The city issued a permit Dec. 19 for Johnson & Johnson Vision to install equipment at its central utilities plant in Deerwood Park, enabling expansion.
Cyma Builders & Construction Managers Inc. of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, is the contractor for the almost $2.1 million project.
Johnson & Johnson Vision has been working toward a minimum $30 million investment to upgrade and expand the central utilities plant at its Jacksonville campus, which makes Acuvue disposable contact lenses.
Johnson & Johnson Vision, part of New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson, sees continued output and potential growth at its plant at 7500 Centurion Parkway.
“This is related to utilities upgrades needed to maintain current production operations at the site, as well as allows for future utilities expansion should the plant require it,” Johnson & Johnson spokesperson Jessica Giangaspero said in November.
The permit issued this week is for the installation of a pipe bridge to process chilled water and other utilities at the facility “for the future expansion of their Central Utilities Plant,” says the issued permit report.
Permit applications made to date indicate Johnson & Johnson Vision anticipates a plant expansion of at least $27.5 million. In addition, the city issued a permit in June to add mechanical equipment to the existing plant at a cost of $2.2 million.
As of March, Johnson & Johnson Vision had about 1,800 employees in Jacksonville. JAXUSA Partnership, the economic development division of JAX Chamber, reports Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is one of the city’s largest employers with 2,000 employees.
Johnson & Johnson Vision is part of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies.
Formerly called Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and Vistakon, it began expanding beyond the contact lens business in 2017.
It operates a Jacksonville campus of almost 900,000 square feet of space, records show.