The Downtown Investment Authority board awarded development rights for Phase I of the Fidelity National Information Services Inc.’s world headquarters development in Brooklyn, clearing the way for groundbreaking.
The board voted 6-0 at its April 15 meeting to allocate 377,000 square feet of office and 6,000 square feet of commercial retail development rights for the project. The 5.71-acre site is at 323 Riverside Ave. in Brooklyn.
DIA Operations Manager Guy Parola told board members the retail rights are intended to allow the ground-floor retail planned for the FIS parking garage facing Riverside Avenue.
The board also voted 6-0 on a resolution to sell FIS five stormwater credit acres at $34,948.25 each.
The stormwater credit system is a city program that allows businesses to comply with stormwater runoff requirements through a fee in replacement of on-site stormwater retention infrastructure.
Board member Todd Froats abstained from both votes because FIS is a client of his tax, accounting and consulting firm ICX Group. Froats is the co-founder and president.
DIA CEO Lori Boyer said in an April 8 interview that FIS intends to commence construction on the headquarters site in May.
Lane Gardner, senior managing director of project management firm Hines, said April 6 that development of the 12-story, 358,092-square-foot FIS office tower and adjacent eight-story parking garage is on schedule.
He expects the project to be completed in June 2022.
FIS CEO Gary Norcross and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the headquarters project Nov. 1.
FIS, a Jacksonville-based Fortune 500 company, provides technology for financial institutions. It acquired Cincinnati-based Worldpay in July for $43 billion and needs more space.
The combined company will have more than $12 billion in annual revenue and 55,000 employees worldwide in 40 countries. It has clients in 110 countries.
The majority of the FIS headquarters will be built on a 4½-acre parking lot owned by insurer Florida Blue.
FIS intends to buy the land from Florida Blue.
The DIA resolution approved April 15 states the project will bring more than 1,200 jobs to Downtown Jacksonville. In November, Norcross said FIS will create 500 jobs and retain the company’s 1,216 employee workforce.