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Northeast Florida housing data signals slowdown in 2019
December 13-19, 2018
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JACKSONVILLE
Record & Observer Sears closing warehouse in Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE
Record & Observer
The bankrupt retailer will transfer work to Ocala.
VOLT JACKSONVILLE MOON
BY MARK BASCH
CART
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
TOP SECRET& PROJECTS Record Observer
REVEALED JACKSONVILLE
Sears Holding Corp. said Wednesday it will close its North Jacksonville distribution center in mid-April as the company downsizes through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Chicago-based Sears in April sold the almost 750,000-squarefoot warehouse, built in 1990, to California-based LBA Realty. However, Sears continued to lease the facility at 1 Imeson Park Blvd., which distributes merchandise to Sears and Kmart stores. However, after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October, Sears decided to close the facility. “Sears Holdings is implementing a strategy to optimize our supply chain resources to meet the needs of our retail business and align with our forecasted volume. As part of this strategy, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close our distribution center in Jacksonville,” a company spokesman said in an emailed statement. The statement said the number of workers affected is “not available.” Affected employees will have the opportunity to apply for open positions in the company. The distribution work from the Jacksonville center will be moved to another distribution center in Ocala. The company operated 866 Sears and Kmart stores nationwide as of August but has announced planned closures of 162 stores since the bankruptcy filing. Sears still has two stores open in the Jacksonville market in The Avenues mall and Orange Park Mall. No Kmart stores remain.
Record & Observer BLAZE
GLASS
WOLFE
Companies hidden by code name, city negotiate millions in incentives. BY DAVID CAWTON STAFF WRITER
W
ith code names like Project Turtle and Project Empire, nearly a dozen companies negotiated economic development deals with the city of Jacksonville in 2018 without divulging their identities to the public. The deals included millions of dollars in taxpayer financial incentives negotiated outside of public view and voted on by City Council without an identified name. Since January, economic development packages for 10 companies that were unidentified in
legislation included more than $13.2 million in city and state-backed financial incentives. Those companies proposed adding 1,090 jobs over the next five years and investing more than $200 million in private capital into new or existing facilities. Eight of those agreements have been executed. Incentives usually are paid out over several years and only after the company reaches agreed-upon hiring goals or investments at their facilities. Under state law, companies can protect what they consider sensitive and identifiable information during negotiations. The prospects require government officials to
Mathis Report: Rooker developing Perimeter West warehouse PAGE 4 Cawton Report: JEA plans to start paying down debt PAGE 9 OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP
INSIDE
Chart breaks down the 10 code name incentives deals the city, state and businesses negotiated in 2018. Page 8.
MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
SEE INCENTIVES, PAGE 8
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Elias Hionides bringing housing to Downtown PAGE 12 VOLUME 1, NO. 28 • ONE SECTION
WHAT’S TRENDING
Page 2 • Thursday, December 13, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
DEVELOPMENT Skinners seek permits for I-95, Butler property The Skinner family is preparing to launch work on its 1,066acre property at southeast Butler Boulevard and Interstate 295 in South Jacksonville. A 920-page application and submittals to the St. Johns River Water Management District says the property, owned by Sawmill Timber LLC, will be developed in seven phases that will be built over the next 20 years. The family expects full build-out could take about 36 years. “We continue to pursue permits for the property. Skinner As of today, we have no contracts with any buyers,” said family representative A.C. “Chip” Skinner. The application seeks to fill wetland areas, build two roadways with wetland crossings, 22 stormwater management facilities and clearing and mass grading of the remaining upland area.
APARTMENTS New affordable housing for Jacksonville Beach The Jacksonville Housing Authority and TVC Development Inc. will tear down 1960s-era apartment buildings in Jacksonville Beach and build The Waves, a 127-unit affordable housing project, in their place. Plans call for the demolition of 26 apartment buildings owned by the public housing agency on eight separate residential blocks east of Jacksonville Beach’s golf club and elementary school. They will be replaced with 16 two-story buildings, which also will be owned by the JHA. Each building will house eight apartments and have 32 parking spaces. There will be 128 units, but one will be used as a “common area” unit.
EDUCATION Virginia College closes
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Jacksonville Daily Record, Jacksonville Record & Observer and Realty-Builder are a division of Observer Media Group Inc. Established in 1912, the Financial News & Daily Record, now the Jacksonville Daily JACKSONVILLE Record, is published Monday-Friday and is the Official Court Newspaper of the Circuit 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, law, companies, economic and industry trends and how local and state government affects business.
Virginia College closed nationwide along with its Jacksonville campus at 5940 Beach Blvd. Florida State College at Jacksonville is offering assistance to the displaced students, including waiving its $25 application fee. Students can email welcome@fscj.edu or call (904) 357-8917. Virginia College is owned by the Education Corporation of America, one of the country’s largest for-profit college operators. It owns more than 75 campuses.
Realty-Builder is a monthly publication connecting Northeast Florida’s real estate professionals and homebuilders. Content focuses on timely news, information and trends affecting residential real estate sales and construction, as well as events and legal issues impacting the industry. Visit Realty-Builder.com to request your free copy.
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Terry Hull joined Dewberry’s Jacksonville office as associate vice president and program manager in the Resilience Solutions Group to lead the coastal community practice. Hull is responsible for projects related to mapping, disaster mitigation and engineering. Hull most recently worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Patrick & Raines CPAs named two to its accounts team: CPA Barbara Bellamy has a Master of Professional Accountancy from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Ruqayyah Shabazz joined as an enrolled agent. Shabazz’s background is in retail banking, tax preparation and accounting. She is a federally licensed practitioner authorized to represent clients to the IRS. Shanell Davis-Bryant joined Groundwork Jacksonville Inc. as program manager. Davis-Bryant will be responsible for directing the environmental improvement initiatives including the Green Team Youth apprenticeship program. Davis-Bryant most recently worked with Col-
liers International as client services coordinator. The Heritage Bank announced two promotions and two hires: Bennett Brown was named market president. Brown has more than 48 years of experience in the banking industry. Brown formerly was president at American Enterprise Bank, CNB National Bank and Compass Bank. Chelsea Chasteen was named as bank officer. Chasteen manages consumer and small business deposit relationships and supervises the operational functions for the bank’s Jacksonville office. Carole Gardner joins the bank as private banker and commercial lender. Gardner has more than 35 years of community banking experience and formerly was senior vice president with IberiaBank. Keith Bailey was named vice president. Bailey is a commercial lender and specializes in working with local churches. Bailey formerly was senior vice president and commercial relationship manager with Valley National Bank.
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TSG Realty was misidentified in a headline on Page 4 in the Dec. 6 Jacksonville Daily Record and the Jacksonville Record & Observer.
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Thursday, December 13, 2018 • Page 3
Housing data signals slowdown in 2019 BY MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Housing market trends generally have been positive in recent years as the market recovers from the financial crisis a decade ago. However, several firms that collect data on the market see signals of a slowdown heading into 2019. Realtor.com is projecting sales of existing homes to fall by 2 percent nationally next year, as rising mortgage rates and home prices make it especially difficult for younger, firsttime buyers to purchase homes. “Inventory will continue to increase next year, but unless Hale there is a major shift in the economic trajectory, we don’t expect a buyer’s market on the horizon within the next five years,” Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale said in a news release. “Unfortunately for buyers, it’s only going to get more costly to buy, especially the
JACKSONVILLE HOUSING MARKET TRENDS
.05% 11.5% Percentage increase in the average days to flip, 174, from 2017.
Projected home sales growth in 2019
2% Median listing price of homes in November 2018 from 2017.
11.9% Percentage drop in third-quarter homes flipped, 392, from 2017.
most-demanded entry level real estate,” she said. The projection for Jacksonville is better than the rest of the country, with Realtor.com forecasting 0.5 percent home sales growth next year.
4.8% Increase in average tappable equity over the past year, now $72,500 Sources: Realtor.com, ATTOM Data Solutions, Black Knight
However, another report from Realtor.com on November sales activity said Jacksonville was one of only eight of the 45 largest metropolitan areas to have declining prices. The median listing price for
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Jacksonville was 2 percent lower than it was in November 2017. Meanwhile, a quarterly report by ATTOM Data Solutions said the number of single-family homes and condominiums “flipped” in the third quarter was 12 percent lower than last year. ATTOM defines a flip as any arm’s-length sale of a singlefamily home or condo that was previously involved in an armslength transaction within the past 12 months. Flips accounted for only 5 percent of U.S. home sales in the third quarter but the data firm says it is a significant indicator. “Home flipping acts as a canary in the coal mine for a cooling housing market because the high velocity of transactions provides home flippers with some of the best and most realtime data on how the market is trending,” ATTOM Senior Vice President Daren Blomquist said in a news release. The flipping market has declined year-over-year for three straight quarters, he said. Jacksonville pretty much mirrored the national market in flipping. ATTOM reported 392 flipping transactions in the Jacksonville metro area in the third quarter, down 11.9 percent from last year. Flips accounted for 5.6 percent of all home sales. The gross profit from home flips in the Jacksonville market was $62,500 in the third quarter, compared to $63,000 nationally. One more report this week from Jacksonville-based Black
Knight Inc. showed total “tappable equity,” the amount of equity available for homeowners with mortgages to borrow against, fell by $140 billion in the third quarter. “That is the first decline we’ve seen since the housing recovery began, and its cause can be traced directly to softening home prices in some of the nation’s most expensive – and equity-rich – markets,” said Ben Graboske, executive vice president of Black Knight’s Data & Analytics division, in a news release. The mortgage technology and data firm said tappable equity fell in 60 of the 100 largest U.S. markets, including 12 of the top 15. Black Knight said the average homeowner in the Jacksonville area with a mortgage had about $72,500 in tappable equity available in the third quarter, about $350 less than in the second quarter. Graboske said tappable equity remains at a high level despite the drop from the second to the third quarter. The average Jacksonville homeowner still had about $3,300 more in tappable equity available than he or she did a year ago. “But the fact remains that affordability concerns are beginning to have an impact on home prices, particularly in more expensive markets, and as a result, on homeowner equity as well,” Graboske said. MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
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ECONOMIC TRENDS
But according to Realtor.com economist, that doesn’t mean there’s a buyer’s market on horizon.
Page 4 • Thursday, December 13, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE MATHIS REPORT
Rooker plans warehouse at Perimeter West
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
The Atlanta-based company bought the property in October. Rooker Properties LLC is making plans to develop a warehouse at the Perimeter West Industrial Park property it bought in October. JEA responded to a request for the availability of utility service for a 155,820-squarefoot warehouse, called Building #3, at the Northwest Jacksonville property. The project comprises 15,000 square feet of office space and 140,820 square feet of warehouse use. As the applicant, consultant Tetra Tech Inc. made the request Nov. 28. JEA responded Dec. 3. Atlanta-based Rooker bought the undeveloped sites in Perimeter West on Oct. 18 for $2.95 million. Vice President Cason Bufe said the company was not ready to share details about its plans. Rooker bought 38.91 acres in three parcels at northeast Interstate 295 and Pritchard Road, records show. Site plans show an available commercial site of 6 acres at the corner of the property. Site plans of the other two parcels show designs of more warehouse space, including the 155,820-square-foot center (PWDC 3). The specific site outlined in the JEA letter was north of Perimeter Industrial Parkway North between Perimeter Industrial Parkways East and West. Perimeter West Industrial Park is anchored by a Volkswagen parts distribution center, Cardinal Health and UniFirst Corp., which is building an industrial laundry facility and distribution center there. At least a dozen industrial warehouses and distribution centers are proposed in the
File image
A 2014 site plan from King Industrial Realty of Florida shows Perimeter West Industrial Park Building #3 in the upper right.
area, primarily in business parks in north and west Jacksonville. Low industrial and warehouse vacancy rates are leading developers to bring structures online to meet demand.
Retail notes n Publix Super Markets Inc. will renovate its Arlington store at 7117 Merrill Road at a cost of $700,000, according to a pending building permit. Elkins Construction LLC is the contractor for the project, which is a renovation of the 54,645-square-foot store. Lakeland-based Publix has been remodeling or rebuilding many of its area supermarkets. n Harbour Retail Partners of North Carolina paid $6.73 million and executed a mortgage of $18.6 million with Ameris Bank for the 11.2-acre Tamaya Market it plans to develop at Beach and Tamaya boulevards. The roughly 75,000-squarefoot center will be anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market. n Circle K applied to the city for a $5.55 million project to rebuild at Girvin Road and Atlantic Boulevards in East Arlington. Circle K proposes to build a 5,314-square-foot convenience store on 3 acres at 12743 Atlantic Blvd. It also
proposes a 1,489-squarefoot car wash. Woolverton of Orlando is the engineer. The developer is Circle K’s South Atlantic division in Waycross, Georgia. n The city issued a permit for construction of a 7,500-square-foot Dollar General store on 1.03 acres at 7194 Wilson Blvd. at a construction cost of $296,985. n Family Dollar Stores Inc. is renovating and building. The city is reviewing a permit application for a store at 4594 Sunbeam Road. Family Dollar wants to complete the interior finishes of a new shell building at a cost of $100,000. No contractor is listed for the 8,320-square-foot project. The city also issued a permit for landlord work toward a Family Dollar store in Highland Square at 1022 Dunn Ave. at a cost of $125,000. Hallmark Construction Enterprises LLC of Lake Worth is the contractor. n Beauty Max will open at Kernan Village in the first quarter, announced landlord Weingarten Realty. The shopping center, anchored by Walmart, is at Kernan and Atlantic boulevards. Weingarten was represented by Regional Leasing Director Alexander Evans.
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Racetrac Petroleum plans to build a gas station and convenience store at the former Wells Fargo bank branch site at 8715 Baymeadows Road. n Personal trainer Josh Durbin opened Club Pilates in Brooklyn Station on Riverside at 150 Riverside Ave. The grand opening celebration is scheduled Saturday. n Wawa is working toward development of a 6,119-square-foot gas station and convenience store at 8251 Old Middleburg Road S. in southwest Jacksonville near OakLeaf. n RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. bought a closed bank branch property at 8715 Baymeadows Road for development of a gas station and convenience store. Atlanta-based RaceTrac bought the site from Wells Fargo Bank for $1.6 million. RaceTrac said previously it
hopes to start construction by the middle of 2019 for completion by year-end on a 5,400-square-foot prototype on 1.42 acres. The city is reviewing a permit application for the $1.2 million construction project. n RaceTrac Petroleum also paid $1.25 million for 3.18 acres in Arlington at Fort Caroline Road and Business Drive. Buck Business Park LLC sold the property to RaceTrac on Dec. 5. RaceTrac plans to build a 5,500-square-foot store. Jason Ryals and Katherine Goodwin of Colliers International represented RaceTrac. n The city approved renovations for Surplus Warehouse to lease about 31,800 square
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer feet of space in Regency Park next to the Bealls Outlet at 9400 Atlantic Blvd. Arkansas-based Surplus Warehouse describes itself as a deep-discount home improvement supplier of products for floors, kitchens, doors and windows. The retailer is part of E.C. Barton & Co. of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Most of its goods are overstocks, closeouts, factory surplus, discontinued projects or the previous year’s models bought directly from the manufacturer. The company does not deliver. It introduced a design center for free estimates on plans for home improvement projects. n Valvoline Instant Oil Change wants to develop a 1,660-square-foot location on just under an acre at 8647 Blanding Blvd., north of Clay County. The city issued concurrency reservation and mobility fee calculation certificates for the project. No fee was calculated for the traffic impact because the facility would replace a fullservice car wash. n Mattress Firm will lease a store at 450 Durbin Pavilion Drive, Suite 101. St. Johns County issued a permit for the $85,000 build-out of 3,600 square feet of space. n Beachwood Plaza intends to add a 5,000-square-foot expansion at 11757 Beach Blvd., east of Interstate 295. The plaza now comprises 38,700 square feet among three buildings along with a Burger King restaurant. The city issued a concurrency reservation certificate for the project on 5.59 acres. KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
Thursday, December 13, 2018 • Page 5
Springfield bakery seeks city financing Kurt and Allison D’Aurizio seek $55,000 Commercial Development Area Program loan to complete repairs. BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Born in the South Inc. requests a $55,000 city Commercial Development Area Program loan to complete its Springfield renovations for the 1748 Bakehouse at 1748 N. Main St. Kurt and Allison D’Aurizio established Born in the South in January. The operate a bakery booth at the Riverside Arts Market, sell My Grandmother’s Pies through the internet and custom bake for several retail locations. They plan to convert the former Carl’s Restaurant at Eighth and Main streets into a 1,500-squarefoot, 34-seat bakery and restaurant at an investment of $295,000. It will create six full-time and two part-time jobs. The investment comprises $217,000 in space improvements and $78,000 for machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures. Funding sources comprise a $160,000 Small Business Administration loan through Florida Capital Bank; $47,000 from the landlord; $33,000 in owners’ equity; and the $55,000 CDAP loan. To qualify for the CDAP, a business must be located in what the city considers an economically distressed area. The 1748 Bakehouse is in a designated Level 1 Economically Distressed Area. A city summary of the 1748 Bake-
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Kurt D’Aurizio is the vice president and chef for Born in the South Inc., which will do business at 1748 Bakehouse in Springfield. He and his wife, Allison, president of the company, seek a city loan to help complete the build-out of the bakery and restaurant at 1748 N. Main St.
house project said loan proceeds will be made in a lump sum after other identified funding sources are fully paid toward the project and substantial completion of the improvements. Total repayment over the term will be $63,730 – the principal amount of $55,000 plus $8,700 in interest. Monthly payments would be $531.09 over 10 years. Fast-track legislation was introduced Tuesday to City Council, Resolution 2018-858. It requests two readings rather than the three-reading council cycle.
RESTAURANT NOTES n Moe’s Southwest Grill proposes a St. Johns County restaurant at 1681 U.S. 1 in St. Augustine. MSG St. Augustine Land LLC of Jacksonville is the developer. The 2,818-square-foot restaurant is on 1.15 acres. n McDonald’s seeks a permit to demolish its 3,745-square-foot Mandarin location at 11682 San Jose Blvd. to build a new restaurant. Stansell Properties & Development LLC is the contractor. McDonald’s previously applied for permits to rebuild the location at a cost of $805,000, which includes a dumpster enclosure.
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Page 6 • Thursday, December 13, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE BASCH REPORT
RH looking at smaller concept for Jacksonville
MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The furniture chain formerly known as Restoration Hardware wants to boost its market share. As home furnishings retailer RH reported quarterly earnings last week, its CEO mentioned Jacksonville as a “target secondary market” for a new concept of smaller Design Gallery stores. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, opened an outlet store in 2016 at The Shoppes at Southside at 9950 Southside Blvd., north of The Avenues mall. That’s the company’s only Jacksonville store. The company’s typical Design Gallery averages 33,000 square feet. However, in a letter to shareholders accompanying the earnings report, CEO Gary Friedman said RH is working on a new concept for secondary markets with 10,000- to 18,000-square-foot stores. “We believe these smaller expressions of our brand will enable us to gain share in markets currently only served by smaller competitors,” he said. When asked for more details on RH’s plans for Jacksonville, a spokeswoman said by email the company has no additional comment at this time. Besides Jacksonville, Friedman said RH is looking at Fort Worth, Texas, and Hartford, Connecticut, for the smaller stores. “Our plan is to test a few of these Galleries over the next several years, and if proven successful, this format could lead to an increase in our longterm Gallery targets,” he said. RH had 86 Galleries and 37 outlet stores at the end of its third quarter and is hoping to open five to seven new Gallery stores a year. RH, which anticipates about $2.5 billion in revenue in fiscal 2018, could see $10 million to $15 million a year in revenue from its smaller Design Galleries, Friedman said. The company is seeking to develop stores itself, with potential sale-leaseback arrangements, or in joint venture partnerships. That would enable it to recoup its capital investment in new stores in a shorter time. RH anticipates it can recoup its investments in the smaller Gallery stores within two years after opening, Friedman said.
LocatorX moves toward public offering
A Jacksonville-based company called LocatorX last week appointed a new CEO which it said will help take the company to a public offering. LocatorX, which is developing logistics tracking technology, hired Scott Fletcher as president and CEO. Fletcher
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RH opened its store in Portland, Oregon, in April. The store is four levels and 46,000 square feet of space. The furniture chain is considering opening smaller stores, of 10,000- to 18,000-square-feet, in secondary markets.
retired in June as vice president of Ultimate Software and has more than 30 years of experience with information technology and new business programs, the company said. LocatorX said Fletcher will focus on bringing the company’s first product to the market and moving the company toward a Regulation A+ Direct Public Offering. Regulation A+ is designed to help smaller companies sell stock to the public through Fletcher a more streamlined process than a traditional initial public offering. LocatorX filed an offering circular with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May seeking to sell up to $25 million in stock. The company says it is developing a location tracking device based on technology it licensed from the University of Oxford for a solid-state miniature atomic clock. LocatorX is affiliated with another publicly traded Jacksonville-based company called MV Portfolios Inc. LocatorX refers to MV as its “parent company” in its offering circular but in MV’s last annual report, it said it has a noncontrolling interest in LocatorX. Besides its investment in LocatorX, MV has a subsidiary called 1st Rescue Inc. which is developing technology to deliver emergency medical equipment by drones. MV trades in the OTC Market under the ticker symbol “MVPI.”
Nexstar deal will make it largest TV station owner
Two years after selling Jacksonville station WCWJ TV-17 as part of a large merger deal, Nexstar Media Group Inc.
last week announced another acquisition that will make it the largest owner of U.S. television stations. Nexstar announced a $6.4 billion agreement to buy Tribune Media Co. in a deal that would give the Texasbased company 216 stations in 118 markets. However, to get regulatory approval, Nexstar expects to have to divest some stations in 15 markets where the two companies overlap. Nexstar has been through that before. The company acquired Media General Inc. for $4.6 billion in January 2017. But as a requirement for Federal Communications Commission approval of that deal, it had to divest 11 stations, including WCWJ. Graham Holdings Co., longtime owner of WJXT TV-4 in Jacksonville, bought WCWJ and has been operating both stations for nearly two years.
American Outdoor beats forecast Another company leaving Jacksonville, American Outdoor Brands Corp., reported higher-than-expected earnings last week. American Outdoor announced in August it will close its 100,625-square-foot Jacksonville warehouse at 7720 Philips Highway next year. The facility employed about 50 people. The marketer of firearms and outdoor gear reported adjusted earnings of 20 cents a share for the second quarter ended Oct. 31, 9 cents higher than last year and 7 cents higher than the average forecast of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. American Outdoor changed its name from Smith & Wesson two years ago, shortly after the company announced the acquisition of Jacksonvillebased outdoor gear company Ultimate Survival Technologies. The company bought UST as part of a plan to broaden its
business beyond the firearms market. The Massachusetts-based company is closing the former UST facility as it consolidates its outdoor gear business into a single warehouse in Missouri. American Outdoor said second-quarter sales rose 8.9 percent to $148.4 million, helped by its outdoor gear business. “Our outdoor products & accessories segment, a strategically important Debney market that we first entered just four years ago, generated approximately one-third of our revenue in the quarter,” CEO James Debney said in a news release. American Outdoor’s stock rose as much as $3.11 to $15.32 Friday after the earnings report.
Embraer-Boeing deal moves forward A “strategic partnership” between two aerospace companies with operations in Jacksonville, Boeing Co. and Brazil-based Embraer S.A., is moving forward again after a Brazilian court temporarily blocked it last week. After months of negotiations, the companies in July announced the partnership where Embraer will sell 80 percent of its commercial aviation business to Boeing. The deal has been controversial in Brazil because many people oppose a Brazilian company giving up control to an American company. A Brazil federal court issued an injunction last week to stop the deal. However, Embraer said Monday an appeals court revoked the injunction. Brazil’s attorney general also asked the court to revoke the injunction. While the Brazilian government has veto
power over any deal involving Embraer, the attorney general argued it is unconstitutional for the court to interfere in a business negotiation between private companies. A deal involving Embraer’s commercial business would not affect its facility at Jacksonville International Airport, where the company builds military aircraft. Boeing has a repair and modification facility at Cecil Commerce Center.
Deutsche Bank rumors about merger persist
A week after Deutsche Bank’s CEO dismissed talk of a merger for the Germany-based bank, rumors about a pending deal are persisting. Focus, a German magazine, reported over the weekend that Germany’s Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is pushing for a merger between Deutsche Bank and another major German bank, Commerzbank. The magazine said Scholz Scholz wants at least one strong German bank in place to assist German companies doing business abroad. Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing publicly has stated opposition to any merger talk, saying his company’s turnaround plans are working and the bank soon will be profitable. Focus reported Commerz bank CEO Martin Zielke is open to the idea, however. Deutsche Bank employs about 2,000 people in Jacksonville in its second-largest U.S. operations center, after New York. MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 13, 2018 • Page 7
REAL ESTATE
Top 10 sales of the week BY SCOTT SAILER • EDITORIAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Here are the top 10 real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded Dec. 3-7.
File image
The Point at Town Center apartments at 5116 Gate Parkway sold for $46.74 million.
$46,740,000
$14,950,000
$13,213,832
$10,800,000
$6,732,000
5116 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, Duval County
Collins Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
10201 W. Beaver St., Jacksonville, Duval County
2165 Dunsford Terrace, Jacksonville, Duval County
Northwest Beach and Tamaya boulevards Jacksonville, Duval County
Type: The Point at Town Center apartments Size: 12.9 acres Buyer: Gateway Parkway Owner LLC Seller: Chadbourne I LLC
Type: Collins Plaza shopping center Size: 24.57 acres Buyer: CH Retail Fund II / Jacksonville Collins Plaza LLC Seller: GDC Collins LLC
Type: Paradise Village Mobile Home Park Size: 100.13 acres Buyer: Granite Paradise Village LLC Seller: Paradise Village Limited LP Previous sale: $3,900,000 in 1994
Type: San Marco Village Apartments Size: 4.76 acres Buyer: San Marco Jacksonville LLC Seller: LCP Jacksonville LLC Previous sale: $8,000,000 in 2016
Type: Vacant retail property Size: 11.2 acres Buyer: HRP Tamaya Market LLC Seller: Tamaya Loan Acquisitions LLC
$6,625,257
$4,856,250
$4,500,000
$3,414,000
$3,200,000
Acree Road, Jacksonville Duval County
6802 Commonwealth Ave., Jacksonville, Duval County
5402 Philips Highway, Jacksonville, Duval County
6455 San Juan Ave., Jacksonville, Duval County
Garden Street, Jacksonville, Duval County
Type: Timberland Size: 602.57 acres Buyer: JEA Seller: Rayonier Atlantic Timber Co.
Type: Quality Inn Conference Center Size: 5.73 acres Buyer: Rajville Hospitality Inc. Seller: Radhe108 LLC
Type: United Rentals Size: 4.75 acres Buyer: Herman Family Holdings LLC Seller: Auld Vandergriff White II LLC
Type: Casa Grande apartments Size: 2.64 acres Buyer: CG Apartments LLC Seller: Gregory J. Wholey, Stephen F. Watson and Michael J. Watson
Type: Vacant land Size: 193.49 acres Buyer: Lennar Homes LLC Seller: CLDG Land III LLC Previous sale: $2,165,000 in 2018
Marital/ Family Law
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Page 8 • Thursday, December 13, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Project code names revealed Companies seeking financial incentives from the city of Jacksonville and state are allowed by state law to use code names to shield their identities during negotiations to protect trade secrets or proprietary information. Here’s a look at the code-named projects in Jacksonville in 2018 and what they turned out to be: Project City code name legislation Company Business
City incentives
State incentives
Proposed capital investment Jobs
Volt*
2018-0149
Solar panel manufacturing
$3.4 million
$800,000
$50.5 million
200
Moon
2018-0184 Selene Finance
Financial services
$50,000
$200,000
$125,000
50
Cart
2018-0223 C&S Wholesale Grocers Wholesale food distributor
$40,000
0
$400,000
40
Blaze
2018-0338 Ecoco Inc.
Hair products manufacturing $90,000
$360,000
$11 million
150
Wolfe
2018-0408 SharedLabs
IT services
$131,000
$428,000
$1.4 million
106
Glass
2018-0662 Bonelli Enterprises
Window manufacturing
$135,000
$540,000
$7 million
135
Empire
2018-0663 Wayfair
Distribution center
$3.3 million
0
$72 million
250
Buckeye
2018-0697 Cra-Z-Art
Toy manufacturing, distribution $638,000
$50,400
Not available
21
JinkoSolar
PENDING LEGISLATION Project City code name legislation Company Business
City incentives
State incentives
Proposed capital investment Jobs
Flamingo
2018-0828 Not identified
Skin and hair care products
$1.425 million
0
$37.5 million
30
Turtle
2018-0859 Collins Aerospace
Manufacturing
$1.208 million $432,000
$21.8 million
108
*The city confirmed Volt was JinkoSolar, then terminated the agreement and replaced it with a bill that identified it as JinkoSolar
Incentives: Negotiated behind closed doors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
sign nondisclosure agreements that protect their identities for up to a year after an agreement is executed. City-appointed economic development officials can vet the deals behind closed doors and City Council members can vote on them without divulging the name to the public. Economic development officials can meet individually with council members before the votes to explain the deal and the prospect. The city maintains it doesn’t negotiate deals unless they include a positive return on investment, a figure calculated through a formula. Most of the information provided to the public includes the number of jobs and wages or the amount of private capital the companies plan to invest. Sometimes the size and general location of the project is included. Nonspecific information sometimes is provided through public documents, drafts of the development agreements or through legislation. For example, the city described
Project Blaze as an “eco-friendly Midwest-based hair-care product maker.” Project Empire was described as a “national distributor of an assortment of household goods.” Companies and the city sometimes announce the names after council approves the incentives. The name also can be found in the completed economic development agreement signed by the city and a company representative. SHIELDING DETAILS ‘VITAL’
Council President Aaron Bowman is involved directly in the incentives negotiations through his job as senior vice president of business development of the JAXUSA Partnership, the economic development division of the JAX Chamber. He said shielding proprietary or identifiable details is vital for prospects. “They frankly don’t want their competition to know what they’re doing,” Bowman said. “It can impact stock prices, employee morale and even real estate prices.” Bowman said Jacksonville is competing with other cities to
land deals with companies like Amazon, which had code names for its Westside and North JacksonBowman ville fulfillment centers – Project Rex and Project Velo. The Jacksonville Daily Record and Record & Observer identified several of the companies using code names in 2018 by researching public documents, corporate information and reporting. Among other projects, the Jacksonville Daily Record identified Project Empire as Wayfair LLC, Project Blaze as Ecoco Inc. and Project Volt as JinkoSolar before the city would provide the information. The Project Volt agreement was terminated and new legislation was introduced that named JinkoSolar. Bowman said that reporting the names before the companies want them disclosed can jeopardize negotiations. “I’ve been told very bluntly by several consultants that, ‘Jacksonville, you’re on the shortlist but if I read about this in the
paper, you’re immediately off’,” he said. He did not provide examples of that happening. Bowman said he usually doesn’t know who his competitors are, but when he does, “we’ll use that to our advantage.” “If I know that a company is looking at Charleston, South Carolina, then I’m going to do everything I can to exploit Charleston’s weaknesses and make sure that Jacksonville looks stronger,” he said. “You better believe they’re going to do the same.” THE CODE-NAME CHALLENGE
Coming up with code names is another challenge. “Sometimes they come already with a name and a lot of times we’ll have to double code word it,” Bowman said. “Because if Charleston finds out that we’re also working on a Project Hunter, then they automatically know who their competition is,” he said. Criticism of the deal-making is that the public, and in some cases, the council members voting on the agreements, can’t vet the companies.
“I get it. You’re asking 19 council members to approve a $17 million package and you’re telling them, we can’t say who they are or what they do in public,” Bowman said. “I can see how that can be a problem.” Bowman said council members “can trust economic development officials to be good stewards of taxpayer funds.” If a deal is big enough, or if a council member asks, Bowman said the Office of Economic Development will host one-onone meetings to share sensitive information with the understanding that the conversation remains private. “There’s no paperwork, there’s no recordings or emails,” he said. And usually there is little public debate before council members approve a deal. Bowman said he expects more deals to come up in 2019. “We’ve got a few that are moving along nicely and should come to fruition in the spring,” he said. DCAWTON@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @DAVIDCAWTON (904) 356-2466
DEVELOPMENT TODAY
BUSINESS IN BRIEF
These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued Tuesday by the city of Jacksonville.
Osprey Cafe awarded: The University of North Florida’s Osprey Cafe was named a 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association for its environmental sustainability efforts. The cafe is the only 3 Star Green Restaurant in Florida. The cafe partnered with UNF’s Ogier organic garden to buy produce and compost food scrap. It also recycled 38,000 pounds of waste, donated unused prepared foods and reduced its water use.
BUSINESS CONDOMINIUM ShayCore Enterprises Inc., 11235 St. Johns Industrial Parkway, contractor is ShayCore Enterprises Inc., 1,280 square feet, alteration, $30,000. OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL Philips Highway Properties LLC, 8031 Philips Highway, No. 1, contractor is Equity Builders of Florida LLC, 2,680 square feet, tenant build-out, $63,722. ROOFING Cedar Hills Consolidated LLC, 3538 Blanding Blvd., contractor is Horizon Commercial Roofing Inc., roof replacement, $220,000. MC Harden III Revocable Trust, 806 Riverside Ave., contractor is McCurdy-Walden Inc., roof replacement, $105,000. Club at Danforth Apartments, 3701 Danforth Drive, contractor is Excel Roofing Contractors Inc., two permits for roof replacement, $74,400. Sarah Shockley, 2585 Myra St., contractor is All Around Roofing Inc., roof replacement, $13,625. Greenland Commerce LLC, 6100 Greenland Road, No. 400, contractor is K&G Construction Co. Inc., new building roof, $11,800.
Church of Christ at US HWY 1 Inc., 6452 New Kings Road, contractor is Bigfoot Roofing & Construction Inc., roof replacement, $10,892. SIGNS Gunnchamberlain Financial Center, 4350 Pablo Professional Court, contractor is Taylor Sign & Design Inc., ground sign, $5,095. Natural Life CBD Kratom Kava, 3503 Kernan Blvd. S., No. 7, contractor is Taylor Sign & Design Inc., wall sign, $4,500. The Copper Closet, 4712 River City Drive, No. 117, contractor is Taylor Sign & Design Inc., wall sign, $2,300. STORES, MERCANTILE Publix, 12620 Beach Blvd., No. 12, contractor is Elkins Construction LLC, renovation, $800,000. Champion Brands Inc., 5520 Florida Mining Blvd. S., contractor is A1A Solar Contracting Inc., install solar panels, $233,350. Compiled by Scott Sailer
Hyatt Place near JIA sold: Apple Hospitality REIT Inc., a Richmond, Virginia-based real estate investment trust, purchased the 127-room Hyatt Place Jacksonville Airport hotel for $15.4 million. The seller was HP Jacksonville LLC, a subsidiary of BPR Properties. The hotel, at 14565 Duval Road, last sold in 2015 for $10.75 million. Apple Hospitality owns 241 hotels in 34 states. The Hyatt Place is the REIT’s first Hyatt-branded hotel. The company also owns 126 Hilton and 114 Marriott-branded hotels. Fort to National Park Service: The North Florida Land Trust will transfer ownership of the 1898 Spanish American War artillery battery fort at Fort Caroline to the National Park Service on Friday. The fort was one of four forts on St. Johns Bluff that acted in defense of the river and is the only one that remains. Compiled by Scott Sailer
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 13, 2018 • Page 9
JEA to begin strategy of paying down debt
DAVID CAWTON STAFF WRITER
The utility also plans to invest $1.9 billion in capital projects over the next five years. JEA plans to pay down $480 million in debt over the next fiscal year, according to a new asset realignment plan approved Tuesday by JEA board members. The JEA board of directors approved the first year of a five-year strategy that will see the public utility further reducing its liabilities by $1 billion through 2023. With the electric and water systems, JEA has about $2.8 billion in debt. Chief Financial Officer Ryan Wannemacher said Tuesday the asset realignment will allow the city’s electric, water and wastewater utility to invest about $1.9 billion in capital projects during that time without raising customer base rates because the company will be able to increase cash flow. Wannemacher said the additional debt payments will yield about $80 million in extra cash each year, although that amount could fluctuate. “The shift has been about capital allocation,” Wannemacher said. “We’re trying to run the business in a way that’s
Zahn
consistent with what the community expects.” JEA is scheduled to make about $175 million in debt payments in the next fiscal year. Between the electric and water systems, JEA will accelerate an additional $305 million in payments. Altogether, the utility plans to make $676 million in additional debt payments through 2023. Each year the executive leadership team will return to the board of directors to approve additional payments. Wannemacher estimates that debt tied to the electric side of the business will be at a 40-year low after 2023. For the water and wastewater operation, debt could be at a 20-year low. The strategy is the first major undertaking for new Chief Executive Officer Aaron Zahn, appointed in November by the board. Zahn said JEA will “recalibrate the plan” each year. He said the company is planning ahead for the financial challenges the company sees over the next decade, including increased operating expenses, flat electricity sales and payments connected to the Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant expansion in Southeast Georgia. “This is a management team that by managing profitability and return on equity is looking out five years from now and saying how do we position the business to deal with the risks we see on
Duval County GOP selects new leadership The Republican Party of Duval County selected Dean Black as chairman Monday night. He takes over from Chair Karyn Morton, who lost by three votes, 58-55. “My goals are simple ones: Unity, Focus, and Growth,” said Black through an emailed statement. “Today we took a new step forward to ensuring that Republican candidates for both the 2019 and 2020 elections will have a strong local Black party helping them achieve victory.” Morton often was considered combative with local Republicans and was critical of Gov. Rick Scott and his successor, Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis. She also had issues raising money for the party, something City Council President Aaron Bowman and Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned when asked about her job this week by FloridaPolitics.com. Bowman told Florida Politics that it had been a “tough year” for the local party. Curry, who conducts most of his fundraising through a political action committee, told the outlet he hopes the local party has a fundraising and finance plan “that will allow them to do the most basic thing parties should be doing.” Duval Republicans selected Jim Davis as vice chair, Rose Nettles as secretary and Lauren Stonacek as treasurer. DCAWTON@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @DAVIDCAWTON (904) 356-2466
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Wannemacher
the horizon,” Zahn said. For the first time in the utility’s 123year history, the water and wastewater operation is expected to be more valuable and profitable than the electric side of the business. JEA provides water services to four North Florida counties. The electric business is offered in Duval and parts of Clay and St. Johns. Zahn said the utility will try to make up for what are expected to be flat electric sales in the next decade by increasing JEA’s solar energy footprint and exploring other ways to electrify services that run on fossil fuels. “This does not take into consideration additional penetration of distributed generation like solar,” Zahn said. The ability to spend more on debt is no coincidence. JEA Board Chair Alan Howard said JEA no longer needs to hold cash reserves to maintain a AAA credit rating. Moody’s Investor Services and S&P Global downgraded JEA electric system bond ratings this year in reaction to the company seeking to cancel a power purchase agreement connected to the Plant Vogtle. Bonds connected to the water side of the business were unchanged. Over the summer, Zahn attempted to remove JEA from a 20-year power purchase agreement the utility entered with the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, which is building two nuclear reactors at the existing power plant. JEA was to cover 41 percent of MEGA’s expenses during that time, including construction costs, which have increased to an estimated $27 billion from the initial $9 billion. The resulting debt obligation is estimated between $2 billion and $3 billion.
Page 10 • Thursday, December 13, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
14 attorneys apply for judicial vacancy
U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan presented a Spirit of Giving Award to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Pro Bono Director Kathy Para at the The Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association’s annual “Spirit of Giving” awards luncheon.
BY MAX MARBUT • ASSOCIATE EDITOR
To fill the vacancy created by Duval County Judge Lester Bass’s appointment to the Circuit Court, 14 attorneys submitted applications to the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. Three currently serve as magistrate hearing officers in the circuit. Six of the attorneys work for the state and five are in private practice. The applicants will be interviewed by the commission beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the chief judge’s conference room at the Duval County Courthouse. The selection process is open to the public until the interviews are complete and the commission begins confidential deliberations. It will select up to six nominees that will be presented to the governor’s office. Under state law, a nominee must be appointed within 60 days, or the governor may ask the commission to present additional nominees.
Photo by Max Marbut
THE MARBUT REPORT
Federal bench and Bar celebrate ‘Spirit of Giving’ Tax Collector’s office adds concealed weapon licenses
MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Bonderud, Guardian ad Litem, Para are honored by organization. The Federal Bar Association Jacksonville chapter’s annual “Spirit of Giving” awards recognize those who have made notable contributions in service to others. “It’s a testament to the legal community in this area that we haven’t run out of people to honor,” said U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan, who presented the 12th annual awards at The River Club. Attorney Andrew Bonderud was recognized for his service as a volunteer attorney representing federal criminal defendants who are incarcerated at the time of their trial. Corrigan said the federal court’s Middle District of Florida, including the court in Jacksonville, has a “heavy prisoner docket” and Bonderud’s pro bono representation “benefits his client, his opponents and the court.” Also recognized were members of Jacksonville’s Guardian ad Litem program. Staff and volunteers are advocates for children who have entered the judicial system in matters such as adoption and temporary custody. The program usually serves clients in state court, but occasionally advocates in the Middle District in matters involving international parental custody actions, Corrigan said. “Going above and beyond expectations is what Guardian ad Litem does every time the federal court calls,” he said. The keynote speaker at the luncheon was Kathy Para, pro bono director at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. She coordinates volunteer attorneys who assist low-income residents with a range of legal matters from landlord and tenant issues to last will and testament documents. “I have a ringside seat for the connection between justice and giving,” Para said. She was surprised after her speech to receive a Spirit of Giving Award in recognition of her service to the legal community and low-income clients since she joined JALA in 2009. Corrigan also cited Para’s coordination of the federal court’s Bankruptcy for Pro Se Litigants program that arranges legal counsel for people who must represent themselves before the court. “And she convinced four federal judges to pass out candy at JALA’s Halloween event,” he said.
Florida residents now may apply for or renew concealed weapon licenses at the Downtown branch of the Tax Collector’s office at 231 E. Forsyth St. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services granted authorization to the Duval County Tax Collector’s office to take applications, fingerprint applicants and send the information securely to the department. The service is available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments are recommended and can be made by visiting duvaltaxcollect.net. For information, visit freshfromflorida.com.
You can now pay federal Bar enrollment fee online The U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida is accepting online payment of the Bar enrollment fee. To petition for general admission to the court’s Bar, visit flmd.uscourts.gov/ membership-courts-bar. After you select an admission ceremony date and complete the online registration form, the page will redirect to Pay.gov to pay the $196 enrollment fee by credit card, PayPal or bank account.
Florida Bar needs volunteers The Florida Bar is seeking applicants for the Florida Patient’s Compensation Fund board of governors. One lawyer is needed to serve a four-year term beginning July 1. The board supervises the operations of the fund, which provides excess medical malpractice coverage to Florida health care providers. Also, three lawyers from the territorial jurisdictions of the first, third and fifth state appellate districts are needed to serve fouryear terms commencing July 2 on the Statewide Nominating Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims. Applicants must be members of The Florida Bar who are engaged in the practice of law. No attorney who appears before any judge of compensation claims more than four times a year is eligible to serve on the commission. Commissioners are not eligible for state judicial vacancies filled by the judicial nominating commission on which they sit for two years following the expiration of their term. Commissioners are subject to Florida financial disclosure laws. Meetings and deliberations are open to the public. Lawyers interested in applying for the vacancies may download the Application for Special Appointment from the Bar’s website, floridabar.org, or call (850) 561-5667 to obtain the application form. Applications must be received by the close of business on Feb. 15.
MMARBUT@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Janet Abel
Lindsey Brock III
Circuit director, Office of Regional Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel
Rumrell McCloud & Brock
Education: University of Dayton School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001 Age: 42
Janet Abel began her career as an assistant public defender in 2001 in Jacksonville. After private practice from 2006 to 2008, she joined the state Office of Regional Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel where she practices criminal law, including death penalty cases. Abel states on her application that she has represented clients in more than 4,700 nonjury trials. In her application, she cited her experience in civil and criminal law in addition to administration and management. As circuit director, Abel oversees 16 attorneys and 11 staff members in Clay, Duval and Nassau counties. This is Abel’s fourth application for judicial appointment.
Brooke Brady
General magistrate/special magistrate Education: Stetson University College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001. Age: 41
After admission to the Bar, Brady began her career as an assistant state attorney in Clearwater. In 2004, she went into private criminal defense and family law practice in Jacksonville, then became an assistant state attorney in the 4th Circuit in 2005. She was appointed general magistrate in 2017. As a magistrate, Brady hears civil, mental health, family law and juvenile delinquency cases. She also hears child support matters and as a special magistrate presides over city ordinance violations in county court. Brady was a founding partner in the implementation of Girls Court in Duval County, an alternative justice program for female juvenile first offenders. This is Brady’s third application for judicial appointment.
Title: Attorney/owner Education: Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D.; Tulane University School of Law, LL.M.; admitted to The Florida Bar in 1993. Age: 53
Brock practices maritime, commercial, transportation and insurance litigation. He was an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law from 2008 to 2016 and is a member of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission. “My selection as a county court judge would bring a depth of experience in areas of law, commercial, maritime, transportation, that are vital not only to Jacksonville, but to Northeast Florida as well,” he wrote in his application. This is Brock’s second application for judicial appointment.
Michael Fackler Milam Howard Nicandri Gillam & Renner Title: Shareholder Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2002 Age: 46
Michael Fackler began his law career in 2002 as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger. He then was an associate attorney at the McGuireWoods firm from 2004 until 2007, when he joined Milam Howard as an associate. He became a shareholder there in 2016. Fackler practices commercial litigation and specializes in condominium and homeowners associations with construction defect issues. In his application, Fackler said his service in the Peace Corps before law school is a “unique and valuable experience” for a potential judicial appointee. He said living in another country for two years and not speaking the language when he arrived created an appreciation for people encountering the uncertainty and fear of overwhelming situations, such as having to appear in court. This is Fackler’s fourth application for appointment as a judge.
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 13, 2018 • Page 11
Octavius Holliday
Nicholas Martino
Alphonse Perkins
Julie Taylor
Assistant State Attorney
Florida State College at Jacksonville; Martino Legal LLC
Assistant Public Defender
Court Counsel for the 4th Judicial Circuit
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2003. Age: 46
Holliday is chief of the State Attorney’s Office’s Human Rights Division that focuses on crimes related to abuse, exploitation and neglect of seniors, excessive use of force by police and hate crimes. In his application, Holliday cited his work with the office’s community outreach and efforts to connect and be transparent to the AfricanAmerican community. “I humbly believe that I am looked to as a leader in this community and seek to serve on an even higher level,” he wrote. This is Holliday’s third application for judicial appointment.
Robin Lanigan General magistrate and hearing officer Education: Florida Coastal School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2000. Age: 49
Title: Faculty member; attorney and owner Education: Florida Coastal School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2006, Beasley College of Law at Temple University, LL.M Age: 39
For the past 10 years, Martino has taught legal studies at Florida State College at Jacksonville while also practicing law as a sole practitioner. His instructional background includes appeals, criminal law and procedure, evidence, family law, torts and other subjects. He began his career as an assistant state attorney. In 2007 he joined the Stone & Lockett law firm, then joined the FSCJ faculty and established his sole practice in 2008. From 2009 to 2014, he was assistant director of moot court and an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law. This is Martino’s first application for appointment as a judge.
Barry Newman
Lanigan was in private practice specializing in family law until she was appointed general magistrate in October 2016. She hears cases involving dissolution of marriage, child support, custody, paternity, timesharing, certain adoptions and Baker Act and Marchman Act proceedings. In her application, Lanigan said since she became a magistrate she has conducted more than 2,250 hearings and personally drafted reports and proposed orders for 90 percent of the hearings. This is her second application for judicial appointment.
Erin Townsend Perry
Title: Partner Education: Florida Coastal School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2000. Age: 57
Assistant State Attorney
Newman began his career while enrolled in law school as a certified legal intern in the 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. He also was at that time a clerk at the Spohrer Wilner law firm and joined the firm in 2000 when he was admitted to the Bar. Newman practices civil litigation with a focus on aviation and transportation matters. He is board-certified by The Florida Bar in aviation law and a licensed pilot. This is his fifth application for appointment as a judge.
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Initially planning a career in mechanical engineering, Perkins became interested in the law after taking a college course in products liability. After graduating and while working as an engineer in the automotive industry in Detroit, he took the Law School Admission Test and applied to a few schools, including the University of Kansas School of Law, where he received his J.D. In 1989, he was hired by the 4th Circuit Public Defender’s Office and other than a couple of years in private practice, has since defended indigent clients facing criminal charges in Jacksonville. According to his application, in his nearly 30-year career, he has tried more than 400 cases, including misdemeanors and felonies such as sex crimes and homicides. This is the first time Perkins has applied for judicial appointment.
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Education: University of Kansas School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1990. Age: 58
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2007 Age: 37
A career prosecutor in Jacksonville, Perry’s first assignment was in county court, then she was transferred to circuit court. She currently is a division chief and prosecutes homicides and other major crimes. In her application, Perry said she believes being an assistant state attorney has prepared her for the bench. “The function and role of a prosecutor is quasi-judicial. My experience, and how I handle my roles as a prosecutor, has prepared me for the role of a judge,” she wrote. This is her third application for judicial appointment.
Education: Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1996. Age: 47
Taylor is a former assistant public defender, private practice attorney and assistant state attorney. In her role as court counsel, she assists the chief judge, circuit judges and county judges with the administration of courtrelated functions such as researching and writing administrative orders and advising the court on contract and human resources matters. In 2017, she was boardcertified in juvenile law by The Florida Bar. This is Taylor’s third application for appointment to the bench.
David Tucker Regional Counsel, Northeast Region Florida Department of Children and Families Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1987 Age: 56
Since he was admitted to the Bar, Tucker has spent most of his career with state agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Senate and currently, the Department of Children and Families. He became regional counsel at DCF in 2009 and was certified in 2013 by The Florida Bar board of governors in state and federal government and administrative practice. Tucker also serves as a hearing officer on matters such as payroll and leave disputes and child care licensing and background screening matters. This is Tucker’s third application for appointment as a judge.
Leatrice Williams Walton Magistrate and Child Support Hearing Officer Education: Howard University School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1986. Age: 64
A sole practitioner in Washington, D.C., after she graduated from law school in 1981, Walton was a staff attorney at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid from 1984 to 1999 when she was appointed to serve as a magistrate. She cites her nearly 19 years as a magistrate as preparation for the county bench and wrote “this experience coupled with the training I received while working at Jacksonville Legal Aid Inc. has prepared me to properly evaluate testimony and evidence and render a swift and appropriate judgment.” In her application, Walton said she has “submitted numerous applications from 1999 to 2009” for judicial appointment and was a nominee in 2004.
Rhonda Peoples-Waters Rhonda Peoples-Waters PA Title: President and owner Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1999. Age: 44
Peoples-Waters served four years as an assistant public defender and division chief in the 4th Circuit after graduating from law school, then went into private practice as an associate attorney and in 2008 established her sole practice. She specializes in criminal defense and representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases as well as family law and probate matters. Peoples-Waters also worked for the state from 2010 to 2011 as the Jacksonville coordinator for the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative. This is her 11th application for judicial appointment.
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YOU SHOULD KNOW
Page 12 • Thursday, December 13, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
ELIAS HIONIDES BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS • EDITOR
Elias Hionides is vice president at Petra, a family founded and owned full-service real estate brokerage, development and management company based in Atlantic Beach. He is focusing on redeveloping properties Downtown and in Springfield. We own about 800,000 square feet of commercial real estate in Duval County. Most of our properties are historic or unique. We own the historic Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach and property Downtown and in Springfield, and the Jones Brothers Furniture development, which we’re working on now.
only job right here, aside from some high school work at the Casa Marina and another family business. We’re Greek. We keep it in the family. We’re a family of immigrants. My dad and mom came to America when they were teenagers and built something from nothing. They came with little money in their pocket. By way of Philadelphia, they came to Jacksonville in the late 1980s. My dad was working in defense contracting at Naval Station Mayport and has invested in real estate in the Jacksonville market ever since. We realized that every property we acquired happened to be historic or unique and we said, “Let’s make this what we do. Let’s be the guy who can take a project and make it something interesting.”
I handle all day-to-day operations. We’re a family business, so one day I could be hanging up a light in an office space and scrambling to paint a wall if somebody needs it and the next day, we’re sitting down with City Council members to work out a development deal for Jones Brothers. It’s never a dull moment. Mainly I am brokering our acquisitions, dispositions, leases and making sure our strategy continues to create vibrancy in Downtown Jacksonville and in Springfield. I haven’t had a vacancy at the Beaches in about 18 months, so our assets are stabilized there. In Downtown and Springfield, our goal is to bring all our properties online and to fill them with high-quality tenants who are going to bring a sense of place to the core. I am not of the belief that we need to bring amenities Downtown for people to live Downtown. Every cultural amenity you could possibly want is Downtown. The St. Johns River is Downtown, and the center of commerce, business, government and nonprofits is Downtown. The missing component is residential. If we can bring residents Downtown, the retail, the entertainment and further job growth will follow.
Special to the Daily Record
I always had a passion for places and urbanization. When I was a kid – we’ve had season tickets to the Jacksonville Jaguars since the first season – I remember coming over the Mathews Bridge. I’d always get a rush when we crossed the top and I’d see all the buildings. I had a dream that one day, I’m going to build a tower in Downtown Jacksonville, so it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do. I went to the University of Miami and studied real estate finance, marketing and urban studies, and that further solidified what I wanted to do. I started my first and
I recently moved to Springfield. We renovated a historic home, so we host people at our house all the time. All my neighbors host as much as we do. People still say, “Oh, there’s not that much to do in Springfield.” Well, I can walk to two breweries, a third on the way, four restaurants and a coffee shop. I get a lot of interest about grocery stores in Springfield. We’re still waiting for that right one. I think it’s better suited for a midsize concept.
ABOUT HIONIDES Title: Vice president Organization: Petra Age: 29 Education: High school: The Foundation Academy; bachelor of business administration in finance, marketing and urban studies, University of Miami Family: Husband, Tod; parents, Chris and Nadia Hionides; two sisters and six nieces and nephews Hometown: Atlantic Beach
People across the country are into Jacksonville right now. It finally seems like it’s on the map. We just have to keep on doing the right things.
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends; tennis; historic preservation
KMATHIS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
Website: petrajax.com
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