Daily Record FINANCIAL NEWS &
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017
Vol. 104, No. 037 • Two SecTioNS
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Photos by Carrie Resch
Amazon confirms second center
Aaron O’Reilly is general manager of Go Pull-It, a 25-acre used auto part salvage yard on Commonwealth Avenue.
Need a part? Go and pull it Self-serve salvage yard has 25 acres of vehicles
By Carrie Resch Contributing Writer
Aaron O’Reilly traded in a badge and boat for a desk and an office when he transitioned from being a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission law enforcement officer to general manager at Go Pull-It, a self-serve used auto parts salvage yard. The Jacksonville native is a graduate of Fletcher High School and studied psychology at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. After receiving his degree, he went to the Fish and Wildlife Academy in Tallahassee. For almost five years, O’Reilly worked for Fish and Wildlife in Palm Beach. He met his wife, Morgan, while working in South Florida. The couple got married and moved back to Jacksonville where he worked for the commission for a few more years. “(I) got to see and do just about everything you could, from immigrant landings to people coming
over from the Bahamas with duffle bags full of cocaine, to everything in between,” O’Reilly said of his years with the commission. Primarily, his job was to enforce fish and wildlife laws for both commercial and recreational fisherman. A friend who knew O’Reilly was looking to make a career change told him about the general manager position with Go Pull-It. O’Reilly met owners Jason Finley and Brian Shell and the trio “hit it off,” he said. Accepting the position was an easy decision. O’Reilly has a fondness for entrepreneurs, having worked for his father who owned and operated his own business for several years. He said it was a natural transition for him. “I thought it was a pretty awesome opportunity to get with these guys and open this business and run it for them,” O’Reilly said. “And it’s been successful.” WORKSPACE CONTINUED ON PAGE A-7
A painting of the ocean in neon orange and blue hues hangs in O’Reilly’s office. The painting was given to him by his cousin and artist Wayne Satterwhite who owns a T-shirt company in Atlantic Beach called Fresh Screen Prints.
Facilities will create 2,700 jobs in exchange for incentives of $26.7M By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
A few minutes after midnight, Amazon.com Inc. confirmed what had been expected since July: It will open a second fulfillment center in Jacksonville that will add more than 1,000 jobs to the regional economy. Employees at the 1 million-square-foot center in Cecil Commerce Center in West Jacksonville will pick, pack and ship large items like household decor, sporting equipment and gardening tools. The 86-acre site already is being cleared at 13333 103rd St. in West Jacksonville. Legislation shows the two centers will create 2,700 jobs and receive $26.7 million in taxpayer incentives. “We think it’s a home run,” said district City Council member Doyle Carter this morning. He said the Cecil center will draw workers from the Westside as well as Baker, Clay and Bradford counties. That means they will be buying gas and products in Duval, generating tax revenue for Jacksonville. He also expects the two Amazon centers to “open a lot more doors” to introduce major companies to the area’s industrial parks. Carter said companies are noticing Jacksonville and like its lifestyle. “They found out how good Jacksonville is and how we have a great workforce,” he said.
Multiple centers mean larger investment
All kinds of vehicles are bought at auctions, including this school bus.
The prospect of a second center emerged as the Seattle-based e-commerce retailer announced July 27 it would open its first in Northwest Jacksonville at 12900 Pecan Park Road. AMAZON CONTINUED ON PAGE A-3
Former condo site could be rezoned for apartments Area multifamily rental market expected to remain strong
By Max Marbut Staff Writer Multifamily residential construction in Riverside could get back on the horizon if a proposed amendment to a Planned Unit Development is approved by City Council. Ordinance 2016-790 seeks rezoning 1.66 acres along the St. Johns River at 500 and 555 Bishop
Public
Gate Lane between Lomax and Post streets. The applicant, Atlanta-based TriBridge Residential, proposes building up to 140 apartment units in two mid-rise structures on either side of Bishop Gate Lane. There also would be a special event venue, an integrated parking deck for resident and limited public parking, and a 15-footwide Riverwalk easement along
legal NoTiceS begiN oN Page
b-1
the entire 350 feet of river frontage with paving, landscaping, lighting and street furniture. TriBridge representatives did not return calls for comment. The site was initially approved for development of Beacon Riverside, a 45-unit high-rise condominium project, with units priced from $700,000 to $2.3 million. Sales began in 2013 by NAI Hallmark Partners, but when only 25 percent of the units were
sold in advance of construction, the company suspended marketing in October 2015 and released escrow funds to buyers. Multifamily development has been limited to apartments for several years in Jacksonville. Hallmark opened 220 Riverside in Brooklyn in May 2015 and recently received approval for another apartment project next door at 200 Riverside. APARTMENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE A-2
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