WEDNESDAY June 5, 2019
Public legal notices begin on page 4
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Daily Record TARGETING ARLINGTON BLIGHT Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
JACKSONVILLE
New details on Project Liberty The incentives deal advances for unidentified IT company that would grow to 656 jobs.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
day night to introduce and address concerns of neighbors about Ordinance 2019-317, the proposed rezoning of 48.53 acres on the west side of Hodges Boulevard between Butler Boulevard and Glen Kernan Parkway. The site is across Hodges Boulevard from the Windsor Commons shopping center.
More details emerged Tuesday about Project Liberty as the City Council Finance Committee approved an incentives package for it to create 198 jobs. The council auditor reported that the unidentified existing international IT company would retain 458 ex i s t ing jobs and the additions Wendland would boost its workforce to 656. Office of Economic Development Executive Director Kirk Wendland told committee Chair Greg Anderson the combined jobs will make the company a significant employer in Jacksonville. The committee approved the city’s portion of a city-state $990,000 incentive package. Resolution 2019-337 will allow the city to enter Project Liberty into the state Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program. Of the total, the city will repay $198,000, or 20 percent, and the state would refund $792,000. The Finance Committee approved the bill 6-0 vote. Council member Bill Gulliford was absent. The QTI refund of up to $5,000 per job will begin in 2020, after employees are hired and their salaries are confirmed by the Florida Department of Economic Opprotunity.
SEE HODGES, PAGE 2
SEE LIBERTY, PAGE 2
JACKSONVILLE
Bill Killingsworth, director of the city Planning and Development Department, discusses the Renew Arlington Community Redevelopment Area plan Monday at a public forum.
Photo by Mike Mendenhall
City plan would offer businesses in the Renew Arlington CRA up to $20,000 to update facades. BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
Arlington businesses could freshen their facades with help from the city if they qualify in the proposed zoning overlay. Those in the Renew Arlington Community Redevelopment Area could apply
Traffic, schools concerns raised about project along Hodges
for up to $20,000 if they invest $10,000 to comply with the overlay’s new designs standards. Jacksonville Planning and Development Department and Office of Economic Development representatives detailed the proposal and the latest modification to the overlay plan Monday night in a public forum with business owners at
BY SCOTT SAILER STAFF WRITER
Neighbors told District 3 City Council member Aaron Bowman and land representatives that a proposed Hodges Boulevard project would exacerbate traffic problems and impact school capacity. Bowman hosted a community meeting Mon-
River City Baptist Church at 6801 Merrill Road. “I’ve seen a lot of facade grant program over the years with the city. I’ve never seen one that’s gone above $10,000, so this is a pretty aggressive approach the city would take,” said Kirk Wendland, SEE BLIGHT, PAGE 3
New city planning chief selected A city spokeswoman said legislation will be filed with City Council appointing engineer Ellyn Cavin, right, as chief of the Jacksonville Planning and Development Department Development Services Division, succeeding Mike Sands, who retires Friday. Cavin has been the city planning services manager since June 2018 and before that was a city engineering consultant, JEA accountant and an environmental manager with Gate Petroleum Co. from 1996-2015.
VOLUME 106, NO. 141 • ONE SECTION