Jacksonville-based Fanatics Inc., which retails officially licensed sports merchandise, could be locating some operations in Baymeadows.
The city is reviewing a building-permit application for a $1.34 million renovation of a two-story office structure at 8100 Nations Way for Fanatics.
The company’s headquarters search has been a topic in the real estate industry for some time, but it’s not clear whether the Baymeadows location would be leased for that purpose.
Auld & White Constructors LLC is the contractor for the project, which shows 57,002 square feet on two floors would be renovated for Fanatics.
Property records show the two-story building totals 57,456 square feet of space and was built in 1999. It is owned by HGL Properties LP Ltd.
The building formerly was occupied by EverBank, which moved its headquarters to Riverside Avenue.
A Fanatics spokesman did not immediately return a call Thursday afternoon. A message left at the company’s headquarters was not returned immediately either.
Fanatics is an online retailer that says it offers the broadest online assortment of officially licensed items through fanatics.com and fansedge.com, as well as the largest selection of sports collectibles and memorabilia through Fanatics Authentic at fanaticsauthentic.com.
It says it also powers the e-commerce sites of all major professional sports leagues — NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, PGA; major media brands — NBC Sports, CBS Sports, FOX Sports; and more than 150 collegiate and professional teams.
Fanatics has been adding space around town.
In September, the company leased at least 212,000 square feet of space at 4300 Bulls Bay Highway in the Westside Industrial Park. A spokesman said then the space was for the Fanatics Apparel division, which handles all the personalization and customization side of the business.
Fanatics’ primary warehouse is in West Jacksonville at 5245 Commonwealth Ave., its principal address, according to state corporate records.
The company also operates a call center at 6800 Southpoint Parkway in Southside.
Football Fanatics was founded in 1995 with a single store in Jacksonville. Brothers Alan and Mitch Trager created Fanatics after the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise was announced in 1993.
The business began as a retail shop in a small room in the back of a mall, the company reports. Online retail sales began in 1997.
The company was acquired in 2011 by GSI Commerce Inc., a Pennsylvania-based e-commerce services company. Just two weeks after that deal was completed, GSI agreed to a $2.4 billion buyout by eBay Inc.
As part of the eBay deal, Fanatics and two other GSI businesses were spun off into a private company formed by GSI Chief Executive Michael Rubin called Kynetic.
Almost a year ago, Doug Mack, CEO of One Kings Lane, was named CEO and a board director. Alan Trager retired as CEO.
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