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JACKSONVILLE
Record & Observer SALVAGING JACKSONVILLE
Eco Relics is harvesting pieces of the Downtown landmark before it is demolished.
Downtown parking garage goes to VyStar
THE LANDING Record & Observer
DIA terminates lease with Barnett Tower LLC.
JACKSONVILLE
Record & Observer BY KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER
JACKSONVILLE
The Downtown Investment Authority voted Wednesday to partially terminate a lease agreement between Barnett Tower LLC and the city to construct a parking garage at the southwest corner of Main and Forsyth streets. VyStar Credit Union will instead purchase the property for $943,403 to construct the garage. As part of the terms of the agreement, it will construct at least 550 spaces, and lease up to 250 of those spaces to the city for tenants in the Barnett Building and Laura Street Trio. Until the Laura Street Trio is complete, VyStar will lease up to 125 spaces to the city. The redevelopment agreement between Barnett Tower LLC and the city stated that the Barnett Building and parking garage must be “substantially completed” within three months of each other. The Barnett’s substantial completion deadline was Sept. 13. On Wednesday, developer SouthEast Development Group announced the city issued a certificate of occupancy for The Barnett Building at 112 W. Adams St. The certificate allows for marketing of the remaining apartments and retail space. Work on the remaining commercial and retail spaces will continue through the first quarter of 2020. The 107 apartment units began leasing in April, and half are rented. SouthEast Development Group now will shift toward the group’s second phase of the project – the Laura Street Trio.
Record & Observer The Eco Relics team removes the bar top from Hooters restaurant at The Jacksonville Landing in August.
Special to the Daily Record
BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
E
co Relics founders and owners Annie and Michael Murphy had three days worth of picking in The Jacksonville Landing, but the memorabilia salvaged from the shuttered Downtown shopping mall, headed for demolition, already are best-sellers at their Rail Yard District warehouse. A door marked “River Room Music and Banquet” from second-floor bar Deep Blue sold and is headed with a buyer to Georgia. As soon as the Murphys heard the city would demolish the riverfront shopping center and hired a wrecking contractor, Annie
picked up the phone. “I made a lot of phone calls. It turns out the demolition company heard about us from one of our customers. They said we are ‘a cool company,’” she said. The Murphys founded the Eco Relics architectural salvage business in March 2014. At their 50,000-square-foot former railroad freight depot at 106 Stockton St., the Murphys reclaim wood and keep old doors, light fixtures, cabinets, tools and memorabilia from the landfill. Eco Relics now is taking its picking skills to the 32-year-old Landing, the fenced-off riverfront shopping center at 2 Independent Drive W. SEE ECO RELICS, PAGE 8
Arlington businesses concerned about new design standards PAGE 4 The Basch Report: Analysts like FIS Worldpay acquisition PAGE 8 Real estate: City climbing national rankings for homebuilding PAGE 10
Photo by Mike Mendenhall
From left, Eco Relics owners Michael and Annie Murphy and manager John Cooper with light fixtures salvaged from The Jacksonville Landing.
KGARWOOD@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
MY VIEW
How shopping malls can fill those big, empty spaces Donn Carr managed The Avenues for 13 years. PAGE 5 VOLUME 2, NO. 16 • ONE SECTION
WHAT’S TRENDING
Page 2 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
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.
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Special to the Daily Record
An artist’s rendering of the new Ameris Bank sign on Riverplace Tower.
SIGNS
Ameris Bank rebranding from the top Ameris Bank wants to put new signs on all four sides of the 28-story riverfront tower it anchors at 1301 Riverplace Blvd. on the Southbank. Ameris estimates it will start putting up the signs Oct. 18 and complete the job Nov. 3.
The lion logos with the Ameris Bank name on two sides and standing alone on the other two reflect Fidelity Southern Corp. Ameris merged with Fidelity (which is not related to Jacksonvillebased Fidelity National Financial Inc.) in July.
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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 Daily Record, is published Monday-Friday and is the Official Court Newspaper of the Circuit JACKSONVILLE Court and publisher of public notices in Duval County. 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. 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.
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REVA Development chosen to buy Armory
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A city committee approved Fort Lauderdale-based REVA Development Corp.’s bid to purchase the Armory Building. REVA Development proposes 100 units of workforce housing with 4,000 square feet of community space and a cultural arts facility at the former Florida National Guard armory at 815 N. Market St. north of Downtown. “MADE at the ARMORY” plans working
art studios, a performance stage and facility, art galleries and event space. It would create “a hub/destination that brings arts, entertainment, entrepreneurship and education all under a single roof,” says its proposal. The committee will negotiate a sale, lease or both with REVA Development, after which the deal will go to City Council for a vote and then to Mayor Lenny Curry for final approval.
Associate Editor Legal Affairs / Max Marbut mmarbut@jaxdailyrecord.com Staff Writer / Katie Garwood kgarwood@jaxdailyrecord.com
Construction permit for Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar Tommy Bahama announced in August that construction would start this fall and be completed by early 2020. The Tommy Bahama retail store will relocate across the street from 4813 River City Drive, Suite 107, to 4812 River City Drive in the former Brooks Brothers space.
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RESTAURANTS The city issued a permit for construction of the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar at St. Johns Town Center. Embree Construction Group Inc. is the contractor for the $2.3 million project to build-out a bar, retail store, dining patios and other space at 4812 River City Drive, No. 137.
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BUSINESS CALENDAR
Legal Advertising: Submit public notices via email to legal@jaxdailyrecord.com To find more business events or to submit your event to the the business calendar, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/calendar. SEPT. 27 Health care panel at JAX Chamber: The JAX Chamber Health Care Council will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a panel about “The Future of Healthcare” at the Florida Blue Deerwood Campus Conference Center. Dr. Michael Erhard, Nemours Children’s Health System physician in chief; Dr. Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida; and JAXUSA Partnership President Aundra Wallace will speak. The event is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 and must be paid in advance. For information, visit myjaxchamber.com. OCT. 9 Gary Norcross at JAXUSA: Fidelity National Information Services Inc. Chairman, President and CEO Gary Norcross is scheduled to speak to the quarterly JAXUSA Partnership Luncheon on Oct. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. Norcross will talk about the company’s acquisition
of Worldpay, the growth of the regional fintech industry “and other upcoming announcements,” according to a JAX Chamber news release. Check-in starts at 11:30 a.m. followed by the program at noon. Tickets start at $50. For information, visit myjaxchamber. com. OCT. 12 NFL Legends: JAX Chamber and PRI Productions will present the NFL Legends Community Gala on Oct. 12 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NFL in Jacksonville. The chamber worked with Touchdown Jacksonville!, a group of business leaders who led the community effort to bring the NFL to Jacksonville. The gala is 7-11 p.m. at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased online at jaxevents.com. Proceeds will benefit the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund. For information, visit myjaxchamber.com.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Page 3
SoFi is wastes no time seeking permits for office
The personal finance company pledges to hire 300 workers in Jacksonville by the end of 2021.
HKS Architects, Inc.
San Francisco-based SoFi is moving quickly on its plan to open a Southeastern operations center in Jacksonville. Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is the contractor for the $1.5 million project to build-out 35,517 square feet of space in the Town Center Two building at 5335 Town Center Parkway. The city is reviewing a permit application filed last week. SoFi – Social Finance Inc. – is an online personal finance company that pledges to hire 300 employees by year-end 2021. City Council members adopted legislation Aug. 13 to support tax incentives and authorize an economic development agreement with Project Quail, whose identity was not disclosed in the bill or the unsigned agreement. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Aug. 28 that Quail is SoFi, which will establish its regional operations center in
SoFi signed a 20-year agreement for exclusive naming rights for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the future home of the Rams and Chargers NFL teams. In Jacksonville, SoFi is subleasing the fifth floor of the Town Center Two building along Gate Parkway.
Jacksonville. In a news release after the announcement, Mayor Lenny Curry said SoFi will recruit in the Jacksonville area with an initial focus on operations functions including member relations, loan review, quality assurance and fraud prevention. The jobs will support SoFi products like student, personal and home loans, investing tools and cash management accounts. Anthony Noto, SoFi CEO, said in an Aug. 28 statement that Jacksonville was a clear front-runner among other areas “for talent, accessibility, and offering an affordable cost of living.” Noto became CEO in February 2018 after serving as COO of Twitter since November 2016 and CFO from July 2014-August 2017. Before Twitter, he was co-head of
Global Telecommunications, Media and Technology Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs. Previous roles include serving as executive vice president and CFO with the NFL. “As SoFi grows, we knew we needed to expand our real estate footprint to maintain our top-tier level of support for all of our members across the country,” Noto said. SoFi agreed to sublease the 37,000-square-foot fifth floor of the six-story Town Center Two building, which is across Butler Boulevard from St. Johns Town Center. The building was developed for lease to Jacksonville-based Web.com, which downsized to the first three floors and made the top three available for sublease. SoFi said it would pay an average annual wage of $54,941 plus benefits. Coun-
SOFI STADIUM
If you haven’t heard the SoFi name a lot, be patient. SoFi is taking a high profile with its 20-year agreement for the exclusive naming rights for SoFi Stadium, the future home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood, California. Latimes.com reported Sunday the LA Stadium and Entertainment District at Hollywood Park partnered with SoFi to name the $5 billion venue set to open next summer. It is scheduled to host Super Bowl LVI in 2022, the college football national championship game in 2023 and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games in 2028.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY NOTES AAA SR 16 Storage: The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing an application for the AAA SR 16 Storage center on 11.66 acres a mile south of Florida 16 and Pacetti Road. Plans show 10 buildings. Taylor & White Inc. is the civil engineer. SunTrust: St. Johns County is reviewing a permit application for a SunTrust bank branch on 0.78 acres at 260 Nocatee Way in Nocatee in Ponte Vedra Beach. SunTrust and BB&T propose to merge and create a bank called Truist.
THE MATHIS REPORT
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
cil approved a Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund of $5,000 per job, totaling $1.5 million. The city would refund $300,000, or 20%, and the state would provide the remainder, $1.2 million. SoFi said it would invest an estimated $5.5 million into real estate improvements, IT equipment, furniture and fixtures to create the company’s regional headquarters in Jacksonville. SoFi says its more than 700,000 members use its products “for borrowing, saving, spending, investing, and protecting.” It says its lending businesses have originated more than $42 billion among personal loan, student loan and home loan products.
Garcia Warehouse: The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing an application for the Garcia Warehouse at 200 Cezanne Circle at U.S. 1, Renoir Boulevard and Cezanne Circle. The 2,500-square-foot warehouse and retail space is proposed on 0.39 acres. The applicant and landowner is Magdalena Rosario and the civil engineer is Matthews Design Group.
KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
RETAIL NOTES Publix at Argyle, Normandy: Publix Super Markets Inc. continues its cycle of renovating and updating stores as competition increases. The city is reviewing permit applications for Elkins Construction LLC to renovate the Publix at 6001 Argyle Forest Blvd. at a cost of $500,000 and the store at 7749 Normandy Blvd. at $750,000. Kendall Town Center: An 8,000-square-foot multitenant building is proposed on 1.18 acres at 9737 Hutchinson Park Drive in Kendall Town Center in the Regency area of Arlington. Xu Qiong is the owner and Baker
Design Build is the civil engineer. The city is reviewing site plans. The area has been adding medical and other services. Pritchard Road: The city is reviewing site plans for a 6.19-acre commercial project along Pritchard Road in Northwest Jacksonville. In June, Skinner Bros. Realty Vice President Chet Skinner said his group and The Silverfield Group are under contract to buy property for a commercial retail development for the site at northeast Pritchard Road and Interstate 295, in front of the Perimeter West Industrial Park. Skinner said he
envisions the partnership buying the land by the end of October. The groups said the site would be a good location for a gas station, quick service restaurant or limited service hotel, or some combination. Engineer Prosser Inc. requested a service availability letter from JEA for a motel or hotel on part of the site. Planet Fitness to Regency: The city issued a permit for Skyline Construction Inc. to renovate space at a cost of $1 million for Planet Fitness at the Southside Commons shopping center at 651 Commerce Center Drive, north of Regency Square Mall. Skyline will
renovate almost 29,000 square feet of space in the former Level 8 furnishings store next to Hope’s Closet and The Church of Eleven22, further filling the center. Dollar General in Murray Hill: The 113-year-old Murray Hill neighborhood near Downtown continues to attract redevelopment. The city is reviewing site plans for a 7,500-square-foot Dollar General Store on 0.9 acres at northwest Post Street and McDuff Avenue. Concept Development Inc. of Gainesville is the developer. CHW is the civil engineer.
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Page 4 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE MENDENDHALL REPORT
No deal yet on Arlington standards targeting blight
MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
Business owners concerned about the cost of compliance. Business owners in the Renew Arlington Community Redevelopment Area and its advisory board are trying to work out their differences. A workshop Oct. 8 could be where the two groups find a compromise about how much financial assistance will be made available to commercial property owners preparing to comply with design standards under the Renew Arlington Zoning Overlay. City Council passed Ordinance 2019-0239-E on June 25, approving the overlay that included commercial property requirements for landscaping buffers, building and signage height and fencing materials on existing buildings, as well as building setback, finishes and frontage design standards for new commercial development. The updated zoning is designed to combat blight in Arlington and create uniformity in the building codes to
File image
Mike Anania, owner of CAM Automotive at 5921 Arlington Road, says determining compliance for new Arlington design standards could cost more than the materials and labor needed to do it.
attract new development. Three major business corridors will be impacted by the overlay changes: University Boulevard from the Arlington Expressway to Fort Caroline Road; Merrill Road from University Boulevard to Interstate 295; and a section of Arlington Road from University Boulevard to Rogero Road. The requirements can vary among the five “character areas” outlined in the overlay. Business owners like Mike Anania, owner of CAM Automotive at 5921 Arlington Road, have been debating the details of the overlay with the city Office of Economic Development since public meetings began in October 2017. Businesses are concerned
about how much it could cost to comply. At the Aug. 27 Renew Arlington advisory board meeting, Anania said the concern is that landscape architect, engineering and design services to determine compliance will cost more than materials and labor. “There’s no one on the advisory board who are commercial property owners or developers that understand these hard costs versus soft costs,” Anania said. The Renew Arlington board and city leaders have made concessions, including increasing the time business owners have to comply with the adopted standards. Before the bill’s passage, District 1 City Council member
Joyce Morgan, who represents Arlington, introduced an amendment allowing commercial property owners until Dec. 31, 2024, or five years plus 90 days after the grant program is approved by the Renew Arlington board, to come into compliance. Morgan co-sponsored the overlay legislation introduced by then-Council President Aaron Bowman. On Aug. 26, Morgan said the Renew Arlington board is considering full reimbursement of landscape architectural fees for businesses trying to come into compliance. Bill Cesery, whose family has owned the Lake Lucina Shopping Center since 1960, has pushed for modifications to the zoning overlay. He said the design of many commercial properties in Arlington dating to the 1950s and ‘60s place utility infrastructure within new required buffer areas that will make compliance difficult. “There are spots on my property where, I said, I can’t do what they’re asking. I can’t do a 4-foot landscape buffer back where I have an alley where all my dumpsters are, sewer lines and the electric meters,” Cesery said. “So I’m going to have to ask for an administrative deviation for relief from that.” Preliminary estimates from the Office of Economic Development show businesses in the Arlington Community Redevelopment Area could face a total cost of $6.24 million to
come into compliance. Office Executive Director Kirk Wendland said the estimate is based on discussions between people in the construction industry, the business owners and the city to determine the average cost per property. Wendland said the cost estimates were not from professional engineers. According to the office, 123 parcels in the Community Redevelopment Area need new signage to comply with the overlay standards at a potential cost of $2.03 million; 95 parcels need fencing at $522,500; and 112 parcels need landscaping at $3.7 million. When City Council approved the overlay, Morgan and Office of Economic Development officials said a facade program to accompany the legislation could provide a 2-to-1 match, allowing business owners to apply for up to $20,000 if they invest $10,000 to comply with the standards. As of Aug. 27, the Renew Arlington facade grant program had $771,373 available. As the program is finalized, the advisory board and the Office of Economic Development are considering making the grant a 3-to-1 match. Wendland said it’s not feasible for the CRA to pay the total cost for every business needing improvements. MMENDENHALL@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MIMENDENHALL (904) 356-2466
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Page 5
File image
Sears is closing its store at The Avenues mall in mid-December. The two-story store is 125,330 square feet with an auto service center.
MY VIEW
As retailers vanish, creative uses needed for big-box spaces Up-and-coming artists, food truck-style eating areas are some of the ways to turn around vacant retail centers. BY DONN CARR CARR MANAGEMENT GROUP
Will The Avenues mall be able to fill the space vacated by Sears when it closes by mid-December? This is the million-dollar question that major developers face today – how to fill vacant big-box spaces. Department stores have lost their allure and are struggling. The challenge to the developer becomes real when you add the recent financial challenges of Forever 21, a retailer that used to backfill those large vacant department store footprints, and a diminishing number of new retailers who want space that large or who can sustain the financial burden of the high operational cost of it. Conventional thinking is no longer viable. The days of backfilling with a theater or gym no longer make sense. The new customers do not want the shopping mall experience of their parents. They want and need something with which they can identify. Consider that millennials are expected to make up 50% of the workforce by 2020 and 75% by 2030. This market group is interested in the experience as well as the perceived value. Any old store simply will not work. This group was raised on instant gratification and social media. Most do not recall not having a cellphone and, for some, a smartphone. They also are not loyal as a group and their attitudes of what will attract them to one place over another have been elusive. However, I have seen some creative uses for these vacant boxes in Latin and South America that speak to the younger and more tech-savvy customers. This speaks largely to the success of the recent popup retail centers that used old, discarded shipping containers and stacked them on top of one another. The build-out cost is low, and it creates a fun ambiance that entices customers to not only come but to stay longer (the goal of all shopkeepers). The bonus: The cost is considerably lower. We are seeing these pop-ups in the Lake Nona area of Orlando. Some of the more creative uses for these vacant big boxes is to gut them and, by using a community theme, create a series of small 15-by-15 spaces with some creative overhead decor to add ambiance and lease them to upand-coming artists and craft persons. Think of it as a large incubator where
Special to the Daily Record
Mission House’s signature event, raising funds to address homelessness in our Beaches community!
Donn Carr, the principal partner and president of Orlando-based Carr Management Group, managed The Avenues mall for 13 years.
one-of-a-kind items can be found. It is a win-win for everyone as the rents for these smaller spaces can be affordable while the constantly changing retail base brings in customers who want to see what is going on inside. When coupled with a food truck-style eating area, the dead space becomes a desired place to shop and create a business while adding to the footfall for the existing center. We did this in Panama City, Panama, last year and the local artisans loved it. Other uses might include medical (a hot commodity right now), the creation of living space to accommodate the new coworkers, or to subdivide it into a Class A business center, which also makes sense as the hard costs are done. Again, the goal is to draw additional foot traffic to cross-shop with the tenants of the existing center, rather than create competition with it. Someone said: “Old malls don’t die – they simply get recycled.” That is what we are seeing. The winners will be those daring enough to be pioneers. We don’t want much to do with yesterday’s experience. Make me want to shop with you over the other guy. Whoever wins this challenge will be the leader for some time to come. DONN CARR IS THE PRINCIPAL PARTNER AND PRESIDENT OF ORLANDO-BASED CARR MANAGEMENT GROUP, SERVING AS AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONSULTANT AND TRAINER SPECIALIZING IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, RETAIL AND SHOPPING CENTER EXPERIENCE. HE WAS A MALL MANAGER WITH SIMON PROPERTY GROUP FOR 21 YEARS, INCLUDING 13 YEARS MANAGING THE AVENUES MALL IN JACKSONVILLE FROM 1996-2009.
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Page 6 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE BASCH REPORT
FIS upgraded after Worldpay acquisition
MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Analysts set the target price for the Jacksonville-based company’s stock as high as $175. Two analysts upgraded their outlook for Fidelity National Information Services Inc., or FIS, after the Jacksonvillebased bank technology company’s recent $43 billion acquisition of payment technology company Worldpay Inc. Robert W. Baird analyst David Koning designated FIS as a “fresh pick” Monday, saying the stock, which ended last week at $130.88, could reach $142 to $150 at the end of this year. Koning also said the stock could reach $165 in 12 months. KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Josh Beck recently set a $175 target for the stock as he upgraded FIS from “sector weight” to “overweight.” Both analysts expect positive impacts from the Worldpay deal. FIS matches the description of Project Sharp, a codenamed international services company that was approved for incentives by Jacksonville City Council to develop a $145 million corporate headquarters along Riverside Avenue and create 500 jobs. The city and company have not confirmed the identity of Sharp, although Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Monday news conference about the financial technology industry that the FIS was working on a Jacksonville expansion.
Black Knight buys pricing tech firm Jacksonville-based mortgage technology company Black Knight Inc. last week said it acquired Compass Analytics, a San Francisco-based com-
pany that provides pricing and valuation technology for loan officers and capital markets professionals. Terms of the deal were not announced. “This acquisition will give us the opportunity to bring clients new and useful tools to improve risk management, gain deeper insight for smarter decision-making, and identify best-execution strategies,” Black Knight CEO Anthony Jabbour said in a news release.
Accident, freight volume lower Landstar outlook
Landstar System Inc. already was projecting thirdquarter results to be lower than last year but when CEO Jim Gattoni spoke at an investor conference last week, he said the Jacksonville-based trucking company now is expecting earnings even less than it first predicted. One reason for the lower forecast is reduced revenue in a difficult market. However, Gattoni said an accident involving a Landstar truck also Gattoni likely will impact its earnings. “We had a very tragic accident over the weekend,” he said. “We did not project for that. You don’t project for accidents of that size in the quarter.” Gattoni did not give details on the accident and searches of news sites did not show reports of an incident involving a Landstar truck. Landstar does not employ drivers. It contracts with drivers who own their trucks to haul freight, and the accident involved a contracted driver. Gattoni said Landstar is selfinsured for up to $5 million per accident and hinted its liability may be that high. Landstar had been projecting third-quarter earnings of $1.48 to $1.54 a share, down from $1.63 in the third quarter of 2018, and said it now is forecasting earnings below that range. Landstar’s stock fell $4.39 to $113.19 last Thursday after the company announced the lower forecast.
File image
CSX has cut nearly 5,000 jobs in the past 2½ years.
CSX seeking more efficiencies Gattoni spoke at a Morgan Stanley conference that featured a number of transportation executives, including CSX Corp. Chief Executive Jim Foote. Although Landstar’s revenue trends are down, Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker said in a research note that trucking companies seemed more optimistic about the economy than did railroad companies. “The narrative between Rails and Truckloads continues to diverge, with Rails sounding more bearish than we expected (despite our bearish expectations coming in following conference updates last week and deteriorating carload data) and TLs sounding more bullish than we expected (despite our bullish expectations coming in following recent improvement in truck data),” Shanker wrote. Foote was more optimistic, saying CSX doesn’t think “we’re going to go off a cliff.” “The problem with the current environment is the slow drip nature of it,” he said. Jacksonville-based CSX has cut nearly 5,000 jobs in its operations throughout the Eastern U.S. in the past 2½ years as its new management Foote team sought to increase the efficiency of the railroad. A downturn could result in more cuts if freight volumes drop. “We’re never done with creating efficiency in the organization,” Foote said. “We’re always ready in the event we see things so we can step in very quickly and respond to that.” However, he said CSX would approach more job cuts cautiously. “We’re not going to cut in
areas where we’re going to, one, impact safety and two, we’re going to impact customer service,” he said. CSX’s business has been impacted by lower demand for coal shipments, which used to be the company’s biggest business, but Foote said CSX is benefiting from another trend that is having a negative effect on some companies. “We had a very good first half on the industrial side, driven to a large degree by a positive impact as a result of the (China) tariff as more U.S. steel production came online,” he said.
Hurricane Dorian has little impact on CSX, Landstar
Foote said he’s had to skip the annual September Morgan Stanley conference in the past because there always seem to be hurricanes threatening CSX operations at this time of year. He felt fortunate Hurricane Dorian did not impact the Southeastern U.S. as severely as some had thought and it had little impact on CSX. “Considering the magnitude of the storm and its track and what we were fearing on a daily basis for almost about 10 days, no (it did not have an impact). We came out of it very good,” Foote said. Gattoni also said Landstar had little impact. The company benefited from hurricanes in the past because its trucks have been contracted for relief efforts, but not this time. “We didn’t get a lot of activity from Dorian,” he said.
International Baler results boosted by insurance claim
International Baler Corp. said in a report filed last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission an insurance claim related to an employee theft case made the company profitable in the third quarter ended July 31. The Jacksonville-based maker of balers used for recycling and waste disposal had an operating loss but after receiving $175,841 in proceeds from the crime insurance claim, it ended with a net profit of $104,834, or 2 cents a share. Sales in the quarter rose 19% to $2.4 million, due to higher shipments of balers, conveyors and parts.
Glowpoint finds new merger partner After its proposed acquisition by Jacksonville-based SharedLabs Inc. fell apart in April, Glowpoint Inc. found a new merger partner. Denver-based Glowpoint, which provides video collaboration and network applications, agreed Monday to merge with Los Angeles-based technology company Oblong Industries Inc. The companies will merge with a stock agreement in which Oblong shareholders will end up owning 75% of the combined company. That’s similar to the structure of the SharedLabs deal. SharedLabs was hoping to merge with publicly traded Glowpoint to become public itself, with the owners of SharedLabs ending up with a majority of the stock in the combined company. However, Glowpoint in April sent SharedLabs a notice that it was in breach of certain agreements and the two companies agreed to terminate the merger. At the same time, SharedLabs withdrew from a $107,000 Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund that was approved by the city for the addition of 107 new jobs at its Downtown Jacksonville headquarters. Glowpoint has said in recent SEC filings it is working with SharedLabs to recover unspecified fees and expenses related to the failed merger.
Trailer Bridge expands with Mexico service
Jacksonville-based Trailer Bridge, which has been expanding its U.S. office network, last week announced a new logistics service for companies shipping merchandise between the U.S. and Mexico. The marine freight and logistics company said its service will streamline the process of shipping goods across the border. Trailer Bridge, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 2012, has 15 North American offices and more than 200 employees.
MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Page 7
KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER
Experts offer insights into the program that was created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. For developers willing to invest patient capital into projects in census tracts seeking redevelopment, an Opportunity Zone might be the right option, said Chance Partners LLC Principal Jeff Rosen. Opportunity Zones, created as part of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, offer tax breaks designed to spur economic development in economically distressed areas. For investors to gain the maximum tax break of 15%, the investment must be held for seven years and be completed by 2026. If the investment is held for five years, the tax break is 10%.
Rosen spoke at a Sept. 10 CREW Jacksonville meeting about the process, benefits and challenges of developing in an Opportunity Zone. Chance Partners’ San Marco Crossing multifamily apartment project is in an Opportunity Zone. Chance Partners demolished the former Southside Assembly of God building and will break ground on the project Sept. 26. The site is along Kings Avenue between Olevia Street and Mitchell Avenue, east of San Marco. The project was funded with a combination of private investors who were familiar with Rosen and Chance Partners, as well as EJF Capital, an Arlington, Virginia-based institutional fund manager, which has a branch dedicated to Opportunity Zone funding. “We got in front of a deal that made a lot of sense,” Rosen said. “It was already entitled. The economics were really good. It was in a transitional neighborhood, but it also made a lot of sense for what’s happening in the Southbank in San Marco.” To invest in a property within an Opportunity Zone, investors must first set up a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Taxes on those funds can be
Photo by Katie Garwood
Jeff Rosen, principal at Chance Partners LLC, spoke to CREW Jacksonville members Sept. 10 about investing in opportunity zones.
deferred until 2026 or when the funds are used for development, whichever comes first. The law states there must be at least one Opportunity Zone in every county in the state. Opportunity Zones are selected through an analysis of wealth, unemployment and population along with input from local entities. There are 21 census tracts in Duval County designated as Opportunity Zones. They include Northwest Jacksonville, parts of the urban core, the Eastside, Cathedral District, Sports and Entertainment District, Arlington and Mayport. Some cities, like Tampa, align incentives with Opportunity Zones to further entice developers to invest in the zones, Rosen said. “There are certain cities that say if you’re an Opportunity Zone, we’re going to give revenue grants, we’re going to provide additional funding for projects,” Rosen said. “Jacksonville to date has not done anything specific to Opportunity Zones from a city or other
investment perspective.” Opportunity Zones also were discussed at a JAXUSA Opportunity Zones conference Aug. 22. More than 100 business executives and developers gathered to learn about the program. It’s also possible to invest in a business that’s within an Opportunity Zone, but it must fall into certain categories, said Tucker Thoni, associate tax attorney at the GrayRobinson law firm. All of the company’s business must take place within that zone. There also are restrictions on the types of business that can receive benefits. For example, golf courses, country clubs, massage parlors and casinos don’t qualify. Investors also must double the value that they paid for the property within 30 months, but that only applies to an existing building, not a land purchase. Madison Street Strategies founding partner Grey Dodge’s advice for local governments looking to take advantage of
HEALTH & BUSINESS
Opportunity Zones can offer rewards for developers
the Opportunity Zones is to start working immediately. For example, Erie, Pennsylvania, marketed itself as “Pennsylvania’s Flagship Opportunity Zone” after the program began. According to its website, there is more than $750 million in ongoing private, public and philanthropic investment in the city. Jacksonville is creating a prospectus to do the same, said JAXUSA Partnership President Aundra Wallace. It is expected to be released in the coming weeks. The prospectus is a compilation of demographic information and development opportunities within each of Jacksonville’s 21 Opportunity Zones. Dana Tsakanikas, executive vice president and chief investment officer of Atlantabased Hospitality Ventures Management Group, said investing in an Opportunity Zone may not be right for every company. “It’s hard for a hotel to go into a low-income area,” he said. “New construction is expensive. I can’t make it work with a $59 rate.” There is an altruistic aspect to investing in an Opportunity Zone since ultimately, it helps lift low-income neighborhoods, said Mari Kuraishi, president of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund foundation that makes grants. “I think we’re all here because we want to see growth in Jacksonville,” she said. “I’m here because I want to see that growth be as inclusive as possible.” KGARWOOD@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
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Page 8 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Eco Relics CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
In August, the Murphys connected with D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co., the Plant City company awarded the Landing demolition contract by the city. Eco Relics was named a subcontractor and its salvage crew made the first walk-through. With Eco Relics manager John Cooper leading the salvage team, one item it claimed immediately was the 18-foot-long, wood bar top with a beach scene from Hooters restaurant. Cooper said the removal was a six-hour job. That has not yet sold. “You’re not trying to tear it out, you’re trying to salvage it. You have to disassemble it,” Cooper said. “You want it nice and neat and intact so it can be reused,” Annie Murphy said. “Obviously, breakage for us is expensive. It costs money.” From Aug. 26-28, Eco Relics salvaged dozens of pieces at the Landing. From Mavericks nightclub, the crew saved pecky cypress wood paneling. From the mall offices, it salvaged memorabilia that includes the original Landing blueprints and stacks of newspapers with mentions of the Landing from the late 1980s to the present. According to the Murphys, the most sought-after item has been claimed by the city — the letters of “The Jacksonville Landing” sign facing the St. Johns River. According to the city, no pieces of the logo sign will be going on the market. City Director of Public Affairs Nikki Kimbleton said in a Sept. 6 email the letters will remain in the city’s possession. “The Landing sign letters will be dismantled and securely packaged by the contractor (D.H. Griffin),” Kimbleton wrote. “The contractor will deliver the material to a city facility for storage until future plans are determined.” The city also wants the indoor light posts and many of the logos left by the businesses. The city officially took control of the shopping center in May after the City Council approved a $15 million settlement with former owner Sleiman Enterprises Inc. in February. One business remains operating — BBVA bank. The city asked D.H. Griffin to demolish the Landing in phases to ensure the bank can continue normal operations until it vacates by Oct. 28. The Eco Relics team began removing items from the structure Aug. 26. Michael Murphy
Special to the Daily Record
Eco Relics manager John Cooper, left, moves a bar top out of the former Hooters restaurant at The Jacksonville Landing.
Photo by Mike Mendenhall
Eco Relics owners Annie and Michael Murphy with the mural of Vault Boy from the Fallout video game series.
said the deconstruction will follow the phases, beginning in the southwest building and working north. Deconstruction paused Aug. 29 as Hurricane Dorian approached the Northeast Florida coast, but the Murphys expect the job to take about 21 days when Eco Relics gets notification from D.H. Griffin to resume salvage. As work stalled, Eco Relics announced the Landing project on social media. Michael Murphy said the Facebook post has reached nearly 50,000 people with 25,000 engaged. The Murphys posted images of the Eco Relics team extracting the Hooters bar and the teased their first few finds. “It’s astronomical,” Michael Murphy said. “It surpassed any post we’ve done by a huge margin.” The interest generated through
leave nothing to
the social media announcement attracted requests from customers and the public. The ceiling fans in the main crescent-shaped Landing building have been a popular request, Annie Murphy said. Eco Relics also saved light fixtures and plans to salvage “a lot of doors.” Annie Murphy said they also hope to salvage the Landing’s exterior doors and windows, but because of safety, D.H. Griffin is required to keep those intact until exterior demolition begins. When the Murphys return, they plan to remove all the exterior garage-style patio doors from Mavericks nightclub and Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub and Restaurant’s former Landing locations. D.H. Griffin officials get the first look at any item in the Landing, Michael Murphy said. The demolition company will
chance.
fal l
recycle as much of the raw materials as possible and some items are off-limits to the Relics pickers. Another item that won’t be salvaged is signage from the former Chicago Pizza, site of the Aug. 26, 2018, mass shooting that killed two and injured nine during a video game tournament. “The demolition company didn’t want to give it to someone who would glorify the shooting,” Michael Murphy said. The Murphys did pull out and sell a video game graphic — a painted canvas mural of the winking, thumbs up Vault Boy from the Fallout series. Eco Relics will pay D.H. Griffin for what it saves — some items by weight and others by individual value. He said that value is determined by D.H. Griffin. Michael Murphy and Cooper said they are not sure of the final value of their salvage, but they estimate it could be worth “tens of thousands of dollars,” Cooper said. The Landing is not a typical salvage for Eco Relics. The company traditionally focuses on smaller accounts, usually historic homes or residential sites with unusual items worth saving, Annie Murphy said. One of the Murphys’ first projects was deconstructing the Ortega home of the Davis family, founders of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. As far as safety, D.H. Griffin has the strictest standards they’ve ever worked under, Michael Murphy said. “We had to do quite a bit upping our workmen’s compensation (insurance) to get in there. They’re (D.H. Griffin) very strict. They’re very safety conscious. You know,
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LANDING Demolition work at The Jacksonville Landing is scheduled to be substantially complete by May 28. Mayor Lenny Curry asked for $2.25 million in initial funding for redevelopment of the Landing as part of his proposed 2019-20 Capital Improvement Plan. The first $225,000 proposed in the 2019-20 CIP would be used for a market analysis of the Landing property. The rest of the money is divided into two $1 million appropriations in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 CIPs, designated for land acquisition and site preparation. City Council gave Curry’s budget preliminary approval Sept. 10 in an 18-0 vote. The budget is scheduled for a final vote Sept. 24.
hard hats, yellow vests. My guys already wear steel-toe boots, but it’s a very different atmosphere than going into someone’s house and ripping out stuff,” Anne Murphy added. Deconstruction at the Jacksonville Landing is by far Eco Relics’ largest job. “It should be a cool job for us, so it’s really testing our skills,” she said. MMENDENHALL@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MIMENDENHALL (904) 356-2466
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Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Page 9
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Page 10 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
REAL ESTATE
City climbs ladder for homebuilding prospects “People around the country are starting to discover Jacksonville,” says former NEFBA president. BY CAREN BURMEISTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Investors are noticing Jacksonville. The city is in the top 20 nationally in homebuilding and many other real estate sectors, according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020 report. Taking all real estate sectors into account, Jacksonville rated 23rd out of 80 cities analyzed in this year’s survey, up from 48th last year. “This is the highest ranking I can recall that Jacksonville has had,” said Tarik Bateh, of ULI North Florida District Council chair. “People are Bateh now looking at Jacksonville that hadn’t previously, and they’re seeing a demonstrated track record of successful projects,” he said. Jacksonville ranks 12th in homebuilding prospects and 10th in multifamily residential projects. In the area of retail and industrial real estate it’s also in the top 20. The 100-page report, an
annual forecast looking at trends in real estate investment and development, is published by PwC, a global firm offering advisory and tax services, and the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit education and research institute focusing on the responsible use of land. Chet Skinn e r, vice president of Skinner Bros. Realty and the 2016 president of the Northeast Florida Skinner Builders Association, wasn’t surprised about the ranking. “People around the country are starting to discover Jacksonville,” he said. More than 2,200 real estate experts, investors, fund managers, developers, property companies, lenders, brokers and advisers across the country were surveyed for the report. Several of them cited Jacksonville as a market to watch due to double-digit growth rates in a population exceeding 1 million people and investment capital flowing into the region. They also noticed potential Downtown, which they described as a “clean canvas for development.” “It is now Jacksonville’s time for investment and growth,” one respondent said. Another respondent added, “This market offers the best of both worlds, with the suburbs allowing for quality of life with
U.S. MARKETS TO WATCH How Jacksonville stacks up, according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020 report: Overall real estate prospects
Homebuilding prospects
1. Austin, Texas 2. Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina 3. Nashville, Tennessee 4. Charlotte, North Carolina 5. Boston 6. Dallas/Fort Worth 7. Orlando 8. Atlanta 9. Los Angeles 10. Seattle 23. Jacksonville
1. Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina 2. Charlotte, North Carolina 3. Houston 4. Nashville, Tennessee 5. Salt Lake City 6. Austin, Texas 7. Phoenix 8. Cape Coral/Fort Myers/ Naples 9. Dallas/Fort Worth 10. Tampa/St. Petersburg 12. Jacksonville
easy access to the ‘big city’.” The report notes that Jacksonville’s population has grown 14.1% since 2010, now exceeding 1.5 million, and the cost of doing business in Jacksonville is
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a few points below the national average. However, the report said there’s cause for concern in the widening gap between median home prices and median house-
hold incomes across the nation. On the affordability index, Jacksonville ranks about 6 points above the national average. “That gap is a concern in Jacksonville as it is around the country,” the report said. Bateh attributed Jacksonville’s real estate condition to a strong, stable and diversified local economy, population growth, job growth and relative affordability compared with the other cities in the report. “This means that there’s more demand for real estate,” said Bateh, a senior vice president at JLL Capital Markets, a financial and professional services firm for commercial real estate and investment management. In the past two years, Bateh said Jacksonville has seen a wave of commercial and multifamily development, with well-leased office development taking off, and growth in the redevelopment and industrial sector. “That’s a balanced market, both from a supply and demand standpoint and across all real estate sectors,” Bateh said. “Investors and developers have identified Jacksonville and come in and taken a risk and it’s been regarded as successful,” he said. Skinner credited Jacksonville’s quality of life, the Beaches and a pro-development attitude. “I wouldn’t be surprised if next year we see Jacksonville ranking higher and higher,” Skinner said.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Page 11
BY SCOTT SAILER • STAFF WRITER
Here are the top 10 commercial real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were
File image
The Park at Anzio apartments at 4083 Sunbeam Road in Jacksonville sold for $63.5 million, 76.4% more than the $36 million it sold for in 2016.
recorded Sept. 9-13. DUVAL
DUVAL
DUVAL
CLAY
DUVAL
$63,500,000
$57,750,000
$42,623,000
$20,700,000
$16,000,000
4083 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville
13525 Bartram Park Blvd., Jacksonville
7524 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville
622 Filmore St., Orange Park
7500 Powers Ave., Jacksonville
Type: The Park at Anzio apartments Size: 36.53 acres Buyer: Mandarin Property Holdings LLC Seller: Reserve at Mandarin LLC Previous sale: $36,000,000 in 2016
Type: Century Bartram Park apartments Size: 19.65 acres Buyer: Centennial Bartram Park LLC Seller: Arium Bartram Park LLC Previous sale: $38,000,000 in 2013
Type: Pointe Parc at St. Johns apartments Size: 25.78 acres Buyer: Atlantic Multi Family 7 — Apple LLC Seller: Glades JV LLC Previous sale: $29,360,000 in 2016
Type: The Woods of Filmore apartments Size: 13.39 acres Buyer: PAC-622 Filmore LP Seller: Filmore CE Owner LLC and Filmore Partners LLC Previous sale: $7,692,400 in 2019 for 37.16% interest
Type: Pinebrook Apartments Size: 11.22 acres Buyer: Pinebrook CE Partners LLC Seller: GMC Pinebrook LLC Previous sale: $10,200,000 in 2016
CLAY
DUVAL
DUVAL
DUVAL
CLAY
$7,692,400
$6,732,500
$6,000,000
$4,249,700
$2,947,113
622 Filmore St., Orange Park
7738 AC Skinner Parkway, Jacksonville
15 S. First St. and 110 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach
3018 St. Johns Bluff Road S., Jacksonville
205 Lawrence Blvd. S., Keystone Heights
Type: The Woods of Filmore apartments (37.16% interest) Size: 13.39 acres Buyer: Filmore Partners LLC Seller: Filmore CE Owner LLC
Type: Undeveloped multifamily Size: 17.51 acres Buyer: A.C. Skinner Parkway Propco LLC Seller: Jacksonville Transportation Authority
Type: Fresenius Kidney Care Size: 1.86 acres Buyer: AEI Healthcare Portfolio IV DST Seller: Security Housing Inc.
Type: Circle K convenience store and gas station Size: 0.38 acres Buyer: Lehigh Gas Wholesale Services Inc. Seller: Circle K Stores Inc. Previous sale: $300,000 in 1998
Type: Joe’s Crab Shack and parking lot Size: 1.6 acres Buyer: Beach South One LLC Seller: Eastern Coastal Properties LLC Previous sale: $4,000,000 in 2014
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Page 12 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Top 10 home sales of week BY SCOTT SAILER • STAFF WRITER
Here are the top 10 single-family residential real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded Sept 9-13.
ST. JOHNS
$4,950,000 502 Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.52 acres House size: 6,192 square feet Buyer: Mary Ann Dupuy Turner Trust Seller: Charles W. and Katherine J. Arnold
About the property: Six-bedroom, 6½-bath concrete block home features limestone and hardwood flooring, elevator, guest house, pool, spa, fire pit and an automation system that controls security, lighting, window treatments, front gate and music.
ST. JOHNS
ST. JOHNS
$1,785,000
$1,500,000
1054 Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach
197 San Juan Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach
Type: Single-family Lot size: 2.32 acres House size: 5,350 square feet Buyer: George and Magda Kingsberg Seller: Charles R. and Rebecca Gregory
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.36 acres House size: 2,521 square feet Buyer: Midd and Melinda McManus Seller: Larry H. and Stacie P. Wilf Previous sale: $1,400,000 in 2018
DUVAL
ST. JOHNS
$1,675,000
$1,320,000
3804 Duval Drive, Jacksonville Beach
18 La Vista Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.2 acres House size: 3,217 square feet Buyer: Cynthia L. and George M. Tronsrue Seller: John G. Bordelon and Richard G. Williamson
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.5 acres House size: 2,266 square feet Buyer: John P. and Karen E. Tyrrell Seller: Katherine B. Ferrell, Elizabeth A. Braun, William C. and John E. Blank and Susan C. Skatoff Previous sale: $222,000 in 1992
ST. JOHNS
DUVAL
DUVAL
ST. JOHNS
ST. JOHNS
$2,450,000
$2,150,000
$1,875,000
$1,625,000
$1,095,000
1877 Beach Ave., Jacksonville Beach
69 San Juan Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach
1A 15th St., St. Augustine
7891 Florida A1A S., St. Augustine
10050 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville
Type: Single-family with detached garage apartment Lot size: 0.24 acres House size: 4,233 square feet Buyer: Dan Pryor Seller: Barbara G. and John F. Harper Previous sale: $1,995,000 in 2014
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.69 acres House size: 3,544 square feet Buyer: Scott R. and Lynn S. Jones Seller: Eugene G. and Kathryn C. Peek
Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.2 acres House size: 4,354 square feet Buyer: Benoit C. and Bonnie S. Pineau Seller: Johns C. and Barbara G. Chambers
Type: Single-family Lot size: 1 acre House size: 3,902 square feet Buyer: Clark D. and Katherine H. Gaddy Seller: Barry and Leigh A. DePriest
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Page 13
Economist predicts ‘growth recession’ is on horizon Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders, says downturn won’t be severe.
“This is a really great time to buy,” he said. AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FRAUD LAW CONCERNS
BY CAREN BURMEISTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The housing shortage, affordable housing and increasing concerns for an economic recession led a Profit & Politics presentation Tuesday at the Northeast Florida Builders Association. About 80 people attended the program about the national, state and local housing markets and the economy. The event was sponsored by Wells Fargo. After nearly two decades of growth in consumer confidence, the economy is leveling off, said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders. The good news is “the economy is really solid,” Dietz said. There’s a rising number of jobs available, many of them unfilled due to the demographics of retiring baby boomers, and consumer spending rose in the second quarter of 2019. At the same time, the country’s economic expansion is more than a decade old, Dietz said, noting that’s a long period of growth. In addition, the 10-year Treasury note has fallen below the federal funds rate, which is a recession indicator, and gross domestic product is expected to slow down to 1.9% in 2020 and 1.5% in 2021, he said. Dietz said he’s more cautious for 2020 and 2021 than he was for
Photo by Caren Burmeister
From left, Nate Day, NEFBA’s governmental affairs chair; Rusty Payton, chief lobbyist and chief executive officer for the Florida Home Builders Association; and Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders, take questions at Tuesday’s Profit & Politics presentation.
2019. He predicts a “growth recession,” not a severe downturn like what occurred in 2008, but a slowdown like the country experienced in 1998. “This growth expansion still has some legs to it,” Dietz said. Meantime, population growth in Florida, and Jacksonville in particular, is three to five times the national average, Dietz said, creating great demand for housing. In the past year, the number of single-family building permits
issued in Jacksonville exceeded the statewide average, with a 4.3% growth rate. Also, Jacksonville’s multifamily building permits have increased since 2010, with permits issued for about 4,500 units in 2018, slightly below the state average. Dietz said the local and national housing shortfall can’t be handled by rent control. “The only way is to build homes and apartments,” he said. However, with opportunities come challenges. Construction labor shortages
continue, causing construction sector productivity to lag behind the overall economy, Dietz said. Nationally, there were 373,000 construction positions open in July. In addition, construction costs have risen. Despite having recovered from a spike last year, the cost of lumber is higher than it was in 2016, and regulatory costs as a share of a home’s price are rising substantially. Nonetheless, Dietz said, interest rates are good and consumers have room for growth.
Rusty Payton, chief executive officer and chief lobbyist for the Florida Home Builders Association, expressed frustration with a state government that he said fails to recognize the need for affordable housing. “We are the only group that cares about the cost of a house,” Payton said. “It’s shocking to me.” Payton also discussed a new contractor fraud law that makes it easier to prosecute contractors who take money but don’t do the work. The law, which went into effect in July, pertains to consumers who pay a contractor more than 10% of the contract price for a home improvement project in advance. Under the law, the contractor must apply for permits within 30 days. Once permits are issued, work must begin in 90 days, or the customer can begin to take action. In some cases, the contract may contain unachievable deadlines, Payton said. He suggested contractors work with their lawyer on a contract that provides ample time to meet their deadlines. Payton also mentioned the certification for Florida Master Builder, a higher standard of construction licensing that launched this year, saying it’s popular with clients as well as homebuilders, remodelers and commercial contractors. “It’s a great tool to set the bar higher for the industry,” Payton said.
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DEVELOPMENT TODAY
Page 14 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued Tuesday by the city of Jacksonville. APARTMENTS Presidium at Town Center, 7200 AC Skinner Parkway, contractor is LandSouth Construction LLC, 370 apartments, 10 buildings and a trash enclosure, $35.55 million. CHURCH, OTHER RELIGIOUS The Church of Eleven22, 14286 Beach Blvd., contractor is Bradley Bowen Construction, foundation, $4 million. Bold City Church, 13519 N. Main St., contractor is Bo-ot Construction Services Inc., 4,000 square feet, reconfiguration of space in chapel building, $88,510. OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL UF Health Psychiatric Center, 8789 San Jose Blvd., No. 305, contractor is International Management Co., tenant improvement, $625,000. TBSOP LLC, 424 N. Hogan St., contractor is Realco Recycling Co. Inc., 11,430 square feet, interior demolition, $125,000. Kanine Social, 580 College St., contractor is Equity Builders of Florida LLC, 2,205 square feet, interior buildout for Forever Vets Animal Hospital, $110,000.
Wilson
Fischer
Narcisse
McNabb
Boggs-Wilkerson
Gardella
Knapp
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Promotions, hirings and happenings for business people in Northeast Florida. Send items to ssailer@jaxdailyrecord.com TIAA announced Monday that Blake Wilson, 53, retired as chairman and CEO of its Jacksonville-based subsidiary, TIAA Bank, and was succeeded as chief executive officer by President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Fischer, 50. Wilson had been CEO since TIAA acquired Jacksonville-based EverBank in June 2017 and merged it with its bank subsidiary. EverBank CEO Rob Clements retired when the merger was completed and was succeeded by Wilson, who was then president. Wilson joined EverBank in 2002 as chief financial officer. Fischer joined EverBank in 2011, succeeding Wilson as chief financial officer. Wilson will remain with the bank in an advisory capacity through the end of the year before retiring. TIAA said Wilson decided the time was right to
retire after leading the integration of the merged bank. Fischer, as president and CEO, remains in Jacksonville. The COO role will not be filled. TIAA named Colbert Narcisse as executive vice president of Wealth Management. He will be based in New York. TIAA Bank said lead independent director Joseph White became chairman of the board and of the board’s executive and audit committees. Linda McNabb, vice president of sales and marketing for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp minor league baseball team, was awarded the JAX Chamber Jacksonville Women’s Business Center’s ATHENA leadership award for community service and developing women to gain leadership skills and promoting professional excellence.
Denise Boggs-Wilkerson was named officer in charge of Naval Branch Health Clinic Jacksonville. BoggsWilkerson was senior medical officer of Admiral Joel T. Boone Branch Health Clinic in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty Inc. announced two leadership positions: Mona Gardella was promoted to chief operating officer. Gardella was vice president, managing offices at Fleming Island, Oakleaf and Avondale. She joined the company in 2010 as a real estate agent. Kim Knapp was named manager of the Fleming Island and Oakleaf offices. Knapp is president of the Jacksonville Multiple Listing Service and is a board member of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors.
SIGNS ASAP Atlantic Dental, 12777 Atlantic Blvd., No. 26, contractor is Taylor Sign & Design Inc., wall sign, $5,500. Sunoco, 7752 Lem Turner Road, contractor is Aluminum Plus, six signs, $2,700. Sunoco, 7150 Merrill Road, contractor is Aluminum Plus, seven signs, $2,400. Turtle’s Nest Early Learning Center, Seaside Charter Tuition-Free Public Charter School, 2100 Dunn Ave., contractor is Taylor Sign & Design Inc., $2,000. Compiled by Karen Brune Mathis
BUSINESS IN BRIEF GE Appliances opens distribution center: GE Appliances, a Haier company, opened its Smart Distribution Center at the former Sears distribution center it is leasing in North Jacksonville. It is part of the company’s $150 million national investment to expand its smart distribution network. GE Appliances said the digital system provides greater data accuracy, streamlines the inventory process and increases capacity and
reliability. GE employs 80 people at the 815,000-square-foot warehouse. Steve Campbell is the regional sales manager for GE Appliances. Joe’s Crab Shack sale: Colliers International Northeast Florida Executive Director Chuck Diebel represented Mike and Elaine Ashourian in their $6 million purchase of the Joe’s Crab Shack restaurant property and an adjacent parking lot in Jacksonville
Beach. The property is under a ground lease to Joe’s Crab Shack, which will remain in operation under the new ownership. The parking lot will continue to serve customers of the restaurant. The Ashourians bought the property through Beach South One LLC. The 8,032-square-foot restaurant is at 15 S. First St. and the 80-space surface parking lot is at 110 Beach Blvd.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Page 15
Federal Bar celebrates Constitution Day
“Lawyers should not be censured for practicing law,” says 11th Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch. The U.S. Constitution was signed by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on Sept. 17, 1787, so the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association celebrated Constitution Day on Tuesday with a CLE lunch and a guest speaker from Miami. Hirsch The topic of 11th Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch’s presentation was the importance of an independent bench and Bar. Hirsch said that while the Constitution contains no express guarantee of that independence, Article 3, Section 2 restricts the jurisdiction of the federal courts. It also calls for
Photo by Max Marbut
Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association 2019-20 President Helen Peacock Roberson, left, a partner at Bishop & Mills, and immediate past President, Assistant U.S. Attorney Collette Cunningham.
trial by jury. “With each side represented by an advocate. That is the heart of the American Bar,” Hirsch said. He cited as an example of when independence of the Bar can be subverted the case of Ronald Sullivan, the Harvard Law School professor who, for a short time, was part of film producer Harvey Weinstein’s legal defense team after Weinstein was accused of abusing women. Sullivan’s representation of Weinstein caused student uproar that led to Sullivan being removed as faculty dean of Harvard College’s Winthrop House dormitory, a position he had held since 2009. “The students were furious and demanded Sullivan’s
removal. They said they didn’t feel safe living in a dorm with an adviser who represented a defendant charged with a sex crime,” Hirsch said. Hirsch said while it is clear that the students misunderstand every defendant’s right to legal counsel, it’s more significant that so few of Sullivan’s fellow professors publicly supported his decision to defend a person accused of a crime. “What concerns me even more is the lack of reaction from Harvard’s administration and faculty and from the bench and Bar. “To represent a criminal is not to endorse his crime. Lawyers should not be censured for practicing law,” Hirsch said. He also said it’s the profes-
construction-related matters. Crafton joins two other Rogers Towers Crafton shareholders, G. Kenneth Norrie and Cheryl Worman, who are charter fellows of the international honorary association.
Federalist Society hosts state attorney Sept. 26
Portnoy joins Down Syndrome Association board
The Jacksonville Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society invited 4th Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson to speak at its meeting at noon Sept. 26 in the Multipurpose Room at the Main Library Downtown. Tickets can be purchased at fedsoc.org/chapters/FL/ jacksonville-lawyers-chapter for $10 per person, including lunch. Members and nonmembers are welcome.
Crafton selected CLSA fellow Rogers Towers shareholder Gabriel Crafton was selected as a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. Board certified in construction law by The Florida Bar, he represents developers, contractors, design professionals, governmental entities, homeowners, condominium associations and landlords in
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Corey Portnoy, an associate in the Jacksonville office of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, joined the board of directors of the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville. He will help oversee the association’s career training program, “Empower, Engage & Employ,” which helps people with Down syndrome become employed. While an undergraduate at the University of Florida, Portnoy founded an annual competition between fraternities and sororities that has in the past decade raised more than $100,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network. It was through his involvement that he had the opportunity to interact with children with Down syndrome.
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THE MARBUT REPORT
MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
sion’s responsibility to advocate for itself. “It is the Bar that must stand up for the lawyer. That is the independence of the American Bar. We fail to defend it at our peril,” Hirsch said. Also at the meeting, the 2019-20 officers were installed with Helen Peacock Roberson succeeding Collette Cunningham as president of the chapter.
LEADERS IN THE LAW
Page 16 • Thursday, September 19, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
HEATHER MALTBY
HEATHER S. MALTBY Attorney, Law Office of Robin H. Conner
BY MAX MARBUT • ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Age: 39
Heather Maltby is president of the St. Johns County Bar Association and a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law.
Education: University of North Florida, bachelor’s in criminal justice; Florida Coastal School of Law, J.D.
Who inspired you to become a lawyer? Attorney Tania Schmidt Alpers. In the late 1990s I saw Tania in court representing victims of domestic violence and thought she was the most brave woman I had ever seen. She was the lone female in the courtroom and I was in awe of her strength and confidence. It made me realize that I could be anything, and in that moment I knew that I wanted to be an attorney.
come more restrictive and will do more to protect the elderly, with or without money.
Hometown: Hastings/St. Augustine
If I could change anything in the legal system ... I would make all legal service, not just those of the public defender, available to all people regardless of income.
Family: My significant other, Terry Shoemaker, who also is an attorney, and his daughters, Ansley and Kayla, and our furchild Baxter
What community service have you pursued and why that? I do pro bono guardianships for residents at St. Augustine Center for Living, a group home for disabled adults. Additionally, I am president of the St. Johns County Bar Association and have been co-director of the St. Johns County Young Lawyers Section since 2014. In that time we have established and hosted events that have raised more than $15,000 for various nonprofits such as Jacksonville Area Legal Aid – St. Johns County, Kids Bridge and United Way of St. Johns County.
Someone who inspires me: My boss, Robin Conner. He is the most genuine, honest, happy, easygoing and knowledgeable person I have ever met. He lives by a set of principles that I will always aspire to. How did you decide your practice area? And why have you chosen that? Estate planning, probate and guardianship are practice areas that came very naturally to me. My mom passed away before I began law school, so I became familiar with the probate process. Having been through a significant loss has enabled me to relate on a personal level with my clients in the face of tragedy. Additionally, I grew up with a huge extended family and I was close to all of my grandparents, so protecting the elderly is extremely important to me. Guardianships allow me to make sure the most vulnerable elderly are properly cared for, and estate planning and probate are naturally intertwined. What has been the biggest change in your practice area since you passed the Bar?
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The biggest change I’ve observed is how attorneys advertise effectively. Websites and social media are becoming a lot more important than an ad in the Yellow Pages. What do you think will be the next biggest change in your area of law? I think there will be a lot of statutory changes to guardianship as the elderly population of Florida continues to grow. I think the guardianship system will be-
What’s your advice for new lawyers? Find a mentor. Meet more established attorneys practicing in your field and ask them questions. Take them to lunch to pick their brains and never think that you know more than they do. Established attorneys are a wealth of knowledge and most are willing to do what they can to help you along the way, even if they are on the other side of the case from you. Always remember your clients are going to come and go, but the attorneys in your field are going to be there a long time after your client, so don’t burn a bridge over an “enthusiastic” client.
Favorite book: “A Land Remembered” by Patrick D. Smith and “Tales of a Female Nomad” by Rita Goldman Gilman. Books I’m reading now: “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway; “A Sail of Two Idiots” by Renee Petrillo and Daisy Jones; and “The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Apps I can’t live without: Yelp. I love searching menus and trying new restaurants. Simplifile saves a ton of time when filing deeds. Favorite nonwork activity: Travel. If I am not exploring a new town or country every few months I get claustrophobic and feel like my life is sedentary. I also really enjoy being outside, even if it’s just a walk after dinner. Being outside instantly relaxes me.
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