The City Building Inspection Division approved a building permit Thursday for construction of a 7-Eleven convenience store Downtown at a project cost of $500,000.
According to the permit information, Sweenor Wilkes Construction LLC is the contractor for 2,940-square-foot 7-Eleven at 9 W. Union St.
The site is bordered by Union, Main and State streets.
Sweenor Wilkes has a Florida office in Sarasota. It focuses on retail petroleum and convenience store construction. It also has offices in Rhode Island.
Last week, 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto said at a news conference Downtown that the company would open more than 80 stores in the Jacksonville area by 2015. He said two will open by the summer Downtown.
The other Downtown store is planned at 111 Julia St., at Forsyth Street.
DePinto said each 7-Eleven generates about $100,000 a year in sales and property tax revenue and each creates at least 10 jobs.
Dallas-based 7-Eleven is returning to Jacksonville after a noncompete agreement expired with Gate Petroleum Co. Jacksonville-based Gate bought 28 7-Eleven stores in 1990 and converted them to Gate stores.