Daily Record Financial News &
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Vol. 105, No. 128 • Nine Sections
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
City has plans for Mayport property near ferry stop
Leaders hope shrimpers return, attracting tourists and development. By David Cawton Staff Writer Ten years after JaxPort proposed bringing cruise ships to the once bustling commercial fishing hub in Mayport Village, the city of Jacksonville might buy back the property to spur economic development. JaxPort’s board of directors voted unanimously at a special meeting April 30 to declare the 6.72 acres along Ocean Street and the St. Johns River as surplus property, agreeing to sell it back to the city for $1. “At this time, JaxPort has no further business for the Mayport property,” JaxPort Chief Operating Officer Frederick Wong told the board. The agreement requires the city to split revenue generated from a sale or private development of the land for the next 20 years with JaxPort. Plans for a cruise ship termi-
nal and other projects faded as residents mounted opposition and attempts failed in reaching terms with operators and private developers. JaxPort recently agreed to a multiyear berthing and terminal use agreement with Carnival Corp. to keep ships docked at the cruise terminal at 9810 August Drive, northwest of the Dames Point Bridge. JaxPort acquired the land through several transactions with the city, Vestcor entities and other property owners for $12 million in 2008. At the time, the area served as a center of commercial fishing, charter boats and other marinerelated industries and restaurants. “There are no docks, and really nothing has happened since the port took control,” said City Council member Bill Gulliford, Mayport
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LAND IS SOUTH OF SINGLETON’S
Photo by David Cawton
JaxPort approved selling 6.72 acres along Ocean Street just south of the St. Johns River Ferry back to the city for $1. The property is shown above at the right of Singleton’s Seafood Shack.
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Soft Surroundings appears headed for Town Center St. Louis-based chain to open 16 stores this year around the country.
Special to the Daily Record
Soft Surroundings has stores in 33 states and operates Florida locations in Miami, Estero, Sarasota and The Villages.
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Missouri-based Soft Surroundings, which sells women’s clothing and accessories, appears to be coming to St. Johns Town Center. Senior Public Relations Specialist Jessica Conick said Tuesday a lease has not been signed and she could provide no information. Simon Property Group is the landlord.
The company is expanding, however. “We are opening stores around the country,” she said. Conick said Soft Surroundings will have 63 stores operating coast-to-coast as of Friday and intends to open another 16 this year. The softsurroundings.com website shows it operates in 33 states, including Florida with locations in Miami, Estero, Sarasota and The Villages. Soft Surroundings plans to use 4,500 square feet of space at 4790 River City Drive, which is the second phase of the Town Center, the
permit application shows. The space is near Swarovski. Soft Surroundings sells women’s clothing, swimwear, shoes, jewelry and accessories and fragrances as well as bedding and home goods, beauty and personal care products and travel wear and wares. Soft Surroundings’ tagline is “my time. my place. my self.” The company is based in Creve Coeur, a St. Louis suburb. Conick said Soft Surroundings began in 1999 as a catalog comMathis
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