Code-named Project Raptor Stone is Cosentino Industrial USA LLC, which manufactures stone material, including Silestone.
Cosentino is part of Cosentino Group of Spain.
The city proposes to convey land at the Cecil Commerce Center mega-site in West Jacksonville to the company to create a 408,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at an estimated $270 million investment inthe first phase.
The megasite is in the northernmost portion of Cecil Commerce Center adjacent to Interstate 10 and CSX rail.
Cosentino plans to create at least 180 jobs by year-end 2028 at an average salary of $56,594.
A second phase would add space and investment.
Cosentino would buy 330 acres with an option to buy another 150 acres.
The city will convey the parcel at $76,000 an acre. Including a credit, the 270 net acres would be sold for $20.52 million.
The city would extend CSX rail service to the site.
The city proposes a 50%, 10-year Recapture Enhanced Value Grant tax refund for the first phase, capped at $12 million.
The city Office of Economic Development released the name April 21 as it proposing the deal to the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee April 24 to introduce legislation to City Council.
Project Raptor has been surfacing in development filings.
The St. Johns River Water Management District issued a permit March 22 for Project Raptor, which also has been called Raptor Stone, a code-named manufacturer considering a facility at Cecil Commerce Center.
The permit authorizes the construction and operation of a stormwater management system for a 257.78-acre project in the West Jacksonville business park. Records show a total area of work in, on or over wetlands of 41.11 acres.
As the owner of Cecil Commerce Center, the city applied for the permit through the Department of Public Works. England, Thims & Miller Inc. is the civil engineer and Environmental Resource Solutions is the agent. Both are based in Jacksonville.
The environmental resource permit allows the mass clearing and grading of a future development site at southwest Interstate 10 and First Coast Expressway. The project includes preparation of the building foundation.
While the application did not provide details about the project, a November request for the availability of JEA services shows a 410,000-square-foot facility that would operate with 180 employees.
Jacksonville-based Haskell, which provides architecture, engineering and construction services, was the applicant on behalf of the project.
The city responded to a Nov. 15 public records request for applications, documents, emails and correspondence related to the project.
“Any responsive documents are confidential and exempt from disclosure pursuant to Section 288.075, Florida Statutes,” the city’s Public Affairs email said Nov. 16.
The statute details exemptions to the state Sunshine Law for public economic development agencies and officials.
Raptor Stone requests the availability of chilled water, electric, reclaim, sewer and water services from the municipal power company. The request was dated Nov. 7.
JEA provided the availability letter Nov. 8 explaining its connections for those services and outlining the next development steps for service.
The JEA application does not describe or identify the identity of Raptor Stone or indicate what it would produce.
Constructionjournal.com lists a project, updated Feb. 15, for Raptor Stone in the category of heavy and highway, industrial/manufacturing and a subcategory of manufacturing/processing plant and site development.
It says construction is expected to start in May 2023 with a construction value of $220 million.
Construction Journal is a proprietary system that tracks projects and sells bidding and other project information to general contractors, subcontractors, specialty contractors, construction services, distributors/suppliers, building product manufacturers and owners.
The basic information was available publicly. More details would be available for a price.
The site says project information has been obtained through public sources.
Project Raptor Stone is shown in public records on land designated a megasite at Alliance Florida at Cecil Commerce Center, whose master developer is Dallas-based Hillwood.
The megasite is shown as almost 750 acres. The city says about 600 acres can be developed.
Hillwood contracted with the city to develop 4,474 acres as an industrial and business park in the 17,000-acre former naval air station in West Jacksonville.
In 2006, site selection consultants McCallum Sweeney announced the certification of a site at Cecil Commerce Center as an official “Megasite,” considered a large industrial property qualified to support a major automotive manufacturing facility or similar activity.
It said the designation sets the stage for the attraction of a large industrial user who will add high-paying job opportunities and significant private capital investment in the community.
This is a developing story.