Belk appears to be moving quickly toward construction of its East Arlington store in Jacksonville.
The city is reviewing an application for a permit to build the $3.5 million shell structure.
Target Contractors Inc., an affiliate of developer Sleiman Enterprises, is listed as the contractor for a 96,323-square-foot project at 11901 Atlantic Blvd.
The project comprises 88,973 square feet for the mercantile area, 3,750 square feet for storage, stock and shipping space and 3,600 square feet for the mechanical functions.
BHDP Architecture of Cincinnati, Ohio, is the architect.
Build-out for the interior would be separately permitted.
Belk confirmed Sept. 27 that it will open a new store at northwest Atlantic and Kernan boulevards in 2015 and that construction is scheduled to begin in July.
Jessica Graham, vice president of communications and community relations at the Charlotte, N.C.-based company, said then that Belk has not made any decisions about other store locations.
That would include the future of the store in Regency Square Mall, which is 3.3 miles from the new Belk location at Atlantic North, which currently is anchored by Academy Sports + Outdoors and LA Fitness.
Belk has two other stores in the market – at The Avenues mall and Roosevelt Square.
Regency Square, which was one of the area's first regional malls when built in 1967, has been losing tenants.
The apparent timing of the Atlantic North construction raises questions about when a decision will be made or announced regarding Regency.
Belk's store there is a two-story, 188,800-square-foot store, while the Atlantic North store is one story and half the size.
Regency executives have not commented.
Rockwood Real Estate Advisors of New York is marketing Regency Square Mall for sale.
Asked about the effect of Belk's decision on Regency, and the status of the potential sale in general, Rockwood Real Estate Managing Director Thomas Dobrowski said Friday by email that he was not permitted to comment.
The Daily Record reported that Regency's occupancy level dropped to 47.6 percent as of June 30, down from 60.1 percent at the end of 2012, according to a quarterly report from its owner, General Growth Properties Inc., filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Daily Record reported in June that a consultant for a distressed debt advisory firm met with city officials for exploratory talks on possible uses for the mall. City officials are saying there is no update.
Rockwood Real Estate's offering statement says the 1.4 million-square-foot mall has "a number of distinct advantages," including "a proposed 225,000 square foot power center redevelopment, which will significantly increase retail traffic to many of the Property's existing retail tenants."
The anchor tenants are listed as Belk and JCPenney. Sears and the Dillard's clearance center are connected to the mall but are separately owned buildings.
Belk's future appears to be critical to the mall, not only for its store traffic but because of its location. Belk is at the center of the enclosed mall and customers use the store as a pass-through from the Penney-anchored wing on the east to the Sears-anchored wing on the west.
Vistakon applies for permit to build
The Vistakon Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., has applied to the city for a permit to build the $2.5 million shell structure for its Phase 6 expansion, a 22,887-square-foot building on its Deerwood Park campus at 7500 Centurion Parkway.
Gilbane Building Co. is the contractor and Flad & Associates of Florida is the architect. England, Thims & Miller Inc. is the civil engineer and Atlantic Engineering Services is the structural engineer.
The site-work permit for the 2.2 acres carries a project cost of $822,884.
City Council recently approved a $6.9 million Recapture Enhanced Value grant for the $218 million project. The state assistance comprises a $1.5 million Quick Action Closing Fund contribution and $225,000 in workforce training.
Vistakon told the city and state it will create up to 100 jobs at an average wage of $65,000 plus benefits with the project, which involves making the latest generation of its Acuvue disposable contact lenses.
The new space and jobs boost Vistakon to almost 2,000 employees and close to 800,000 square feet of space.
Cushman, Shepherd moving Downtown
• Cushman & Wakefield plans a $250,976 build-out for its new Downtown offices at 121 W. Forsyth St.
The city is reviewing plans for International National Development Co. LLC to renovate 3,474 square feet of space on the ninth floor of the 10-story 121 Atlantic Place building.
ASD Inc. is the architect.
Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate brokerage company, now leases space at 10151 Deerwood Park Blvd. in the Deerwood South office park.
• The city approved a permit to renovate space on the 11th floor at Riverplace Tower for Shepherd, historically known as The Robin Shepherd Group.
Dav-Lin Interior Contractors is the contractor to renovate 10,517 square feet of space at a project cost of $399,908.
Riverplace Tower is on the Downtown Soutbank of the St. Johns River.
The Robin Shepherd Group sold its Riverside area riverfront building for condo development.
It said it was preparing to move in mid-October to the 28-story Riverplace Tower, to use temporary space on the 10th floor until its new offices on the 11th floor are renovated by December.
Transamerica taking SunTrust space
The city OK'd tenant build-out for Transamerica at the SunTrust Tower at 76 S. Laura St. Dav-Lin Interior Contractors is the contractor to renovate 2,950 square feet of space in Unit 501 at a project cost of $78,000.
EverBank project approved
Renovations were approved for another two floors for EverBank at EverBank Center at 301 W. Bay St. Downtown. Auld & White Constructors LLC is the contractor for the 65,376 square feet of space, comprising the 27th and 28th floors, at a project cost of $2.25 million. EverBank already occupies nine floors, totaling 279,000 square feet. The expansion takes it to about 344,000 square feet.
Liles, Gavin & George moving within Northbank
The Liles, Gavin & George law firm intends to move within Downtown from One Enterprise Center, at 245 Water St., Suite 1500, to EverBank Center at 301 W. Bay St.
Managing Partner Rutledge Liles said the firm expects to move by Jan. 1.
The city is reviewing a permit application for a $250,000 build-out for Liles, Gavin & George on the 10th floor of the 30-floor EverBank Center. It states the contract is pending.
Auld & White Constructors LLC is listed as the contractor for the 4,825-square-foot project.
Tenant improvement plans include renovations for offices, a boardroom, conference room, workstations and other space.
El Ad Florida LLC is the property owner.
Liles said the firm has been at One Enterprise since December 1989 and in its current offices, Suite 1500, since December 1991.
Liles said the lease expires Dec. 31.
Another benefit: It's about a block from the Duval County Courthouse and the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse.
Liles said the civil litigation and appellate firm's workforce totals 11, including five full-time lawyers and one part-time lawyer.
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