FRIDAY December 7, 2018
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
GrandDaily opening for Lofts at Monroe Record JACKSONVILLE
It is the second of four affordable housing apartments developed Downtown by The Vestcor Companies.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
BY JAY SCHLICHTER ASSOCIATE EDITOR
THE MATHIS REPORT
The Lofts at Monroe apartments officially opened Thursday with its 108 units occupied and a waiting list. “What’s amazing about this isn’t just what it’s doing here in this footprint but how it plays into the larger vision of how we change our city,” said Brian Hughes, chief of staff for Mayor Lenny Curry and interim CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority. Hughes referred to the city and JAX Chamber’s goal of increasing the number of residents Downtown. “It’s really what will transform our Downtown,” Hughes said. “And if our Downtown is transformed, the whole city gets transformed because economic opportunity will go out in all directions.” The Lofts at Monroe is the second Lofts project Downtown for The Vestcor Companies. They are affordable housing projects. The five-story building at 906 W. Monroe St. includes a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units. The project was financed by Wells Fargo through the state’s Housing Finance Corp. tax credit program. Units can only be rented to low-income earners making 60 percent or less of the Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area median wage, $69,900. Summit Contracting Group Inc. built the project in about 13 months. Residents began to move in Nov. 1 and it was fully occupied within one month, Vestcor officials said.
JACKSONVILLE
Photo by Jay Schlichter
Brian Hughes, left, interim CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority and chief of staff for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, talked about the impact of Lofts at Monroe at the community’s grand opening Thursday.
Amenities include a fitness room, internet cafe, resident lounge and a dog walk area. Vestcor, which has several affordable housing projects in Florida, has three “Lofts” projects in the LaVilla neighborhood and one in Brooklyn. The first, also completed, is Lofts at LaVilla, a 130-unit community across from the Prime Osborn Convention Center. Construction of the third, Lofts at Jefferson Station, began in early October at 799 Water St. The Jefferson Station project will have 133 low-income and workforce housing units. Workforce housing is for residents making up to 140 percent of that median income. Vestcor President Steve Moore and Ryan Hoover, who leads the firm’s affordable housing division as president of TVC Development, also are working on another Lofts project in Brooklyn at Spruce and Jackson streets. Moore said the projects would not be possible without the support of the city, JAX Chamber and others.
The five-story Lofts at Monroe in the LaVilla at 906 W. Monroe St. had a soft opening for residents Nov. 1 but officially opened Thursday.
He said tenants of the 108 units now can “come home to something they are proud of” without having to spend 50 to 60 percent of their income on rent. JAX Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis said it was beneficial to build workforce housing before “big develop-
ment takes off.” “We will have the ability for firefighters, teachers and police officers to have affordable living Downtown,” he said. JAYS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @JAY_SCHLICHTER (904) 356-246
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Collins Aerospace planning factory
The deal at Imeson in North Jacksonville matches legislation filed for “Project Turtle.” Collins Aerospace, which is the recently joined UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, is working on plans to lease a new building in North Jacksonville to make parts for clients that include the U.S. Department of Defense. Formerly called United Technologies Aerospace Systems, the company will rent a 140,833-square-foot warehouse at 10531 Busch Drive N. in Imeson International Industrial Park, according to building plans. The deal matches the description of “Project Turtle,” a code-named project that will be introduced Tuesday to City Council. The legislation was filed Wednesday. The unidentified company seeks $1.64 million in taxpayer-backed financial incentives to expand its SEE MATHIS, PAGE 2
Hakimian buys Daytona Beach center Hakimian Holdings Inc. expanded south with its almost $8.6 million acquisition of the Gates of International Speedway Boulevard at 2200 W. International Speedway Blvd. in Daytona Beach. The 70,000-square-foot center is fully leased with tenants that include Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Pep Boys. Jacksonville-based Hakimian Holdings, led by Ben Hakimian, right, will make improvements to the property, which is near the $800 million One Daytona project with retail, dining, entertainment, hotels and apartments.
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