Gatlin Development Co. opened its Riverplace Tower headquarters Monday, marking the official first day of operations at its new Jacksonville corporate home.
The company was based in Fort Lauderdale. It now operates on the 19th floor of the 28-story tower at 1301 Riverplace Blvd.
CEO Frank Gatlin III said Monday by email the company will start with 20 employees. It relocated 14 families from South Florida.
He said all of the families settled in South Jacksonville, from San Marco to Mandarin to the Beaches.
His commitment to Florida made news this month in San Diego.
SanDiegoUnionTribune.com reported Wednesday that nine of Gatlin Development’s shopping centers changed hands in the largest area retail transaction since 2001.
Gatlin Development sold its San Diego area portfolio of 2.8 million square feet for $185.25 million to Newport Beach-based Citivest Commercial and New York-based investment partner Angelo, Gordon & Co., according to the Flocke & Avoyer commercial brokerage.
The news organization said many of the properties included tenant-owned stores, such as Kohl’s, Vons and Walmart.
Gatlin told the newspaper he sold his San Diego shopping-center portfolio “to focus on developing quality retail projects closer to my new home in Florida.”
Gatlin bought a San Marco estate in June, moving from Fort Lauderdale.
Gatlin Development developed the area Walmart Neighborhood Markets and is developing Collins Plaza, the Southwest Jacksonville center that will be anchored with a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Gatlin founded the company in 1976. It specializes in shopping center development, management and renovation in Florida and several other states.
Cabela’s expanding
Specialty outdoors recreation retailer Cabela’s Inc. says it intends to open 13-15 new stores every year for the next few years.
The Nebraska-based company hasn’t branched into Florida, so does that mean the chain is coming to the Sunshine State and possibly Jacksonville?
Spokesman Nathan Borowski said he couldn’t speculate about or discuss potential new store locations or markets, but the expansion means “our real estate team is exploring a lot of options.”
Cabela’s, founded in 1961, is headquartered in Sidney, Neb. It is a leading specialty retailer, and says it is the world’s largest direct marketer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise.
It operates 71 stores across the country, including three locations it opened in 2014 and this year in Georgia — Acworth, Augusta and Ringgold. It has announced plans for 16 more locations.
It opened its first destination retail store in 1987 and operates stores across the country that range from 35,000 square feet to 247,000 square feet in size. Its large-format stores are 150,000 square feet or larger.
It says its large stores are major tourist attractions. Cabela’s stores in Kansas City, Kan., and Owatonna, Minn., rank among the top tourist attractions in their states.
Avenues Walk Chuck E. Cheese’s a $1.23M project
An application to build the area’s third Chuck E. Cheese’s shows the 14,500-square-foot pizza and game arcade could be built at a job cost of $1.23 million.
Parkway Construction and Architecture is the contractor for the project at 10320 Shops Lane in Avenues Walk.
It would be the third Jacksonville Chuck E. Cheese’s. The others are near Regency Square and Orange Park malls.
Carter’s Babies and Kids opening third area store
Carter’s Babies and Kids intends to open in North Jacksonville at River City Marketplace next to Michaels.
The city is reviewing a permit for a $193,000 build-out of almost 4,000 square feet for the retailer at 13271 City Station Drive. The carters.com site says the store will open in October.
Carter’s operates stores at St. Johns Town Center and the St. Augustine Premium Outlets.
Atlanta-based Carter’s Inc. says it is the largest branded marketer in the United States and Canada of apparel exclusively for babies and young children. As of April 4, it operated 549 Carter’s retail stores in the United States.
Wells Fargo preparing space at Metro Square
Wells Fargo is preparing space at Metro Square office park to accommodate its move of about 300 employees from Capital Plaza in Southside.
The city is reviewing a building-permit application to renovate 20,000 square feet at an estimated job cost of $250,000. The renovations will be to Building D, which Wells Fargo leases in its entirety.
Metro Square is at Philips Highway and Emerson Street. Its address is 3563 Philips Highway.
In June, Wells Fargo spokeswoman Kathy Harrison said the relocation was scheduled for the fall. The bank will vacate 160,000 square feet of space at the Capital Plaza office park along Deerwood Park Boulevard. It has occupied space there for 10 years.
Harrison said back-office operations will move.
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