hospitality industry by the Great Recession in 2008-09. Pozin said his business will survive the coronavirus, even having to administer the balance sheet with less cash flow. “I’m more optimistic now. We’re starting to see things coming back. I think as we move into summer, it will get better,” Pozin said. “We may have turned the corner.” MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

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He wouldn’t seek the title, but Fred Pozin probably is the Northeast Florida expert about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the hospitality industry. Pozin owns and manages the Ramada by Wyndham Jacksonville Hotel and Conference Center in Mandarin. The property includes a 150room hotel with 10,000 square feet of meeting space; Gigi’s, a 200-seat restaurant, banquet and catering operation; and The Comedy Zone, a 300-seat nightclub. All that business, except for booking a few hotel rooms for essential workers, ended March 20, 2020. That’s when Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the state’s restaurants and other public facilities shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19. “We fell off the cliff,” Pozin said. The hotel was able to open to the traveling public two months later, but the restaurant was closed until June when it reopened with seating reduced by 75% and other changes. The weekday breakfast and lunch buffets remain suspended. Gigi’s signature weekend crab legs and prime rib buffet and the Sunday brunch have a different operations plan, Pozin said. The salad bar is replaced by table service. Staff members on the buffet line serve the food on the guest’s plate and the tables are set up for social distancing. “Help-yourself business is a thing of the past,” Pozin said. Capacity in the restaurant and The Comedy Zone expanded to 50%, but the pandemic created another challenge to the hospitality industry: finding people to work. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported in March that the pandemic cut payrolls in the leisure and hospitality sector by 10,800 jobs, more than 12% fewer workers compared with before the pandemic. “A lot of people left the industry because they decided hospitality is too risky and they may

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HOTELS & HOSPITALITY

Surviving and adapting to the pandemic

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Based on number of rooms according to Visit Jacksonville. Hotel

Address Rooms

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront

225 E. Coastline Drive

951

Omni Jacksonville Hotel

245 Water St.

354

Southbank Hotel Jacksonville Riverwalk

1515 Prudential Drive

322

Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport/I-95N

14670 Duval Road

317

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront

1201 Riverplace Blvd.

293

Embassy Suites by Hilton Jacksonville Baymeadows

9300 Baymeadows Road

277

Marriott Jacksonville

4670 Salisbury Road

255

APM Inn & Suites

510 Lane Ave. S.

203

Margaritaville Jacksonville Beach

715 N. First St.

202

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Airport

2101 Dixie Clipper Drive

201

The biggest: The Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.

New hotels

HOTELS & HOSPITALITY

Top 10 biggest hotels in Jacksonville

5

Jacksonville’s hotel inventory grew by more than 700 rooms since January 2020. More than 600 rooms are under construction and scheduled to open this year. OPENED IN 2020 Hotel

Address Rooms

Holiday Inn Express Bartram

13934 Village Lake Circle

90

TownePlace Suites by Marriott Jacksonville East

13741 Beach Blvd.

93 New and big: Margaritaville Beach Hotel Jacksonville Beach.

OPENED IN 2021 Margaritaville Beach Hotel Jacksonville Beach

715 N. First St., Jacksonville Beach

202

Tru by Hilton Mandarin

2970 Hartley Road

106

WoodSpring Suites at Campfield Commons

11250 Lamb Tail Lane

122

Comfort Suites

8001 Parramore Road

89

Residence Inn Mayo

4905 San Pablo Road S.

155

Residence Inn Brooklyn

357 Oak St.

135

Element at Jacksonville Beach

7 S. Third St.

80

WoodSpring Suites

7137 Bonneval Road

122

Cambria

7800 Ozark Drive

132

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

In the pipeline: Residence Inn Brooklyn.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

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HOTELS & HOSPITALITY

Firehouse Subs positioned well for pandemic The Jacksonville-based restaurant franchiser started shifting its focus toward takeout and delivery in 2015. BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR

They didn’t know it at the time, but the people at Firehouse Subs who plan the franchise restaurant chain’s strategy started adapting their business model to the coronavirus pandemic five years before the world heard of COVID-19. The dine-in business at the Jacksonville-based company’s nearly 1,200 restaurants in 46 states and Canada began declining in 2012, said CEO Don Fox. By 2015, about half the customers at Firehouse either picked up sandwiches for takeout or had them delivered by a third-party vendor. Online ordering was growing, too. “Consumers were changing their behavior, so we started taking steps to strengthen our off-premise business,” Fox said. The company was No. 111 on Franchise Times magazine’s Top 200 list in 2019, with reported sales of more than $854 million. Firehouse also developed a new design concept for its restaurants with less dining-room space, more space for food preparation and more attention to takeout and delivery. Even though it softened the impact, the shift from in-person dining didn’t make Firehouse immune from the effects of the public health and safety mea-

Special to the Daily Record

Firehouse Subs designs its new restaurants for more takeout and delivery business with less space for in-person dining.

sures that took effect in m i d - M a rc h 2020. Within days, seated service was ordered sus- Fox pended temporarily. Fox said that by March 22, a week after the shutdown began, business was off by 56% across the board. “Sales were bad for four weeks. We started promoting online ordering and within two months, we were back to the

prior year’s sales level,” Fox said. “We have the right food and the right convenience. To this day, we’re setting records every week.” Another factor helping Firehouse weather the pandemic is the restaurants’ focus on lunch, dinner and catering. They don’t serve breakfast, the casual dining sector that Fox said has been most affected because so many people are working remotely at home instead of in their offices. “Breakfast is dependent on commuter traffic and customer routines. Central business dis-

trict vendors have been hit tremendously hard,” he said. The pandemic may create opportunities for Firehouse and its franchise operators that weren’t available previously. Fox said the industry estimates that as many as 100,000 restaurants might not survive the coronavirus. Having fewer options will decrease competition for consumer spending in casual dining. “It will be quite some time before that void is filled,” he said. Restaurants closing likely will

Hotels

Hotel occupancy

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Hotel occupancy percentage by month in Duval County according to Visit Jacksonville.

That combination of factors made hotel revenue drop from $39.7 million in February 2020 to $10.2 million in April 2020. The market began its slow, but steady, recovery in May. In the week that ended March 27, the most recently reported, occupancy was 80.7%, growth of 137.5% over the same week in March 2020. The average daily rate was $91.45, which was 30.8% better than the same week in 2020. “Compared to other destinations in Florida, we’re happy,” said Michael Corrigan, Visit Jacksonville president and CEO. In January, Visit Jacksonville analyzed hotel statistics from 20 comparable tourism markets in the U.S. and Florida. Jacksonville’s occupancy 10 months into the pandemic was 61.8%, which was 9 percentage points behind January 2020. In Florida, it was behind only Key West (65.2%) and ahead of the other tourism destinations in the study. The lowest occupancy in the state was in Orlando at 35.4%. The theme park-based hotel market was 41.5 percentage points below 2020. Corrigan said with leisure travel the first segment to rebound, tourists are looking for destinations that aren’t perceived as crowded. Visit Jacksonville shifted its marketing plan to focus on attracting tourists from cities within a seven-hour drive of

put more commercial real estate suitable for Firehouse on the market, too. “We have the opportunity to add more restaurants than without the pandemic. Our sales are putting our franchisees in the financial position to open more locations and more good locations are available,” Fox said.

MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

Year Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept Oct.

Nov. Dec. Year

2015

66.0%

72.5% 74.8 %

73.1%

69.9% 68.8% 73.6%

64.6%

64.2%

66.9%

63.0% 59.2% 68.1%

2016

66.4

74.5

78.6

76.2

75.2

73.5

74.4

67.6

64.9

74.0

68.6

62.9

71.4

2017

66.9

76.0

80.3

76.1

73.8

72.0

72.9

69.7

73.5

78.8

72.1

66.5

73.3

2018

72.1

79.5

81.9

79.4

75.7

75.1

73.6

74.8

71.8

74.0

66.4

62.7

74.0

2019

66.6

78.1

85.7

77.8

76.3

76.0

76.2

70.4

65.8

72.1

70.2

62.6

73.1

2020

71.3

77.9

55.8

30.2

43.6

53.8

54.6

54.0

57.5

56.3

55.2

52.5

55.2

Avg.

68.2%

76.4% 76.2%

66.3%

73.4%

67.5% 62.8% 69.2 %

Northeast Florida “If you’re in Florida, you probably want to go somewhere in Florida. People in Miami, Orlando and Tampa might not have been to Jacksonville. If you’re in Georgia, you’ll avoid areas that you think of having lines and bumper-to-bumper traffic,” Corrigan said. “Everything that Jacksonville is ended up being an asset in the recovery.” With lower hotel occupancy and room rates come decreased revenue from Duval County’s 6% hospitality tax. Collections in 2020 were about 35% below revenue in 2019, reducing the main financial resource for selling the destination. Visit Jacksonville’s marketing budget was about $2.4 million in 2019-20. It is about $1.7 million for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, a decrease of about 30%.

68.8% 69.1% 69.9% 70.9% 69.4%

Prospective tourists are being reached through the internet, with 96% of Visit Jacksonville’s advertising budget devoted to digital and social media tactics through at least the end of the year, said Katie Mitura, director of marketing. “We need to stay nimble and be able to change things, since nothing is predictable in a pandemic,” Mitura said. The convention sales and services budget also was trimmed by about 40%, from $2 million before the pandemic to about $1.2 million in the current fiscal year. CONVENTION TRAVEL

Convention business came to a halt when the pandemic began and it is recovering slower than leisure travel. Director of Sales and Services Jeanne Bothwell said Visit Jacksonville is working with event planners to promote

Duval County’s COVID-safe convention amenities, such as outdoor meeting spaces at the Downtown properties and the beaches. “We’ve rebooked 30,000 room nights that canceled in 2020,” Bothwell said. Visit Jacksonville has shifted from looking at marketing as primarily attracting tourists and conventions toward making sure every visitor leaves with a positive impression, Corrigan said. “The destination experience team is singularly focused on making sure every visitor enjoys their time here. We’re making sure our clients are happy and they’ll consider coming here again,” he said. Another effect of the pandemic is that the hospitality community is working together and communicating with each other on a higher level. “We’re competitive, but let’s

be collaborative-competitive,” Bothwell said. The market is recovering faster than anticipated even a few months ago. Bothwell said Jacksonville started 2021 about 10,000 room nights behind pace. That’s down to about 2,000 room nights as of the end of March. “The word continues to get out that Jacksonville is open, we’re doing it right and we’re doing it safely,” she said. Corrigan and Bothwell agree that the industry’s health depends on sustaining the positive trend. “Through the COVID crisis, we positioned ourselves to be successful. We’re working hard to make sure that happens. It’s a good time to be crawling out of the pandemic,” Corrigan said.

MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466


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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

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Top commercial sales of the week

The Preserve at Cedar River apartments at 4207 Confederate Point Road in Jacksonville sold for $33.3 million, a 121% increase over its sale price in 2013.

FROM STAFF

Here are the top 10 commercial real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded March 29-April 4. DUVAL

DUVAL

DUVAL

ST. JOHNS

DUVAL

$33,234,569

$17,765,431

$17,474,000

$13,048,500

$12,768,000

4207 Confederate Point Road, Jacksonville

4375 Confederate Point Road, Jacksonville

11001 Pritchard Road, Jacksonville

10089 N. Main St., Jacksonville

Type: Preserve at Cedar River apartments Parcel size: 31.38 acres No. of units: 200

Type: Heritage on the River Apartments Parcel size: 18.38 acres

Type: Warehouse Parcel size: 11.66 acres Building size: 244,454 square feet Buyer: 11001 Pritchard Rd LLC Seller: Florida Becknell Investors 2011 LLC Previous sale: $10,650,000 in 2013

45 Tournament Players Club Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach Type: Hilton Garden Inn and retail Parcel size: 1.54 acres Building size: Four buildings totaling 80,907 square feet Buyer: NF IV-VA SSCI Jacksonville LLC Seller: Sawgrass Hotel Partners Ltd.

Type: Warehouse Parcel size: 18.45 acres Building size: 240,680 square feet Buyer: 10089 North Main St LLC Seller: Becknell Properties Previous sale: $8,725,000 in 2013

Buyer: Jacksonville DS JR LLC, Jacksonville Equities LLC, Jacksonville GW LLC, Jacksonville NJS LLC, Jacksonville JJL LLC and Jacksonville Schorr LLC Seller: Preserve at Cedar River LP

No. of units: 297 Buyer: Jacksonville DS JR LLC, Jacksonville Equities LLC, Jacksonville GW LLC, Jacksonville NJS LLC, Jacksonville JJL LLC and Jacksonville Schorr LLC Seller: Heritage on the River LP

Previous sale: $15,000,000 in 2013

Previous sale: $9,975,000 in 2012

DUVAL

ST. JOHNS

DUVAL

DUVAL

DUVAL

$7,697,087

$6,579,607

$4,056,250

$3,871,875

$3,871,875

4450 Tropea Way, Jacksonville

Caribbean Place and Waterline Drive, Saint Johns

207 Ninth Ave. N., Jacksonville Beach

220 Fifth Ave. S., Jacksonville Beach

275 Sailfish Drive, Atlantic Beach

Type: The Jaxon apartments — 13.92% interest Parcel size: 9 acres No. of units: 287 Buyer: TBR Jaxon Owner 2021 LLC Seller: TBR Town Center Property Owner LLC

Type: 63 lots in Twin Creeks North Parcel 13 Phase 1, Phase 2 and Unit 1 Parcel size: Not available Buyer: Lennar Homes LLC Seller: AG Essentials Housing Multi State 2 LLC

Type: The Breakers Apartments Parcel size: 0.57 acres No. of units: 28 Buyer: Marshpoint Multi Family One LLC Seller: Kenneth R. Kirton II, Michael H.T. Kirton and the Terry L. Peterson Revocable Trust Previous sale: $300,000 in 1989

Type: Ocean Reef Apartments Parcel size: 0.59 acres No. of units: 28 Buyer: Marshpoint Multi Family One LLC Seller: K-Town Inc. Previous sale: $295,000 in 1991

Type: Atlantic Beach Apartments Parcel size: 2 acres No. of units: 32 Buyer: Marshpoint Multi Family One LLC Seller: Michael H.T. Kirton and the Terry L. Peterson Revocable Trust Previous sale: $300,300 in 1975

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Silver Airways adding nonstop service from JIA to New Orleans

Bennett to lead Publix Jacksonville Division

The flights leave twice a week to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Scott Brubaker will retire as vice president after 46 years with grocer.

9

BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR

BY KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER

Silver Airways

Silver Airways says it offers 125 daily flights to 18 destinations in Florida and the Bahamas.

in Jacksonville at 5:10 p.m. “New Orleans is one of our most requested leisure destinations,” Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh said in the release. In the past several months, Silver Airways added flights

from Jacksonville to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and GreenvilleSpartanburg, South Carolina. KGARWOOD@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

DEVELOPMENT TODAY These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued April 6 by the city of Jacksonville. CHURCH, OTHER RELIGIOUS St. Pius Church, 1470 W. 13th St., contractor is J.C. Harward & Associates Inc., 1,500 square feet, interior renovation, $314,000. OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL Genpact, Capital Plaza, 10401 Deerwood Park Blvd.,

No. 4, contractor is Dav-Lin Interior Contractors Inc., 5,616 square feet, tenant build-out, $150,000. SERVICE STATION, REPAIR GARAGE Take 5 Oil Change, 8924 San Jose Blvd., contractor is J. Lane Construction LLC, wall repair, $70,280.

SIGNS Exxon, 15411 N. Main St., contractor is Petroleum Group LLC, ground sign with electronic gas pricer, $15,000. South State, 1325 Hendricks Ave., contractor is Don Bell Signs LLC, two permits for signs, $4,000. Compiled by Daily Record Staff

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“In his 46 years, he has trained and mentored many associates and provided unwavering guidance to his team and community in times of need,” Murphy said. Brubaker and his wife, Lisa, will remain in the Jacksonville area, Murphy said. Bennett and his wife, Sheila, will relocate to Jacksonville. “Adrian is a strong, wellrounded leader who has dedicated his career to operational excellence and continuous quality improvement,” Murphy said. Publix operates 1,269 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

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Silver Airways announced April 6 it will offer nonstop flights from Jacksonville International Airport to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The service begins June 3 with fares starting at $79 until July 11, the airline said in a news release. The fights are Thursday and Sunday departing Jacksonville at 11:35 a.m. and arriving in New Orleans at 1:05 p.m. Flights will depart New Orleans at 1:45 p.m. and arrive

Publix Super Markets Inc. announced April 5 that Jacksonville Division Vice President Scott Brubaker, 62, will retire at the end of June after 46 years with the Lakeland-based company. The company promoted Adrian Bennett, 51, to succeed Brubaker. Brubaker started his Publix career in 1975 as a part-time front service clerk in Melbourne, according to a news release from the company. After working in positions at several stores throughout Florida, he was Brubaker promoted to store manager in 1987 and district manager in 1994. He was promoted to regional director in 1997 and to his current position in 2005. Bennett joined Publix in 1991 as a part-time grocery clerk in Savannah, Georgia. The release said he became a store manager in 2000 and district manager in 2006. He was promoted to regional director in the Jacksonville Division in 2016. Publix President Kevin Murphy said Brubaker was instrumental in leading new market growth in Alabama and areas in northern Florida.


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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

JaxDailyRecord.com

THE MATHIS REPORT

Glasfloss seeking Tradeport expansion WUNIV LCC paid $1.15 million for the closed Whataburger in September. State corporate records show the LLC comprises Brian Platock and Al Mansur. Platock is a retail real estate specialist and manager of Florida Retail Group LLC. Mansur owns Al’s Pizza and other concepts. Platock and Mansur said they could not comment about Chipotle and referred questions to the company. They said they own the building and are negotiating with an undisclosed tenant.

KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR

The Texas-based company plans to add 28,367 square feet to its Jacksonville air filtration products plant. Glasfloss Industries Inc., which makes air filtration products, proposes to expand its facility at 1310 Tradeport Drive in Jacksonville International Tradeport in North Jacksonville. The company seeks approvals to add 28,367 square feet of warehouse space to its existing almost 75,000-square-foot facility built in 1995. Glasfloss Industries GP LLC is the owner. AVA Engineers Inc. is the civil engineer. Glasfloss representatives have not responded to calls for comment. Family-owned Glasfloss was founded in 1936. The company says it operates five manufacturing plants in DeSoto,Texas; Ohio; Wisconsin; Nevada; and Jacksonville. It is based in DeSoto, Texas. The Glasfloss.com website said that under third-generation President Scott Lange, “Glasfloss has moved aggressively to modernize and expand

Earth Fare files name for St. Johns Photo by Karen Brune Mathis

Glasfloss Industries operates at 1310 Tradeport Drive in Jacksonville International Tradeport.

its manufacturing capacity to better serve growing markets.” As part of that, in 2002, Glasfloss bought “a modern 80,000 square foot facility located in Jacksonville, Florida. This facility serves the thriving Southeast markets and improves lead times and shipping costs for customers in that region.” It says “Glasfloss stands poised to lead the industry into the 21st Century the same way it started over 80 years ago: by furnishing the special needs of the air filtration industry with quality products, competitive prices, and reliable on-time delivery.” Glasfloss bought the Tradeport building from NatureForm. The Dun & Bradstreet business data provider reports that Glasfloss Industries Inc.’s

RESTAURANT NOTES Juicy Crab to River City: The city issued a permit for CHI Construction Inc. of Harmony to build-out the former Sticky Fingers Ribhouse at 13150 City Station Drive in River City Marketplace for The Juicy Crab at a cost of $240,000. It is a 5,441-squarefoot project. Juicy Crab franchisee Leo Chen in Atlanta said Feb. 4 he expects to open the River City Marketplace restaurant about five months after the permit is issued. Starbucks at San Jose: The city issued a permit March 30 for Elfrink Custom Construction Inc. of Oviedo to build the 2,533-square-foot shell building for Starbucks and a dumpster enclosure on 0.64 acres at 5640 San Jose Blvd. at a cost of $508,000. Culver’s to Gate Parkway: The city issued permits March 31 for McCon Building Corp. of Highland, Wisconsin, to build the 3,820-square-foot Culver’s restaurant on 1.54 acres at 7818 Gate Parkway at a cost of $1.454 million. That project cost includes a patio pergola and dumpster enclosure. Charleys Wings to San Jose: The city issued a permit March 29 for Charleys Wings and Philly Steaks to build-out a 1,908-square-foot stand-alone location at 9840 San Jose Blvd. in a former Krystal as part of a nationwide expansion. Advanced Building Construction LLC of Tarpon Springs is the contractor for the $120,000 alteration. Plans identify the owner of the San Jose site as GOSH Enterprises in Columbus, Ohio. The venture is the holding company of Charleys Philly Steaks and other concepts.

Jacksonville facility is part of the HVAC Equipment Manufacturing Industry and has 86 employees.

Chipotle plans to renovate Lakewood Whataburger Plans show Chipotle Mexican Grill intends to open in the Lakewood area by renovating a closed Whataburger restaurant at 3860 University Blvd. W. The city is reviewing a permit application for an estimated $400,000 interior and exterior alteration of the 3,074-square-foot restaurant built in 2004. Chipotle Mexican Grill of Colorado LLC is listed as the restaurant owner. Tyler Benson, Chipotle external communications ana-

V Pizza to St. Johns: The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing plans for V Pizza at 5602 U.S. 1 N. in St. Johns County. The developer is 5700 Phillips Highway LLC. Plans indicate a 6,000-square-foot restaurant along with a deck and a grass play area. There also is a 4,200-square-foot catering and prep kitchen on the site. Dunkin’ to Fountains: St. Johns County issued a building permit for Dunkin’ Donuts at 1620 County Road 210 W. in the Fountains at St. Johns. The 1,265-square-foot Dunkin’ with a drivethru will be built at a construction cost of $410,000.

DEVELOPMENT NOTES Standard Sand to Philips: The city issued a permit April 4 for Insight General Contractors Inc. to convert the former Overby’s Inc. property at 2619 Philips Highway for lease to Standard Sand & Silica Co., which operates Surface Prep Supply in Jacksonville. Insight will renovate the 18,556-square-foot building at a cost of $255,000. Davenport-based Standard Sand & Silica, which makes industrial sand, intends to relocate there from its operation at 600 E. Eighth St. near Springfield. Surface Prep Supply sells abrasives, coating and athletic field products and rents and sells sandblasting equipment and supplies. The new location previously housed Overby’s, which repaired luxury used cars. Beaver Street Fisheries: The city issued a permit March 31 for Stellar Group Inc. to convert 12,000 square feet of refrigerated warehouse space to freezer space for Beaver Street Fisheries Inc. at 1741 W. Beaver St. at

Platock

Mansur

lyst at Newport Beach, California, headquarters, said by email April 5 the company does not have a planned location, but “we are always looking to bring our food with integrity to great new communities.” Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. operated more than 2,750 restaurants as of Dec. 31 in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. It operates 10 locations in the Jacksonville area. Neptune Beach-based 3860

a cost of almost $3.57 million. Beaver Street CFO Jeff Edwards said previously the project is an expansion of its seafood packaging operations. It is converting an older and smaller freezer to production space. Jax Metro opens branch: Jax Metro, a division of Self-Help Credit Union, announced it opened a branch at 13134 Wolf Bay Drive in River City Marketplace. Megan Nissley is the area branch manager. Breaking Ground Contracting built the office. First Florida to Atlantic: The city issued a permit for FLC Contracting LLC to build-out a former SunTrust Bank branch at 12929 Atlantic Blvd. for Jacksonville-based First Florida Credit Union at a cost of $372,000. First Florida will remodel the 4,190-squarefoot building on a 1.06-acre outparcel in front of Lowe’s. SunTrust closed the branch in February 2019 and sold the property to an investor for $1.4 million. First Florida paid $1.95 million for the site in January 2020. The building was developed in 2005. Fields Collision Center: The city issued a mobility fee calculation certificate and a conditional capacity availability statement for Fields PAG Inc. to build a collision center at 10100 Atlantic Blvd. The proposed development includes the renovation of and an addition to the former Porsche Jacksonville auto dealership and a neighboring building for a 44,042-squarefoot collision center on 5.22 acres. The fee is calculated at $133,154. Prosser Inc. is the civil engineer. Fields Auto Group built its new Porsche dealership at 11211 Atlantic Blvd.

STJ559 LLC registered the name Earth Fare with the state for its store at 120 Shops Blvd. in St. Johns County. Earth Fare and shopping center owner Sleiman Enterprises said in a January news release the store will reopen in the second quarter at the Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway off County Road 210 West. Sleiman Enterprises expects it will open between mid-June and July 1. The store opened in October 2019 and closed in February 2020, along with the rest of the chain, when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Supermarket News reported in July the chain was reopening stores after an investment from Hulsing Enterprises and the founders of Earth Fare. STJ559 is led by Dennis Hulsing. KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466

Macclenny hotel: The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing an application for a proposed 85-room, four-story hotel at 151 Woodlawn Road in Macclenny. Maharudra LLC of Tallahassee is the applicant and owner. AVA Engineers Inc. is the civil engineer.

RETAIL NOTES Scrubbles to San Jose: The city is reviewing civil engineering plans for Scrubbles car wash to build at 9826 San Jose Blvd., at Pall Mall Drive. Baker Design Build is the civil engineer for the 5,131-square-foot project on 1.58 acres. Doherty Sommers Architects & Engineers Inc. is the architect. The site’s previous uses include Pasta Market, Hops Grill & Brewing, Cross Creek Steakhouse, Physicians Medical Center and an urgent care center. Dollar General to Northwest Jacksonville: The city issued mobility fee calculation and concurrency reservation certificates to Concept Development LLC, a developer of Dollar General stores, for a 10,640-squarefoot store on 4.45 acres at Norfolk Boulevard and Soutel Drive in Northwest Jacksonville. The mobility fee is $96,588. Tractor Supply to Normandy: The city issued mobility fee calculation and concurrency reservation certificates for Tractor Supply Co. to develop a 22,433-square-foot store on 3.6 acres at 8984 Normandy Blvd. The mobility fee is $62,727.


JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

JaxDailyRecord.com

|

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

ST. JOHNS

$1,850,000

$1,525,000

FROM STAFF

2437 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach

705 Ocean Palm Way, St. Augustine

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.45 acres House size: 4,931 square feet Buyer: Alberto E. and Barbara G. Agramonte Seller: Ruben G. and Pamela L. Allen Previous sale: $1,275,000 in 2014

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.18 acres House size: 4,351 square feet Buyer: Robert S. and Lynn C. Byrne Seller: Cynthia H. Rafferty Previous sale: $1,675,000 in 2006

Here are the top 10 single-family residential real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded March 29-April 4.

ST. JOHNS CLAY ST. JOHNS

$1,675,000

$3,595,000

2663 E. Holly Point, Orange Park

2385 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach About the property: Oceanfront threestory home with Guana Preserve views. Features five bedrooms, five baths, elevator, balconies, lanai, gym, sauna, pool and dune walkover.

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.46 acres House size: 4,483 square feet Buyer: The Edward M. Durham V Revocable Trust Seller: Rick and Jennifer Johnson

Type: Single-family lot Lot size: 3.53 acres Buyer: James V. Angelo Seller: Charlene J. Sullivan Previous sale: $1,485,000 in 2004

$1,320,000 2885 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.29 acres House size: 3,092 square feet Buyer: Richard W. McGinley Seller: Lance K. and Rachel H. Ringhaver Previous sale: $1,220,000 in 2016

DUVAL

ST. JOHNS

ST. JOHNS

DUVAL

ST. JOHNS

$2,990,000

$2,950,000

$1,850,000

$1,662,500

$1,300,000 2349 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.45 acres House size: 2,487 square feet Buyer: Loren R. and Jennifer H. Johnson Seller: The Elizabeth S. Jarmon Revocable Trust Previous sale: $289,000 in 1986

6659 Epping Forest Way, Jacksonville

328 Pablo Road, Ponte Vedra Beach

136 Greenbriar Estates Drive, Saint Johns

14197 Pine Island Drive, Jacksonville

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.27 acres House size: 5,154 square feet Buyer: Sathi Rajan Seller: Three Palms LLC Previous sale: $740,000 in 2018

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.82 acres House size: 5,844 square feet Buyer: Robin A. and Peter M. Hefferman Seller: David and Josie Welling 2006 Trust Previous sale: $1,595,000 in 2014

Type: Single-family Lot size: 10.21 acres House size: 6,745 square feet Buyer: Quintin J. and Maria J. Quinones Seller: Harry R. Lewis Jr. and the Harry R. Lewis Jr. Legacy Trust Previous sale: $1,200,000 in 2013

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.36 acres House size: 5,064 square feet Buyer: Benjamin X. Wolfe and Mary M. Lane Seller: Thomas A. and Christine A. Owen Previous sale: $1,218,800 in 2018

SAVE THE DATE

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Top 10 home sales of week

ST. JOHNS

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2021 DOWNTOWN TOUR & TASTING THURSDAY, APRIL 22ND This year’s event provides the opportunity to taste wonderful sommelier-selected wines & appetizers while exploring various properties where the Downtown Rejuvenation is thriving! Network and meet new people while stopping at 5 different locations, with a specific wine paired with a delicious appetizer. You can’t get much better than that! This is an event you don’t want to miss. NAIOPNEFL.COM

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U S I N G PA R K S & G R E E N S PA C E I N T H E F I G H T A G A I N S T C L I M AT E C H A N G E TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 7PM - 8:30PM

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Join us for a virtual panel discussion on the varied roles that parks and greenspace can play in the fight against climate change (storing carbon, reducing urban tem-

SPACE IS LIMITED!

peratures, mitigating flooding) and what you can do to help. V I S I T W J C T. O R G / E V E N T S ADAPT is a production of WJCT Public Media. Financial support for ADAPT comes from our readers and listeners, with additional support from the Arthur Vining Davis

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Don’t miss out on this one of a kind event – Register today at naiopnefl.com If you have questions or need details, please contact: DT&T Chair, Anita Prewitt, 904/655-1880, aprewitt@thendncompanies.com or Carmel Buchanan, 904/730-8075, naiopnefl@comcast.net


JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

JaxDailyRecord.com

A VISION AS BOLD AS OUR CITY.

SETTING OUR SIGHTS ON JACKSONVILLE’S FUTURE SINCE 1924. From revolutionizing the cigar industry right here in Jacksonville to today’s bold vision for the future, our people have always driven our culture of innovation and rooted us in this community—paving the way for the successes we enjoy today. At Swisher, our vision is to encourage innovative thinking and action not only in our business but in the many ways we give back to the city we proudly call home.

459 E. 16th St., Jacksonville, FL

SWISHER.com 353357-1

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