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The Mathis Report: Signs changing for St. Vincent’s PAGE 3
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THE BIGGEST STORIES OF 2018 Record & Observer
Developer buys large site east of Downtown
JACKSONVILLE
Record & Observer JEA cooling towers imploded.
700 E. Union St. building was sold to an Atlanta company that develops mixed-use projects.
JACKSONVILLE
Winn-Dixie parent bankruptcy.
BY DAVID CAWTON STAFF WRITER
JACKSONVILLE
An Atlanta-based developer has big plans for East Jacksonville after closing on the former Union Terminal Warehouse Building on Wednesday. Through East Union Property Owner LLC, Columbia Ventures LLC purchased the 7.88-acre property Dec. 3 for $4.6 million. The sale was recorded Tuesday with the Duval County Clerk of Courts. Columbia Ventures managing partner Dillon Baynes said Wednesday the adaptive reuse includes commercial, retail and residential elements as well as oppor- Baynes tunities for dining and entertainment. Baynes said he will spend the first few months of 2019 determining what structural repairs and maintenance are needed at the site. “This is a building that after 106 years has some deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed before we do anything else,” he said of the 298,711-square-foot main structure. Property records show seven buildings built between 1912 and 1990 at the site. The property is at 700 E. Union St., north of the Mathews Bridge ramp and near Hogan’s Creek. The property is near TIAA Bank
Record & Observer Shad Khan reveals plans for Lot J next to TIAA Bank Field. File images
From bankruptcies to buyouts to implosions and big warehouses, there was no shortage of news over the past year in Northeast Florida. The staff of the Jacksonville Daily Record and Record & Observer looks back at the year’s top stories.
PAGE 4
Surge Adventure Park opened at Regency Court Shopping Center.
SEE BUILDING, PAGE 11
Basch Report: Ameris moving bank charter to Atlanta PAGE 8 Top 10 sales of the week: Fanatics warehouse sold PAGE 9 OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP
THE MARBUT REPORT
Legal community’s outpouring of giving PAGE 10 VOLUME 1, NO. 29 • ONE SECTION
WHAT’S TRENDING
Page 2 • Thursday, December 20, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
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Fabletics coming to St. Johns Town Center Fabletics, the women’s activewear brand co-founded by actress Kate Hudson, intends to open a store at St. Johns Town Center. The 2,521-square-foot space is at 4663 River City Drive. Fabletics has 25 locations in North America. Its three Florida stores are in Boca Raton, Sarasota and Tampa. According to Fabletics.com, JustFab Inc. co-CEOs Don Ressler and Adam Goldenberg launched Fabletics with Hudson in 2013. They are marketing the brand as one that offers “stylish and high quality gear at an accessible price point.”
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REAL ESTATE REIT buys South Jacksonville properties Boston-based Plymouth Industrial REIT Inc. said it closed on the purchase of a 20-building, 1.1 million-square-foot light industrial and flex portfolio in South Jacksonville. Plymouth paid $97.1 million for the properties at Interstate 95 and Butler Boulevard. Plymouth said the properties are 96 percent leased, with tenants including Comcast, Veritiv, Cintas, Staples, Cardinal Health, The Home Depot and Johnson Controls.
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Celebration Church taking Hobby Lobby space Celebration Church is preparing to open an Arlington campus at the Regency Park Shopping Center in the former Hobby Lobby space. Pastor Drew King, chief business officer of Celebration Church, said the church will open in the summer. “We have always wanted to have a Celebration Church campus in the Regency/ Arlington area of Jacksonville but haven’t found the perfect location until now,” King said by email. He said Celebration Church has a large number of congregants in the Arlington area who now drive to the main location on RG Skinner Parkway. The Regency Park church will be a closer option for them. “But we also look forward to serving the entire community who may not be familiar with Celebration yet,” King said. The Jacksonville-based church will lease almost 40,000 square feet of space adjacent to and behind Books-A-Million, according to a site plan by landlord Brixmor Property Group Inc., based in New York. King said the church will feature a 1,000-seat sanctuary, a preschool and children’s wing for kindergarten through fifth grade, a large youth space and classrooms.
EMPLOYMENT Report finds strong outlook for Jacksonville hiring Jacksonville’s labor market is ending 2018 in strong shape, with unemployment at its lowest level since at least 1990. According to a quarterly survey released last week by staffing firm ManpowerGroup, the news may be even better next year. ManpowerGroup’s quarterly survey of hiring expectations of the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas found Jacksonville has the fourth-best employment outlook for the first quarter of 2019. According to its survey of Jacksonville area businesses, 30 percent expect to increase staff in the first quarter while only 1 percent anticipate shedding jobs. That produces a net employment outlook of 29 percent, the company said.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 20, 2018 • Page 3
St. Vincent’s beginning name transformation THE MATHIS REPORT
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
The Catholic nonprofit health system preparing to add Ascension to its name. St. Vincent’s is preparing to change names to include Ascension, its parent system and the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and the largest Catholic system worldwide. The state received nine fictitious name filings for Ascension Medical Group St. Vincent’s; Ascension Pharmacy; Ascension St. Vincent’s; Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside; Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside Family Medicine Center; Ascension St. Vincent’s Southside; Ascension St. Vincent’s Clay County; Ascension St. Vincent’s Urgent Care; and Ascension St. Vincent’s Health Partners. An announcement is expected in the spring.
GateHouse preparing for Times-Union move
GateHouse Media, owner of The Florida Times-Union, applied for a certificate of use and a building permit to renovate and occupy 25,282 square feet of space at Wells Fargo Center at 1 Independent Drive Downtown. Dav-Lin Interior Contractors is listed on the permit application as the contractor for a $45,858 project, although that cost is subject to revision. CA Florida Holdings LLC, a GateHouse Media entity, is listed as the business owner. The Times-Union reported in September it would relocate its news, advertising and accounting operations from 1 Riverside Ave., where it moved in 1967, to the second floor of the 35-story Wells Fargo Center during the first quarter.
Special to Daily Record
The Ascension Arlington Health Center shows the signage that will change around town to include the Ascension name.
The Morris family bought the paper and the property in 1982 and sold the newspaper last year to GateHouse Media.
Trailer Bridge contemplating warehouse Jacksonville-based Trailer Bridge Inc. is exploring development of a 100,000-squarefoot cross-dock warehouse at northeast Heckscher Drive and Interstate 295. JEA issued an availability letter for utility service. “At this point all we’ve done is complete a feasibility study,” said Indie Bollman, director of corporate development. Founded in 1991, Trailer Bridge is a shipping and logistics firm that sells ocean, truckload, intermodal, expedited, specialized cargo, vehicles, over-dimensional, warehousing and transloading services. It has offices in Jacksonville; Charleston, South Carolina; Chicago; San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Dominican Republic; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
RESTAURANT NOTES
Miller’s Ale House OK’d for Avenues construction Miller’s Ale House is on its way up at the former Buca di Beppo location in front of The Avenues mall. The city issued a permit Monday for Venture Construction Co. to build the restaurant at 10334 Southside Blvd. at a cost of $1.2 million. Plans show the 241-seat Miller’s Ale House will comprise a 7,149-square-foot building with 1,003 square feet of unenclosed space on 1.86 acres. Plans indicate the restaurant will comprise 166 inside seats and 75 in the patio room. Interior seating includes 22 bar seats. Realco Recycling Co. demolished the former Buca di Beppo restaurant, which closed at year-end 2017. That 8,494-square-foot building was developed in 2003. It will be the seventh Northeast Florida location for Orlando-based Miller’s Ale House. In Jacksonville, the company operates in Mandarin, Regency, the Tinseltown area of Southside and at Hodges and Beach boulevards. It also has an Orange Park restaurant. Miller’s Ale House, a casual sports restaurant, operates 88 locations in 13 states, including 54 sites in Florida, according to its website. n Chipotle Mexican Grill intends to build-out a 2,502-square-foot restaurant in Oakleaf Town Center at 9671 Argyle Forest Blvd. at an estimated cost of $215,000.
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n Panda Express is in city review for an Atlantic North Shopping Center building at 11929 Atlantic Blvd. The 2,252-square-foot structure is listed at a construction cost of $451,019. n Burrito Gallery is preparing to build-out its restaurant interior in Gateway Village at Town Center at 5016 Gate Parkway at a cost of $500,000. n McDonald’s Corp. received city permits to rebuild its Mandarin restaurant at 11682 San Jose Blvd. Stansell Properties & Development LLC is the contractor for the 3,745-squarefoot building and a dumpster enclosure at a cost of $805,000. The existing McDonald’s was approved for demolition. n Marco’s Pizza is OK’d for interior construction in the Windsor Commons shopping center at 4765 Hodges Blvd. Ticon Commercial Inc. is the contractor for the $205,000 build-out of 1,789 square feet. n Rosati’s Authentic Chicago Pizza is building-out at 7051 Collins Road, No. 402, in Collins Plaza. The Malle Co. Inc. is the contractor of the 1,130-square-foot project at a cost of $337,075. Rosati’s is based near Chicago. Kathleen Davidson, a customer care representative, said the company did not have an opening date.
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Page 4 • Thursday, December 20, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
From bankruptcies to buyouts to implosions and big warehouses, there was no shortage of news over the past year in Northeast Florida. The staff of the Jacksonville Daily Record and Record & Observer looks back at the year’s top stories.
THE BIGGEST STORIES OF 2018 BY MARK BASCH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Winn-Dixie parent company emerges from bankruptcy
For the second time in 13 years, the parent company of the Winn-Dixie supermarket chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. But unlike the 21-month process of the last filing in 2005-06, Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers LLC filed a prepackaged plan with creditor approval in March 2018 and completed the process in two months. In the bankruptcy process, Southeastern issued equity to its previous debtholders and closed or sold off more than 100 stores, leaving it with about 575 under the Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo, Harveys and Fresco y Mas banners. The company now hopes a program of renovating and upgrading stores will bring in more sales at its supermarkets.
Siris buys Web.com Group Web.com Group Inc. was taken private in a $2.2 billion buyout by affiliates of Siris Capital Group LLC. The company which provides website development and marketing services for businesses said the buyout is not impacting its plans to move 800 to 900 employees to a new Southside headquarters building.
CSX keeps cutting costs A year after James Foote became CEO of CSX Corp., the overhaul begun by his predecessor, the late Hunter Harrison, already has achieved its goal of lowering the railroad’s operating ratio (operating expenses divided by revenue) below 60 percent. Besides improving operations, CSX has lowered expenses with job reductions, cutting 4,600 staff and consultant positions in 2017 and 2,000 this year. File image
Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 20, 2018 • Page 5
THE BIGGEST STORIES OF 2018 BY KAREN MATHIS EDITOR
Amazon ramps up two centers amid boom in warehouse projects To make way for thousands of jobs created or proposed in the industrial market, developers ramped up plans for warehouses and distribution centers. As Amazon.com launched operations at two fulfillment centers in the second half of 2017, more big names came this year. Wayfair Inc. and JinkoSolar announced projects of significant size and another 1.5 million-square-foot center is review at AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center for an unidentified prospect. More than a dozen industrial projects are planned or proposed to create almost 4.5 million square feet of space to fill demand created by record low industrial vacancy rates of 3 percent or below.
Plenty of new entertainment
It was a year of more places to go and things to do. Consider the 2018 investments in the iFly indoor skydiving center, the Smash table-tennis hall, Surge Adventure Park, SK8 City, Class Axe, escape rooms, rooftop bars, taprooms, upgraded movie theaters, event venues, bowling centers, restaurants and other places where people are opting to spend money during a strong economy.
File images
Inside Amazon’s new fulfillment center at Cecil Commerce Center. It’s one of two centers Amazon ramped up in Jacksonville after a late 2017 opening.
Retail: Many stores in the pipeline Consumers changed where they shopped. Some major retailers announced closings – including Toys R Us and Thomasville – while others moved into Jacksonville. Some shopping centers continued to struggle, such as Regency Square Mall, while others continued to expand, such as the St. Johns Town Center area, and yet others, such as Roosevelt Square, launched redevelopment. Grocery stores added locations while long-term dominant player Publix continued its remodeling program.
KMATHIS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
Surge Adventure Park opened in Regency Court Shopping Center, which also is home to an ax-throwing venue and a roller-skating rink.
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Page 6 • Thursday, December 20, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE BIGGEST STORIES OF 2018
File image
The cooling towers at the St. Johns River Power Park in North Jacksonville were imploded June 16.
BY SCOTT SAILER EDITORIAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
St. Johns River Power Park cooling towers imploded
The 464-foot-tall cooling towers at the St. Johns River Power Park in North Jacksonville came down in June in seconds, imploded by 1,500 pounds of dynamite. The power park will continue to vanish in 2019 as the $68 million decommissioning project removes 46 buildings and the 640-foot-tall smokestack. JEA has not announced plans for the future of the 1,600-acre property. The Downtown skyline also is changing as work continues to demolish the former Duval County Courthouse and implode the old City Hall Annex on East Bay Street in January. The future of the property is unclear after the city rejected plans for a new convention center on the site.
Beer brewing booming
Fishweir Brewing Co. recently started up in Murray Hill and Tabula Raza Brewing opened in the Rail Yard District, where Keen Brewing Co. also is building out. In South Jacksonville, Legacy Ale Works plans to open soon on Old St. Augustine Road at U.S. 1. In Springfield, Main & Six Brewing Co. will be joined by Strings Sports Brewery. Marah Brewing Co. plans to open in Five Points and Reve Brewing in Atlantic Beach.
Tiny house village planned The Clara White Mission plans to build a tiny house village in LaVilla for homeless veterans and transform the historic Genovar’s Hall into a community center. The 1.46-acre property, bordered by Ashley, Broad, Church and North Jefferson streets, is across the mission. Mission board member Michelle Paul said mission representatives plan to meet with the city in January to review the project and determine the steps necessary for development. SSAILER@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Beer establishments continue to sprout around town, many in developing and redeveloping areas.
BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
SilverLeaf leads growth in residential subdivisions National, regional and local homebuilders and residential developers continued to invest in Northeast Florida by constructing or proposing single-family and multifamily projects. The largest is SilverLeaf, a master-planned community entitled for up to 10,700 residential units, in addition to 1.7 million square feet of commercial space. The Hutson Companies, based in St. Augustine, plans to develop the community over several years on about 8,500 acres between County Road 210 and County Road 16A in St. Johns County, one of the hottest residential development areas in the region. That company developed OakLeaf Plantation in Duval and Clay counties, a similarly sized community. Experts say data points to the potential for a housing market slowdown in 2019, although many of those same people believe the region won’t experience a significant decrease in sales or construction compared with other parts of the country.
The Pavilion opens In June, Scott provisionally appointed Duval County Judge Lester Bass to fill Foster’s vacancy. The appointment was confirmed by Scott’s office the day the Supreme Court published its discharge of the case.
Judge Foster resignation sets off replacement battle 5 new judges taking office The resignation of 4th Judicial Circuit Judge Robert Foster, effective a few days before he would have left office in January, and how he would be replaced, was a story that started in April and didn’t end until Nov. 26. That’s when the state Supreme Court discharged its jurisdiction in a protest filed by a Jacksonville attorney that challenged Gov. Rick Scott’s authority to appoint Foster’s replacement rather than filling the vacancy through election. Attorney David Trotti first filed a motion in Jacksonville to prevent the 4th Circuit Judicial NominatTrotti ing Commission from interviewing applicants for Foster’s seat. When that motion was denied, Trotti filed suit in Tallahassee against Scott, seeking to prevent the governor from appointing Foster’s successor, and against the secretary of state seeking to have Trotti’s name placed on the ballot for Foster’s seat. When that motion was granted, Scott’s office challenged the ruling in the 1st District Court of Appeal, which reversed the circuit judge’s decision. Trotti then petitioned the state Supreme Court to hear the case. After oral arguments from both sides were heard on Oct. 2, the court handed down its decision Nov. 26 to discharge its jurisdiction, leaving to stand the appellate court’s reversal.
BY JAY SCHLICHTER
The judiciary in Jacksonville will see five new judges taking office who were elected in the August primary election. The circuit bench will be joined by Jacksonville Bar Association President Katie Dearing, former Assistant State Attorney Collins Cooper and attorney Maureen Horkan. Former Assistant Public Defender Michael Bateh and attorney Kimberly Sadler will be sworn in to preside in the Duval County Court. In addition, the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission convened Monday to nominate candidates to replace Duval County Judge Lester Bass, who was appointed to the circuit court.
Women lead associations The three largest voluntary Bar associations in Jacksonville elected women lawyers as their presidents in 2018. Judge-elect Katie Dearing is president of the Jacksonville Bar Association, Collette Cunningham was elected president of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and Jamie Karpman was elected president of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association. That trend will continue in the 2019-20 Bar year, as women are president-elect in all three organizations. MMARBUT@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
The first phase of a large long-term retail, residential and commercial development opened a new Walmart Supercenter. The Pavilion at Durbin Park project in northern St. Johns County is a four-phase project being co-developed by Gate Petroleum Co. and Gatlin Development Co., with plans for up to 2.4 million square feet of retail space, 2.8 million square feet of office space, 999 multifamily residential units and 300 hotel rooms. The retail space alone would be larger than St. Johns Town Center in Duval County, which has 1.4 million square feet of retail space.
Apartment market booms Luxury, market-rate, workforce and affordable apartment complexes continue to be an investment opportunity, as the multifamily rental market over the past year saw thousands new units and a shift in ownership. For example, a group of developers outlined plans in September at the San Marco Promenade groundbreaking to build up to 1,000 apartments in the San Marco area, hoping the high-end units will help restore the distressed Philips Highway corridor. And in August, a West Palm Beach company purchased the Portiva apartments in Southpoint for $50.7 million. JAYS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @JAY_SCHLICHTER (904) 356-2466
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 20, 2018 • Page 7
THE BIGGEST STORIES OF 2018 BY DAVID CAWTON STAFF WRITER
Pressure builds in fight over Jacksonville Landing
Lawsuits and bickering between the owners of the Jacksonville Landing and Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration continued through much of 2018, leaving the city no closer to a permanent solution to redevelop or replace the aging riverfront mall than it was when Curry took office in July 2015. The city sued Jacksonville Landing Investments Inc. in November 2017, alleging the group had not properly maintained the Landing as a “world-class facility.” The city notified JLI this year it would evict the company from the property. The city owns the land. JLI owns the three Landing buildings through a long-term lease. The company is a subsidiary of Sleiman Enterprises Inc. The city also began to put more pressure on JLI by releasing renderings to the Jacksonville Daily Record that showed the mall replaced by a riverfront park and two mixed-use buildings. Although that litigation continues to move through the 4th Judicial Circuit, a 2015 lawsuit could be coming to an end. That suit was initiated by JLI over $4.7 million the company paid the city in 2007 for a nearby parking lot it planned to develop. The city contends JLI never executed the proper documents to close the sale. The group sued and asked for those funds back. While the sides agreed in principle to end the litigation in June, negotiations continue over the final amount the city owes JLI. Finally, a mass shooting that left 12 wounded and three people dead, including the shooter, signaled another setback for the 31-year-old mall. The shooting was in August during a gaming competition at GLHF Game Bar inside Chicago Pizza. Since the shooting, the city informed JLI it would no longer allow the company to host large events unless it obtained a permit. It’s the first time the city has required special event permits since the mall opened in 1987.
File image
An artist’s rendering of a $2.5 billlion complex next to TIAA Bank Field.
Khan’s Lot J plans
Before the Jaguars hosted its annual State of the Franchise event at TIAA Bank Field in April, team owner Shad Khan and President Mark Lamping announced they would develop the western parking lots, specifically Lot J, before they invested in the riverfront Shipyards property. Khan said Lot J is the first phase of what could be a $2.5 billion complex near the stadium. Lot J could include an office tower, parking garage, entertainment venues, restaurants, retail and a hotel. Khan plans to partner his Iguana Investments Florida Inc. with The Cordish Companies to develop the area. No deal has been announced.
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The Lot J site would require some environmental cleanup, although it is thought to have less contamination than the riverfront. Metropolitan Park also is restricted by the National Park Service. If the city wants to develop the land, it must find a suitable replacement site. The properties historically were used for industrial and commercial operations before the National Football League awarded the city a franchise in 1993. DCAWTON@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @DAVIDCAWTON (904) 356-2466
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Page 8 • Thursday, December 20, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE BASCH REPORT
Ameris moving its bank charter to Atlanta
MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The executive offices of Ameris will remain in the Riverplace Tower on Jacksonville’s Southbank. Although Ameris Bancorp decided to move its executive offices to Jacksonville three years ago, its official headquarters has remained in Moultrie, Georgia. However, with its deal announced Monday to acquire Fidelity Southern Corp., Ameris is moving the headquarters of its bank out of Moultrie in Southwest Georgia. When the merger is completed, Ameris Bank will be chartered and headquartered in Atlanta. That doesn’t actually change anything in Jacksonville. The executive offices of Ameris will remain in the Riverplace Tower on Jacksonville’s Southbank, although the official headquarters of the publicly traded holding company will remain in Moultrie. During a conference call with analysts Monday to discuss the merger, Chief Financial Officer Nicole Stokes said Jacksonville and Atlanta will be the two key markets for Ameris when the merger is completed. “After the transaction closes, we’ll be the strongest community bank in our home markets of Atlanta and Jacksonville. With our current growth rates, we believe we are just months away from being the fifth largest bank in both of these markets,” she said. Ameris and Atlanta-based Fidelity (which is not affiliated with Jacksonville-based title insurance company Fidelity National Financial Inc.) announced the agreement Monday for Ameris to buy Fidelity for about $751 million in stock. Ameris and Fidelity Bank combined have 26 branches in the Jacksonville market with about $1.8 billion in deposits,
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“After the transaction closes, we’ll be the strongest community bank in our home markets of Atlanta and Jacksonville,” Ameris Chief Financial Officer Nicole Stoles said of the deal to acquire Fidelity Southern Corp.
but the merger really increases Ameris’ presence in the Atlanta market with a combined 72 branches and $4.7 billion in deposits. CEO Dennis Zember said the merger will “really disrupt the business of the superregionals that dominate this market,” referring to Atlanta. “It creates an absolute powerhouse of a banking franchise,” he said. Stokes said the size and scale in Atlanta and Jacksonville, “two of the strongest markets in the Southeast, really anchors us for strong growth in good economic times. “However, the merged less risky balance sheet also protects us in a potential downturn scenario. Combined, we feel we’re stronger and more prepared for the future than we were as competitors,” she said. The two banks combined have a total of 191 offices in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.
DSW touts Stein Mart business Shoe designer and retailer DSW Inc. has been selling footwear in Stein Mart Inc. stores for about 15 years and as DSW reported third-quarter earnings last week, it touted its relationship with Jacksonvillebased Stein Mart as a success for both companies. Shoes sold in Stein Mart’s
retail fashion stores are supplied exclusively by DSW, with Stein Mart receiving a portion of the revenue. In DSW’s conference call with analysts last week, CEO Roger Rawlins suggested the arrangement is helping Stein Mart beyond shoe sales. “We’ve been doing footwear with Stein Mart for many years and I think if Hunt were on this call, he would tell you that we are a key driver for their business because footwear is something that attracts the consumer into their doors day in and day out,” Rawlins said. Hunt is Stein Mart CEO Hunt Hawkins. When asked about Rawlins’ comment, Hawkins said by email: “We believe it’s our name-brand fashion and value pricing, for both apparel and footwear, that drives customers to our stores.” Also during DSW’s conference call, Chief Financial Officer Jared Poff said comparablestore shoe sales at Stein Mart stores (sales at stores open for more than one year) were 8 percent higher year-to-date, “which is clearly one of the best performing departments in that chain.” Stein Mart said it doesn’t report sales for individual departments but it did say shoe sales have been outperforming overall sales trends. The company’s total comparable-store sales for the third quarter ended Nov. 3 were up 1.4 percent.
DEVELOPMENT TODAY These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued Tuesday by the city of Jacksonville.
SIGNS
Lakeside Center LLC, 7933 Baymeadows Way, contractor is International Management Co. LLC, 1,490 square feet, first floor renovation, $16,485. OTHER
STORES, MERCANTILE
ETown Parkway, 10980 ETown Parkway, contractor is Seminole Masonry LLC, 7140 linear feet of 6-foot wall, $572,766. ROOFING Saleea Inc., 1188 Bert Road, contractor is U.S.A. Coatings Inc., roof replacement, $29,000.
Stein Mart appoints CFO Stein Mart announced Monday the appointment of James B. Brown as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Brown succeeds Gregory Kleffner, who announced in October he was retiring. Brown joins the company from Adrianna Papell Group, where he also was chief financial officer.
FIS upgraded by Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs analyst James Schneider upgraded his rating last week on Fidelity National Information Services Inc., or FIS, as part of an overall reassessment of payments and IT services companies’ stocks. “We still forecast abovetrend growth in consumer and IT spending in 2019,” Schneider wrote in his research report. “However, we recognize that a combination of macro factors is raising the probability of a fundamental slowdown in 2019 or 2020,” Schneider said. He upgraded Jacksonvillebased FIS, which provides technology services for banks, from “neutral” to “buy” because it has “less macro sensitivity and an ability to preserve earnings growth.” “FIS is one of the most
defensive stocks in our coverage, with a large portion of revenues tied to mission-critical bank operations,” Schneider said. “In addition, FIS has been divesting noncore businesses to improve its revenue mix and margin profile. We think these recent improvements are underappreciated by investors, and expect the stock to move higher as investors recognize the resilience and improved quality of the company’s revenue and earnings streams.” As part of the upgrade, Schneider raised his 12-month price target on FIS from $108 to $128, with the stock trading at about $106 at the time of his report.
Regency gets a slight downgrade RBC Capital Markets analyst Wes Golladay slightly downgraded Regency Centers Corp. last week from a “top pick” to “outperform.” “We continue to like Regency, but we have moved from Top Pick to Outperform as development disruption will likely cause a modest overhang in the near-term,” Golladay wrote in his research note. “Regency remains our top idea for retail despite noise from starting larger redevelopments.” The Jacksonville-based shopping center developer may see some short-term impact from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Sears Holdings Corp. Golladay said three stores in Regency shopping centers will be affected, but it will give the company an opportunity to bring in new tenants paying higher rent. “The Sears bankruptcy should translate into a good long-term opportunity for Regency,” he said.
Metro Diner expanding Metro Diner said last week it will have 66 diners open by the end of this year, after opening 21 locations during 2018. The company, which was founded with a single restaurant in Jacksonville in 1992, now is headquartered in Tampa. Metro Diner has restaurants open or planned for opening in 14 states. MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
BUSINESS IN BRIEF Family Dollar, 1022 Dunn Ave., contractor is Clear View Signs Inc., wall sign, $9,500. Hyundai Jenkins, Parts, Service, 11107 Atlantic Blvd., contractor is Taylor Sign & Design Inc., three permits for ground and wall signs, $7,200. Vista Landing Apartments, 5020 Cleveland Road, contractor is River City Advertising Inc., monument sign, $5,700.
OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL
DSW operates nearly 1,000 retail stores itself under several brand names and provides shoes to other retailers, similar to the arrangement with Stein Mart. In response to a question from an analyst, Rawlins said it doesn’t hurt his stores “even though in many cases we have a DSW that’s right next to a Stein Mart.” Rawlins said he doesn’t consider partners like Stein Mart as competitors. “Our primary competitors that we see are Amazon and the brands going direct-toconsumer, and we’ve shared that with our partners at the other retail segments, and we want to work with them to provide an insight to what we see within our customer files at the DSW brand, the success we’ve had with our rewards program, how we can help share insights,” he said. “We want to help them grow their business and we think we’re all fighting the same fight.”
Tom Bush Volkswagen Inc., 9850 Atlantic Blvd., contractor is Stellar Group Inc., 9,476 square feet, renovation, $207,779. Kelly Furniture, 1030 Arlington Road, Nos. 1030 and 1040, contractor is PIJ Builders LLC, 20,000 square feet, tenant build-out, $102,000. Compiled by Scott Sailer
New partner for Florida Theatre: The Florida Theatre named its lobby The Players Promenade in honor of The Players Championship becoming a corporate partner. Florida Theatre President Numa Saisselin said the team members “look forward to strengthening the connections between Downtown and the beaches communities.” The Florida Theatre, 128 E Forsyth St., opened in 1927 and was founded as a nonprofit in 1987. Florida Theatre ranks No. 6: The Florida Theatre attendance ranked sixth in the U.S. for theaters with fewer than 2,000 seats, according to Pollstar, a concert industry publication. Pollstar said the theater’s attendance of 134,053 in 2018 ranked 56th among the top 100 theatres worldwide. Crew awarded: The crew of the Crowley Maritime Corp.-managed SS Wright, a U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force ship, was awarded Merchant Marine medals for outstanding achievement for their efforts after Hurricane Maria. The crew provided humanitarian aid to the U.S. Virgin Islands, transporting supplies, equipment and emergency responders.
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 20, 2018 • Page 9
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. 10-14.
File image
The Fanatics warehouse at 5245 Commonwealth Ave. sold for $15.025 million, 40 percent more than its previous sale in 2016.
$15,025,000
$13,000,000
$10,940,000
$10,050,000
$4,600,000
5245 Commonwealth Ave., Jacksonville, Duval County
3000 Coronet Lane, Jacksonville, Duval County
14565 Duval Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
3728 Philips Highway, Jacksonville, Duval County
Pecan Park Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
Type: Fanatics Inc. warehouse Size: 27.69 acres Buyer: SCIP 5245 LLC Seller: DM Jacksonville LLC Previous sale: $10,750,000 in 2016
Type: Laurel Pointe Apartments Size: 8.26 acres Buyer: CMF Laurel Pointe LLC Seller: Finlay Interests 6 Ltd. Previous sale: $5,350,000 in 2001
Type: Hyatt Place hotel Size: 2.3 acres Buyer: Apple Nine Hospitality Ownership Inc. Seller: HP Jacksonville LLC Previous sale: $10,750,000 in 2015
Type: Central Park Business Center Size: 17.37 acres Buyer: ROIB Central Park LLC Seller: CD119 Central Park LLC Previous sale: $17,714,500 in 2006
Type: Timberland Size: 96.06 acres Buyer: Everglades Development LLC Seller: JAX Land Holdings Company LLC and Pecan Park Jacksonville LLC
$3,718,500
$2,786,400
$2,575,000
$2,540,000
$2,460,000
1501 Normandy Village Parkway, Jacksonville, Duval County
123 Bannon Lakes Blvd., St. Augustine, St. Johns County
673 Ponte Vedra Blvd., No. 673 A, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Johns County
7008 Ponce De Leon Ave., Jacksonville, Duval County
505 Orange Ave. N., Green Cove Springs, Clay County
Type: Commercial Size: 8.68 acres Buyer: U-Haul Co. of Florida Seller: Jackmart Limited Partnership Previous sale: $5,000,000 in 1993
Type: Bannon Lakes subdivision Size: Not available Buyer: Lennar Homes LLC Seller: RREF III-P-EP Bannon Lakes JV LLC
Type: Condominium Size: 2,914 square feet Buyer: Edmond L. and Patricia Harris Seller: Kay Nichols
Type: San Jose Apartments Size: 2 acres Buyer: R&M San Jose LLC Seller: Florida PEPA Realty Inc. Previous sale: $2,225,000 in 2006
Type: Burger King Size: 1.05 acres Buyer: JMSF Corp. Seller: Vre Green Cove LLC
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Page 10 • Thursday, December 20, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE MARBUT REPORT
Freed to Run campaign raises $300,000
MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Donations benefit Northeast Florida Medical Legal partnership. The second edition of Gunster shareholder Mike Freed’s series of six marathon runs in six days from Tallahassee to Jacksonville raised more than $300,000 to benefit Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership. Proceeds from the event, which includes a 125 percent match from Baptist Health Foundation, will capitalize a perpetual endowment for the partnership, which JALA operates in partnership with Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Nemours Specialty Care of Jacksonville, UF Health Specialty Pediatric Clinics and Community PedsCare, a pediatric hospice program of Community Hospice & Palliative Care. The health care providers refer pediatric patients and their families to JALA, which provides legal assistance with matters such as access to medical benefits, safe housing and patient-specific education needs. This year, 17 teams each ran a single marathon alongside Freed. Most teams ran a relay, but five runners completed full 26.2-mile marathons: Erin Bodnar from the University of North Florida School of Music; Daniel Gilham of Forbes, Thompson & Gilham Wealth Management Group; Circuit Judge Steven Fahlgren; Gunster shareholder Asghar Syed; Eric Krall with Community First Credit Union; and Syed Asad, a neurologist at Universal Neurological Care. In addition to the teams that each made donations, local businesses sponsored the event. Elite Parking Services provided a shuttle bus and driver that transported runners from Jacksonville to the start of each
Special to the Daily Record
From left, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid CEO Jim Kowalski, Gunster shareholder Mike Freed, Circuit Judge Steven Fahlgren and Circuit Judge Hugh Carithers crossed the Freed To Run 2.0 finish line on Dec. 7 at the Duval County Courthouse.
day’s marathon and back to Jacksonville. Donations may still be made at jaxlegalaid.org/freedtorundonate/
Bench and Bar helps seniors enjoy the holidays
One of the Jacksonville Bar Association’s longest-running traditions was renewed and another was inaugurated last week with the common theme of spreading the holiday spirit to Jacksonville’s low-income seniors. More than 250 clients of the Meals on Wheels program received holiday gifts they requested through the annual Holiday Project. Seniors submitted wish lists that were fulfilled by JBA members and their law firms who purchased and wrapped the items requested. While most of the gift boxes and bags were delivered personally by the donors, on Dec. 13 volunteers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office helped deliver some of the packages in a countywide coordinated effort. Also, Duval County Judge Gary Flower inaugurated what may become another annual tradition for the Jacksonville legal community. In partnership with the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association, about 250 gifts — costume jewelry for the women
Photo by Max Marbut
From left, Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association President-elect Sarah Mannion, Awards Committee Cochair Brittany Ford, Judicial Reception Director Lauren Johnston, President Jamie Karpman, Florida Association for Women Lawyers JWLA representative Francine Palmeri and Duval County Judge Gary Flower. Flower and JWLA helped donate 250 gifts at the Cathedral Towers senior supportive living facility.
and neckties for the men — were wrapped and presented to residents at the Cathedral Towers senior supportive living facility. In addition to the gifts, Flower and a group of JWLA members brought snacks, hot chocolate and cake provided with a grant from The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division.
Tanner remaining on TFB board With no contenders filed as of the Monday deadline, Tanner Bishop partner Michael Tanner will be re-elected in March to serve another twoyear term on The Florida Bar board of governors. He was elected to the board in 2011 and is chair of the Leg-
islation Committee.
‘Justice’ declared Word of the Year Online dictionary merriamwebster.com declared “justice” its 2018 Word of the Year, based on inquiries. According to the website, the entry was consulted 74 percent more in 2018 than in 2017. Merriam-Webster attributes the spike in interest, in part, to “justice” being so prevalent in news reports, including the Department of Justice investigations into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election. Another definition for “justice,” a title for “judge,” often was used in connection with the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The runners-up, in order: Nationalism, pansexual, lodestar, epiphany, feckless, laurel, pissant, respect, maverick and excelsior. Visit merriam-webster.com for citations.
Special to the Daily Record
Sheriff Mike Williams and a squad of volunteers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office mustered at the Jacksonville Bar Association’s office to pick up gifts donated by attorneys and law firms for the annual JBA Holiday Project. Williams and the volunteers (not in uniform) are shown, from left, JBA Presidentelect Elizabeth Ferguson, board member Cindy Trimmer and Amy Harris, vice chair of the Holiday Project Committee.
MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, December 20, 2018 • Page 11
Commission submits 6 candidates for judicial seat Gov. Scott or DeSantis will appoint the new county judge. BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
After interviewing 14 applicants Monday, the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission submitted to Gov. Rick Scott six candidates for appointment to the Duval County Court. A vacancy in the court was created when County Judge Lester Bass was appointed to replace Circuit Judge Robert Foster, who resigned his seat on the bench before his term was scheduled to expire in January. Under state law, the governor has 60 days after nominees are submitted to make the appointment. Scott may appoint one of the nominees on or before Jan. 8, or the appointment could be made by incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis if Scott does not make the appointment before he leaves office.
Janet Abel Janet Abel is circuit director of the Office of Regional Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel. It’s a state agency that functions as a law firm for indigent people entitled to counsel, primarily in criminal and dependency matters. She’s familiar with the courtroom environment, appearing in court about four times a week and having represented clients in more than 4,700 nonjury trials. Abel, 42, said in her interview that her experience in court has
taught her that a judge must be neutral and interpret the law, but the system is not perfect. “I’ve won some cases that I shouldn’t have, and I’ve lost some cases I should have won,” she said. Abel graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001. She began her career as an assistant public defender in Jacksonville.
Brooke Brady Brooke Brady, 41, is a magistrate in the 4th Judicial Circuit who hears civil, mental health, family law and juvenile delinquency cases. In her 18 months in a quasijudicial role, she said she’s learned that “it’s important to make sure everyone feels like they’ve had their day in court and have been heard” and “my job is to follow the law, whether I like it or not.” Brady was a founding partner in the implementation of Girls Court in Duval County, an alternative justice program for female juvenile first offenders. Brady graduated from Stetson University College of Law and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001.
Michael Fackler Michael Fackler is a shareholder at Milam Howard Nicandri Gillam & Renner. He practices commercial litigation specializing in condominium and homeowners associations with construction defect issues. Fackler, 46, began his law career in 2002 as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger. He then was an associate attorney at the McGuire Woods firm from 2004 to 2007, when he joined Milam Howard as an associate. He became a shareholder there in 2016. During his interview, Fackler was asked about his lack of experience in the courtroom, since he stated in his application that he hasn’t had to represent a client in a jury trial. “Having been a law clerk, I’ve seen it from the judge’s perspective. Having trial experience and presiding over a trial are two different things,” he said. He graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2002.
Rhonda Peoples-Waters Rhonda Peoples-Waters, 44, is president and owner of Rhonda Peoples-Waters PA, where she specializes in criminal defense, family law, personal injury and probate law.
Peoples-Waters was an assistant public defender and division chief in the 4th Circuit after graduating from law school, then went into private practice with a law firm and in 2008 established her sole practice. She also worked for the state from 2010 to 2011 as the Jacksonville coordinator for the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative. Peoples-Waters said that in the past year, she has developed more of her civil law practice and her practice covering several areas of law qualifies her for appointment to the bench. “County court is where most of our community has interaction with the court,” she said.
Erin Perry Erin Perry, 37, is an assistant state attorney and division chief in the 4th Circuit. A career prosecutor, Perry’s first assignment was in county court, then she was transferred to circuit court. Her current assignment is division chief and she prosecutes homicides and other major crimes. Perry said in her interview that while her legal experience is limited to criminal prosecution, she has in the past year completed 16 hours of civil practice certifica-
tion study. Commission Chair Patrick Kilbane commented on Perry’s background check conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He described it as “spotless, not even a moving violation.” Perry graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2007.
Julie Taylor Julie Taylor, 47, is court counsel for the 4th Judicial Circuit. She assists the chief judge, circuit judges and county judges with the administration of court functions such as researching and writing administrative orders, advising the court on thirdparty contract and human resources matters and public records requests. Taylor said in her interview that based on her experience in the judicial system, administration is most important. “The biggest responsibility in county court is to manage the calendar and move cases along,” she said. Taylor graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. She was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1996. MMARBUT@ AXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Building CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Field and the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The main building currently houses creative loft spaces for artists, woodworking, makers and manufacturers. The other buildings have office space, car repair services and leased storage space. Baynes said he wants to keep as many of those creative tenants as possible. “The mix of innovative people making a lot of unique products are the core of this building and we want to keep that feeling as we begin our adaptive reuse,” he said. On Dec. 12, the company obtained a $4.5 million mortgage from the Jacksonville branch of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, through its acquisition predevelopment loan program. LISC is considered the largest community development organization in the country, providing grants and loans to developers pursuing urban projects. LISC Jacksonville Executive Director Janet Owens said in a statement that “more investment is needed specifically in East Jacksonville, and we look forward to working with the Columbia team to create a vibrant mixed-use, mixed-income development.” Baynes said he also will pursue federal historic tax credits to help offset construction costs. DETERMINING THE MIX
The mix for the project is being determined. Baynes said residential won’t be the primary use for the main building, but that workforce housing will be included.
The building at 700 E. Union St. currently houses creative loft spaces for artists and other uses.
“Everything we read being proposed for the sports district is exciting, but it looks like that’s going to cater to an upper-end client,” said Baynes. “We’re committed to workforce housing because we see there’s a need for that in Jacksonville,” he said. Most of the land is zoned for light industrial, including the main structure, although a small portion of the property would allow for commercial, residential and office uses. Rezoning and permitting is months, if not more than a year, off, Baynes said, “depending on the scope of work.” “We don’t want to come and do this halfway,” he said. “The focus
for us is doing the right job in 2019 considering today’s increased construction costs.” He said Capital Ventures will use Jacksonville-based Atlantic Engineering Services. Agreements are not completed with local architectural firms and general contractors. “Once we’re working with the local design team we’ll be able to add in local pricing to see if the economics work to see if we need to do major renovations or something minor,” he said. Baynes said he would like to bring some of the vibrancy he’s seen in nearby Springfield to the east. “What’s happening over there along Main Street is great,” he
said. “That’s the feeling we want at the Union Terminal Warehouse.” BULLISH ON JACKSONVILLE
Columbia Ventures is affiliated with the Atlanta-based housing development and property management firm Columbia Residential, which has apartment communities and senior living facilities in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. Over the past 27 years, Baynes said Columbia Ventures has focused on building mixed-use developments that include market-rate and workforce housing in urban locations throughout the Southeast. He said Jacksonville has been
on his radar for several years. “The first time I walked this property was in August 2013,” he said. “But it just wasn’t the right time for Jacksonville or Capital Ventures.” He said the North Florida market is starting to become a highdemand area with a growing national profile. “We would not come here for just one project,” he said. “Obviously, we’re focused on this development, but in the future we’re going to be looking for other opportunities here.” DCAWTON@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @DAVIDCAWTON (904) 356-2466
Page 12 • Thursday, December 20, 2018
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
The gift of justice is in your hands. Providing children with serious medical conditions access to the health care and safe housing they need. Stopping unscrupulous landlords from unlawfully evicting elderly and low-income residents. Protecting consumers from abusive lenders and scam artists. Preventing improper foreclosures. Jacksonville Area Legal Aid does all this and more to ensure justice and economic security for more than 11,000 individuals and families in our community every year.
Your gift is the light in a neighbor’s darkest day. Make your tax-deductible donation today.
www.jaxlegalaid.org/donate/