Daily Record FINANCIAL NEWS &
TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017
Vol. 104, No.091 • oNe SectioN
35¢
www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Amazon seeks fourth center
A permit is in review for Amazon at 4948 Bulls Bay Highway in Westside Industrial Park.
File photo
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
Amazon.com continues its move into Jacksonville. The Seattle-based e-commerce retailer is identified on building documents as the user of a 237,053-square-foot warehouse in Westside Industrial Park. Two Amazon fulfillment centers and a delivery station already have been permitted, making the Westside operation its fourth in Jacksonville. The Amazon fulfillment centers are in development at Pecan Park Road and Interstate 295 in Northwest Jacksonville and at
Cecil Commerce Center in North Jacksonville. The smaller delivery station was permitted at Alta Lakes Commerce Center in North Jacksonville. Documents submitted Monday with the city call the most recent project, at 4948 Bulls Bay Highway, “Amazon Phase 2.” Phase 1 appears to be interior painting and lighting work. Amazon did not return an email for comment. The permit application and the building plans show the project as tenant improvements that involved structural support for roof-top units, dock-door details
and trenching for utilities. Roof-top units are HVAC systems for commercial buildings. The company contact is listed as J.S. “Steve” Bear, who was identified in city emails in February as the Amazon executive seeking a meeting with building officials. He did not return a call for comment Monday. Hitt Contracting of Atlanta is the contractor. BL Companies of Connecticut, an architectural, engineering, environmental and land surveying company, is the design professional. The permit application lists a job cost of $500,000. AMAZON CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Fidelity Investments is preparing space for the 300 jobs it pledged to the city and state to hire by year-end 2018. The financial services company wants to renovate the third and fourth floors in Building 100 at 4600 Touchton Road E. for a customer contact center, similar to the workspace it uses in Building 400. That’s the Deerwood North office campus. Spokeswoman Kathleen Bentley said the space will accommodate current employees and those that might be needed in the future. Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is the contractor for the $800,000 project for 58,000 square feet. Plans show offices, open office space, meeting rooms, a café and seating area, learning centers, a lounge area and other functions. Bentley said the company has about 900 employees in Jacksonville “and continues to grow and hire, making progress toward the multiyear jobs goal we announced in 2015.” At the time of that announcement, Fidelity had 800 employees, meaning it has added 100 workers since then. Fidelity also uses space on the third floor of Building 100, she said. In November 2015, the company said it completed a lease for more than 50,000 square feet of office space in Deerwood North Building 100, which is across from Building 400. Fidelity leases the majority of Building 400 for the current 800 employees. Bentley said Buildings 100 and 400 will accommodate the current and future employees. The city and state agreed to $2.6 million in taxpayer incentives to add the financial services, investment banking and IT support jobs. The city agreed to provide $488,000, including a $128,000 Recapture Enhanced Value grant and up to $360,000 for a Qualified Target Industry tax refund. The state will pay $2.13 million, including MATHIS
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Photo by A.G. Gancarski/Florida Politics
Fidelity Investments makes space for 300 jobs
Harbinger Signs a familiar site for Scott
Gov. Rick Scott visited Harbinger Signs on Monday for another “Fighting for Florida Jobs” roundtable. The 55-year-old business in Mandarin is a familiar site for Scott’s economic development campaigns. Scott visited the Jacksonville company in November 2015 to unveil the state’s $79.3 billion budget and promote his pitch for $250 million in economic incentives for Enterprise Florida. As he did then, Scott on Monday repeated his pitch for tax incentives for businesses. The House voted March 10 to abolish Enterprise Florida. “He was all about keeping it here and bringing it here,” said Mike Lev, Harbinger vice president of operations.
‘Jet Ski with guns’ boosting Mayport By Max Marbut Staff Writer Jacksonville’s largest employer is adding about 2,000 military and civilian employees to its workforce — and they’re coming with the latest hightech warship in the U.S. Navy’s fleet. Navy Capt. Paul Young, commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron II, spoke Monday to the Rotary Club of Jacksonville about what being home port for 12 of the Navy’s newest, most technologically advanced warships will mean for Mayport Naval Station. The base currently employs about 9,000 people, according to JAX Chamber, making it the fourthlargest employer in Northeast Florida. Naval Air Station Jacksonville is No. 1 in the region with 19,800 employees, followed by Duval County Public Schools (12,060) and Baptist Health
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(9,800). According to a report from the city Office of Economic Development, the military currently provides employment for about 50,000 active duty personnel and civilian workers, with a total economic impact of nearly $12 billion annually. Young said he’s not an economist and he’s more focused on what the ships will bring to America’s defense. He pointed out the new vessels, which have water-jet propulsion instead of propellers and a rudder, can cruise at about 40 knots, compared to less than 30 knots for a cruiser or destroyer. “It’s a Jet Ski with guns. I like that,” Young said. The ships also are smaller, about 3,000 tons displacement compared to about 10,000 tons for a cruiser and far less expensive per vessel. Young said each Littoral Combat Ship costs MAYPORT CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
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