Daily Record Financial News &
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Vol. 105, No. 020 • One Section
35¢
www.jaxdailyrecord.com
The wait for Wawa is over
Photo by Karen Brune Mathis
Donna Plant, store manager of the Wawa at 6787 Wilson Blvd., guides City Council member Garrett Dennis to prepare the first hoagie produced at a Jacksonville-area Wawa. The store had a tasting Tuesday in advance of its opening at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
The first two of dozens of stores planned for Northeast Florida by the convenience store chain open Wednesday.
By Karen Brune Mathis Editor Northeast Florida residents who ask “what’s a Wawa?” can answer it for themselves starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday at two stores in Duval and Clay counties. Northeastern natives who grew up with the Pennsylvania-based gas station and convenience store
JEA beginning study of privatizing utility Board expects a report for review in 60 days. By Max Marbut Associate Editor JEA is moving forward with its plan to evaluate whether to transition the public utility to private ownership. At the first board meeting since outgoing board member Tom Petway offered the proposal, board Chair Alan Howard said Tuesday he doesn’t want the question to become a “distraction for the organization,” but reviving the question that has come up several times in the past is a valid exercise.
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“The energy market has changed dramatically (since the proposal was made several years ago),” he said. Last week, Howard directed JEA CEO Paul McElroy to identify and engage a study of JEA’s assets and the potential impact of privatization. McElroy said his staff will develop a plan to provide an update that he expects to be ready for the board’s review in about 60 days. Until the board has the opportunity to review the report, “it’s business as usual at JEA,” Howard said. mmarbut@jaxdailyrecord.com (904) 356-2466
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chain swear by its made-to-order hoagies and self-serve coffee. Catherine Pulos, chief operations officer, said Tuesday it’s the experience in the store made possible by the employees, who own 41 percent of the privately held company and have a direct stake in how customers are treated. Wawa leadership invited guests to a tasting Tuesday in advance
of the Wednesday opening. Wawa said the stores will offer free coffee for 10 days. Wednesday celebrations are scheduled at 9 a.m. at 6787 Wilson Blvd. in Jacksonville and 1 p.m. at 678 Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park. The opening at 4866 Gate Parkway is set for Dec. 21. Wawa
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Permits filed for construction of Web.com’s new headquarters Internet company plans move to Town Center Two building along Gate Parkway in 2019. Construction for Web.com’s new headquarters building is in review. Brasfield & Gorrie LLC applied for a permit to construct the sixstory, 217,877-square-foot shell office building on 14.1 acres at
5335 Gate Parkway at a cost of $18 million. The site is owned by JO Town Center Two LLC, led by leaders of VanTrust Real Estate LLC. Web.com announced in November it will move from Flagler Center to Town Center Two in spring 2019. The global provider of internet and online marketing services for small businesses will lease the entire building. It employs about 1,000 people in Jacksonville and 3,800 globally. VanTrust Real Estate is developing the building next to Town Center One, which will be anchored by Jacksonville-based
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Availity LLC. Availity is a health care internet company. Town Center One is a more than $30 million, five-floor, 160,000-square-foot building scheduled for completion in summer 2018. Construction, site clearing, Availity build-out and other costs top $22 million. Together, the two buildings represent an investment of more than $80 million, said VanTrust Executive Vice President John Carey. Town Center Two completes VanTrust’s Gate Parkway development, which totals 29 acres Mathis
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consecutive business days