The city and Hillwood, Jacksonville’s master developer at AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center, are considering a 562,500-square-foot speculative distribution center at the Westside business park.
JEA, the city utility, is reviewing a service-availability request determination.
Also, the St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing plans for the project, described on 46.91 acres on Parcel E.
The site is north of Normandy Boulevard at northwest POW-MIA Memorial Parkway and Finger Lake Street. It is east of Inspiration Avenue.
The city Office of Economic Development is the property owner and applicant. Dallas-based Hillwood is the operator and co-applicant.
BGE Inc. in Jacksonville is the civil engineer. SES Environmental Resource Solutions LLC of Jacksonville is the environmental consultant.
Hillwood Executive Vice President Dan Tatsch said May 24 a decision is pending for the development.
“We haven’t formally decided to move forward with the building,” Tatsch said by email.
“The plan-review submittal is simply intended to reduce the delivery timing if/when we do decide to move forward.”
Tatsch said there likely will be more filings for permits with the same intent.
The city’s master development agreement calls for Hillwood to build-out AllianceFlorida on about 4,499 acres of city property, the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field, off Normandy Boulevard and 103rd Street in West Jacksonville.
That agreement is designed for the city to share in the profits. As the master developer, Hillwood typically secures the tenant, buys the land from the city, develops the project and then sells it, sharing the proceeds with the city.
By the third quarter of 2023, Hillwood’s total profit-sharing payments to the city reached $10 million since its 2010 agreement to serve as master developer.
Tatsch said previously the checks quantify the success of the concept.
“When those checks happen, it means we are all doing something right.”
Tatsch said in January 2024 that Hillwood has developed about 3.225 million square feet at AllianceFlorida.
That includes the two 1 million-square-foot centers for online retailers Amazon.com on about 86.5 acres and home-furnishings company Wayfair on 80 acres.
