MONDAY August 12, 2019
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
GODBOLD LAUNCHES ‘ J AKE!’ Daily Record
Vestcor wins deal for LaVilla townhomes But two DIA board members favored the Johnson Commons plan.
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BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
Vestcor Companies Inc. won the bid to add an 88-unit, singlefamily townhome development to its growing residential portfolio in LaVilla. The Downtown Investment Authority board on Wednesday chose Vestcor’s proposal to build two- and three-story townhomes, priced at $250,000, on property owned by the city at Adams, Johnson, Lee and Forsyth streets. As part of the deal, the city will donate the development parcels to Vestcor, minus a $100 title transfer fee. The vote was 5-2, with board members Oliver Barakat and Ron Moody opposed. In favor were Vice Chair Craig Gibbs, Dane Grey, Braxton Gillam, Marc Padgett and Todd Froats. Chair Jim Bailey and Carol Worsham were absent. The atypical split among the DIA board came from the inclusion of retail and historic LaVilla shotgun-style design cues from the second-ranked development from Johnson Commons LLC. Johnson Commons proposed a 107-townhome proposal with 9,500 square feet of retail space and a restaurant. A three-member boardappointed committee last month scored three proposals for the LaVilla property using criteria that included design, financial resources and experience. Vestcor scored 85.67 out of 100; Johnson Commons, 84.33; and Blackwater Capital LLC, 67.67. The committee comprised Barakat, DIA CEO Lori Boyer and city Office of Economic Development Executive Director Kirk Wendland. SEE LAVILLA, PAGE 2
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Photos by Karen Brune Mathis
Author Mike Tolbert and former Mayor Jake Godbold sign the biography “Jake!” on Wednesday at Old St. Andrews Church.
The former Jacksonville mayor, 86, shares the highs and lows of two terms in office. BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
About 200 supporters attended the launch of the “Jake!” biography of former Jacksonville Mayor Jake Godbold.
About 200 supporters packed the Old St. Andrews Church on Wednesday to hear former Mayor Jake Godbold and his former aide and strategist Mike Tolbert launch the book “Jake!” Tolbert said he interviewed more than 50 sources involved in Godbold’s life and career and took two years to write the book that recounts the successes and challenges of the Democratic mayor who served from 1979-87. Also at the event, Godbold and former aide Martha Barrett
donated scrapbooks and artifacts from his time of service to The Jacksonville Historical Society, which operates the St. Andrews venue. Now 86, Godbold remains a participant and commentator of Jacksonville politics and observer of national events. “I pray every night that the energy I have left is used in a proper way,” he said. Godbold spoke out against hate crimes and divisiveness. “I’m tired of hatred. I’m tired of bigotry,” he said. “Damn, we need SEE GODBOLD, PAGE 2
Opening date set for Yulee Aldi Aldi will open its Yulee store at 463689 Florida 200 on Aug. 29. It will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:25 a.m. on opening day and offer prizes. There will be events and giveaways through Sept. 1. The store will operate 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Aldi also said last week it will open a store in the Parkway Shops in North Jacksonville at 15324 Max Leggett Parkway next year. A construction permit was issued for the store last week. At least 11 Aldi stores are open or in planning in Northeast Florida.
VOLUME 106, NO. 188 • ONE SECTION