The Jacksonville Planning Commission on May 9 recommended approval to rezone and amend the land use of the former Union Terminal Warehouse Co. property at 648 E. Union St. for mixed-use development, including residential, commercial and compatible light industrial uses.
The 7.35-acre property is north of the Arlington Expressway overpass and near Hogans Creek.
It includes the 106-year-old, 330,000-square-foot, four-story warehouse and six more warehouse and office buildings constructed between 1912 and 1990.
In 1913, owner C.B. Gay declared the Union Terminal Warehouse to be the largest warehouse in Florida.
The main warehouse, which has a basement, is leased for loft space for artists and for manufacturing. The other buildings are used for storage, office, internet auto sales and car repair.
The proposed development includes up to 750,000 square feet of residential and nonresidential uses within the existing or new buildings. The mix allows up to 473 dwelling units.
Proposed nonresidential uses include, for example, retail, offices, galleries, child care, hotel, storage, veterinary, restaurants, nightclubs, breweries, fabrication, churches and pharmacies.
Ordinance 2019-228 seeks a small scale land use amendment change from residential-professional-institutional and light industrial to community/general commercial with a site-specific policy.
A companion rezoning bill, Ordinance 2019-229, seeks a change from industrial light and commercial residential office to planned unit development.
Owner East Union Property Owners LLC, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based developer Columbia Ventures LLC, bought the property Dec. 3 for $4.6 million.
Columbia Ventures Managing Partner Dillon Baynes said his company has a successful track record of historic rehabilitation and adaptive re-use in developing residentially anchored mixed-use projects in urban locations, including Atlanta.
He said Columbia Ventures is focused on building mixed-use developments that include market-rate and workforce housing in urban locations.
Columbia Ventures is affiliated with housing development and property management firm Columbia Residential, which has apartment and senior living communities in Florida, Georgia, Texas and Louisiana.
Baynes said previously he wants to keep as many of the creative tenants as possible at the Union Terminal Warehouse.
Another major project also gained a recommendation for approval.
The commission backs Ordinance 2019-235, which seeks to rezone 1,068 undeveloped acres at southeast Interstate 295 and Butler Boulevard.
Property owner Sawmill Timber LLC, led by the Skinner family, wants to change the zoning from one planned unit development to another to allow a mixed-use master-planned project with 3.5 million square feet of nonresidential uses and 4,600 residential units.
The plan includes office and commercial uses and residential neighborhoods with a village center.
The planning commission requested deferral of ordinances to amend the City Ordinance Code:
• Ordinance 2019-238, which seeks to amend Chapter 656, the Zoning Code, to create a new Part 17 for short-term vacation rentals and amend Chapter 123, Public Fees, to create registration fees for short- term vacation rentals. The ordinance was deferred for additional public involvement in crafting the ordinance.
• Ordinance 2019-239, which seeks to amend Chapter 656, the Zoning Code, to create a new Subpart S within Part 3, Renew Arlington Zoning Overlay and to adopt findings, Zoning Overlay Maps and publication. The ordinance was deferred, requesting notification and input from business owners affected by the overlay.
The planning commission approved zoning exceptions for:
• Jacksonville Electric Authority plans a regional solar energy farm at 1990 U.S. 301, southwest of Baldwin and Interstate 10. JEA plans to place solar panels on portions of the 1,850-acre property.
• St. Mary’s Seafood & More at 8129 Point Meadows Way, the former Sticky Fingers and briefly a Woody’s Bar-B-Q, at Baymeadows Road and I-295, to serve all alcoholic beverages in conjunction with a restaurant. The exception will be granted to Nicholas Antar, doing business as St. Mary’s Seafood. A companion waiver of minimum distance requirements for liquor license was granted to reduce the distance from the required 500 feet to 11 feet from The Church of Eleven22 at 8133 Point Meadows Drive.
• Derby House Diner, the former Derby on Park restaurant at 1068 Park St. in Five Points, to serve all alcoholic beverages in conjunction with a restaurant and have outside sales and service. The exception will be granted to New Derby LLC, doing business as Derby House Diner. A companion waiver of minimum distance requirements for liquor license was granted to reduce the distance from the required 500 feet to 490 feet from the Riverside Presbyterian Church at 849 Park St.
• Salisbury Lakes Office Building at 4130 Salisbury Road, south of Coventry Park at Southside apartments, to allow restaurants, animal hospitals, fitness centers, churches and other service establishments to expand the potential tenant market in the industrial business park zoning district.
Land use amendments and rezoning recommendations
The planning commission recommended approval for land use changes and rezonings for:
• Ordinance 2019-225, which seeks a large scale land use amendment for 20.17 acres at Corporate Square Court, west of Southside Boulevard between Atlantic Boulevard and Ivey Road. The property is owned by M&K Properties of Jacksonville LLC. It would change from business park to medium density residential to allow for multifamily development. The application will be reviewed by the state before it can be adopted and will be accompanied by a rezoning application.
• Ordinance 2019-226, which seeks a large scale land use amendment for 17.37 acres on the south side of AC Skinner Parkway, between Southside Boulevard and Belfort Road. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority owns the parcel, which is part of a 348.14-acre property. It would change from community/general commercial to high density residential to remove the work force requirement for multifamily in the CGC land use. The proposed companion rezoning, Ordinance 2019-227, would change the use from commercial office and industrial business park to PUD to allow up to 370 apartment units.
• Ordinance 2019-230, which seeks a small scale land use amendment for 2.53 acres at 5719 Cagle Road, between University Boulevard West and Bowden Road. It would change from community/general commercial to high density residential to allow for multifamily residential and nonresidential uses. The companion rezoning request, Ordinance 2019-231, will change from commercial community general-1 to PUD. Owner Cagle Group LLC plans to redevelop the abandoned two-building, two-story motel built in 1973. Plans include converting the 151 units to 78 one-bedroom units and 33 studio units. The target market is working singles, couples and small families. The ground floors allow retail sales and service, day care and offices. The PUD waives all recreational use and landscape requirements.
• Ordinance 2019- 232, which seeks a small scale land use amendment for 1.53 acres at 107 Elizabeth Lane, between North Main Street and Gillespie Avenue. It would change from low density residential to community/general commercial to allow a self-storage facility. Companion Ordinance 2019-233 proposes changing the zoning from residential low density-60 to commercial community general-2.
• Ordinance 2019-237, which seeks to rezone 0.65 acres on the east side of Century 21 Drive and southwest of the Shore House Apartments. It would change from PUD to residential medium density-C. The owner Southern Impression Homes LLC proposes to develop the property for apartments.
• Ordinance 2019-234, which seeks to rezone the 1.22-acre property at 2731 Park St., west of King and Park streets. It would change from commercial residential office and commercial community general-1 to PUD to expand the existing 11,398-square-foot Parkside Medical Center building by 3,259 square feet and add parking spaces. Rezoning will relax the Riverside Avondale Overlay standards.
Land use amendments and rezonings require approval by the City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee and then full council approval.
