Johnson & Johnson Vision can develop its minimum $30 million central utilities plant expansion at its southside Jacksonville contact-lens plant.
The city issued a permit March 10 for the largest part of the project – a $24 million, two-story, 15,421-square-foot building.
Cyma Builders & Construction Managers Inc. of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, is the contractor.
Johnson & Johnson Vision, previously known as Vistakon, operates at 7500 Centurion Parkway, where it makes Acuvue disposable contact lenses.
The company has been working toward the expansion. The city previously issued permits for the foundation, equipment installation, demolition and other work to prepare.
Johnson & Johnson Vision, part of New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson, sees continued output and potential growth in Jacksonville.
“This is related to utilities upgrades needed to maintain current production operations at the site, as well as allows for future utilities expansion should the plant require it,” said Johnson & Johnson spokesperson Jessica Giangaspero in November.
She said she could not verify the amount proposed for the expansion.
Permit applications to date total about $30 million for the utilities plant expansion.
As of March 2019, Johnson & Johnson Vision had about 1,800 employees in Jacksonville. JAXUSA Partnership, the economic development division of JAX Chamber, reports Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is one of the city’s largest employers with 2,000 employees. Giangaspero said in November the workforce fluctuates.
Johnson & Johnson Vision is part of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies.
Formerly called Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and Vistakon, it began expanding beyond the contact lens business in 2017 with acquisitions of other eye health businesses.
It operates a Jacksonville campus of almost 900,000 square feet of space, records show.
Johnson & Johnson Vision has operated the Jacksonville contact lens unit since 1981 when it bought Frontier Contact Lenses.
Dual-headquartered in Jacksonville and in Santa Ana, California, Johnson & Johnson Vision says it has more than 10,000 employees worldwide and its eye health products are available in 103 countries.