Daily Record Financial News &
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2016
Vol. 104, No. 006 • oNe SectioN
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
New life for old riverfront ‘eyesore ?
$2M gift from Players to Wolfson
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Owner of Berkman II seeking new zoning
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
Looking at policing with ‘different lens’
More officers, funding and transparency among suggestions after year-long effort By David Chapman Staff Writer One of the first things Sheriff Mike Williams did after taking office last year was to establish a series of community-led task forces dealing with key components of policing. Part of the effort can be told in numbers. Four committees, 50 people, nearly 1,000 hours and an 81-page report. The latter was handed off to Williams on Monday morning on the Southbank Riverwalk, a document more than a year in the making. “This was not a cosmetic
Public
undertaking,” said Jacksonville University President Tim Cost, who served as the overall chair to the committees’ efforts. “We looked at law enforcement through a different lens than we ever had before.” The task forces were led by business and civic leaders who reviewed topics of community engagement, transparency, resources and training. And they dealt with myriad issues ranging from suggestions for body cameras and citizen oversight and review boards to millage rates and additional hires.
Community engagement
Led by Susan Towler, Florida
legal NoticeS begiN oN Page
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Photo from wokv.com
Photos by Shannon Heath / Wolfson Children’s Hospital
Jacob Lopez, above, took part in Monday’s announcement of a $2 million gift from The Players Championship to Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Jacob suffered a traumatic brain injury and is now a champion for child passenger seat safety, a news release said. The donation is the second major gift from The Players to benefit child health, wellness and injury at The Players Center for Child Health. The initial $1 million gift in 2011 helped create the facility. At right, professional golfer Jim Furyk talks about the donation during a news conference.
Sheriff Mike Williams and Jacksonville University President Tim Cost at a news conference to release task force reports.
Blue Foundation executive director, the largest task force established a lofty vision for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It said every Duval County citizen should have at least one positive interaction a year with the office, in order to exceed the community’s expectation of the police agency. The group believes it can be JSO CONTINUED ON PAGE A-4
A Downtown riverfront high-rise project that came to an abrupt halt nearly 10 years ago and is now being described as an “eyesore” might be entering a new chapter. The owner of the 18-story concrete shell at 500 W. Bay St. — Choate Construction Co. of Atlanta — is seeking to have the property rezoned from Planned Unit Development to Commercial Central Business District. Ordinance 2016-780 will be introduced to City Council today. The ordinance lists Indy Hotels LLC and Shan Pollachi as Choate’s agent. The company has an address in a shopping center on Old Baymeadows Road and was registered Oct. 24 with the state Division of Corporations. No other information is available about the company and the telephone number listed in the ordinance does not belong to Indy Hotels or Pollachi. Michael Hampton, Choate chief operating officer, did not respond to requests for comment. The rezoning is supported by the Planning and Development Department, the Planning Commission and the council Land Use & Zoning Committee. Originally intended to be the second phase of The Plaza at Berkman Condominiums and Marina, the project stopped Dec. 6, 2007, when the parking garage adjacent to the tower collapsed during construction, killing one worker. BERKMAN
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Developer’s plans resemble Sprouts A Tampa-based company is working on plans for a groceryanchored retail center in Southside whose initial design raises the possibility of a lease with Sprouts Farmers Market. It would be the first Sprouts Farmers Market in Jacksonville, although the developer and the supermarket company don’t confirm the site would be for the organic and natural foods store. Wagner Property Group earned a Mobility Fee Calculation Certificate for a 37,900-squarefoot project on 4.56 acres at southwest University Boulevard and St. Augustine Road. The project comprises a 29,900-square-foot grocery store and an 8,000-square-foot retail building. The site address is shown as 2890-2944 University Blvd. W.,
PubliShed
for
27,067
comprising eight property parcels. It is across University Boulevard from a Publix Super Markets Inc. store. The sites now comprise office, shopping center, restaurant and other uses. Wagner Property Group Project Manager Bill Pittsley said Monday that no grocery store has been signed and the project could change. Asked whether Sprouts could be the grocery tenant, Pittsley said he didn’t believe it had an interest at this time. MATHIS CONTINUED ON PAGE A-2
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