Seasoned retail developer Ben Hakimian says his Shoppes of San Jose at University Boulevard West and St. Augustine Road is in a prime Jacksonville location for either an Aldi or a Trader Joe's grocer.
As reported, both chains, owned by the same German family, are looking for Northeast Florida sites.
Hakimian said he has been talking to real estate representatives of both chains, considering his renovated 57,000-square-foot Shoppes of San Jose at 2777 University Blvd. W. can serve a wide area of Southside.
Hakimian said Trader Joe's, a popular chain for its "unique" grocery items, indicates it is interested in at least three stores in Northeast Florida, especially Mandarin, Ortega and the Beaches.
His location could serve the Mandarin area, while a Beaches site has been rumored in South Jacksonville Beach. No specific Ortega or other West Jacksonville location has surfaced.
As for Aldi, an international discount supermarket chain, Hakimian understands it would open at least 13 stores in North Florida. A site plan shows a store at Seabridge Square in St. Augustine.
Hakimian owns 15 shopping centers — nine in Jacksonville, three in Clay County and one each in Jacksonville Beach, St. Augustine and Yulee.
He said Trader Joe's is interested in 12,000- to 15,000-square-foot stores and Aldi takes 15,000- to 20,000-square-foot stores.
Aldi offers a streamlined selection of products, focusing on its own branded items.
Aldi, based in Essen, Germany, with U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., operates more than 1,200 stores in 32 states, mainly from Kansas east to the coast. There are more than 9,200 locations worldwide.
The chain won't confirm new store locations in advance.
Aldi entered Central Florida in 2008. It has about 60 Florida stores among 45 cities and intends to have 70 locations open by the end of the year.
Trader Joe's, the topic of media reports that it wants to open a grocery store in Jacksonville Beach, has emphasized there is no news to confirm.
The closest store to Jacksonville is in Gainesville. The traderjoes.com site shows the only other Trader Joe's in Florida is in Sarasota.
Hakimian also said speculation that Trader Joe's is considering Jacksonville for a 750,000-square-foot distribution center, which also would serve Aldi stores, further supports a network of area stores.
InComm project OK'd in South Jacksonville
South Jacksonville office activity continues to pick up.
The city approved renovations at Freedom Commerce Centre for InComm, an Atlanta-based global commerce technology company, for a full floor of office space in the Baymeadows/Deerwood area.
Center Brothers of Florida will renovate 32,000 square feet at 8935 Freedom Commerce Parkway at a project cost of $450,000.
InComm plans to occupy the second floor of the Nassau Building in Freedom Commerce Centre. The space can accommodate more than 300 employees based on City code.
Leah Gladu, InComm senior marketing communications manager, said InComm would be moving its call center from one part of Jacksonville to another. She did not elaborate about its location.
Gladu said the call center will employ 200 to 350 people, depending on the time of year, and would move by the end of November or early December.
A building-permit application shows offices for two directors, open office space, training rooms, a break room and project space. The architect is ASD Architecture.
Crocker Partners V Freedom LLC of Boca Raton owns the property. It bought the seven buildings in the Freedom Commerce Centre in late 2012 for $27.8 million.
According to the incomm.com site, the company provides prepaid products, services and transaction technologies to retailers, brands and consumers. Its website opens with "Innovative Commerce."
It says it is an industry leader in prepaid card and transaction technologies, products and services including gift, wireless, games, long distance, music and reloadable debit cards.
BB&T build-out OK'd
In another Southside office move, the city approved tenant build-out for BB&T in the Summit at Southpoint at a project cost of $492,835.
Adams Interior Contractors Inc. will renovate the space, comprising the second floor at 6420 Southpoint Parkway.
While no job numbers were announced, BB&T North Florida Regional President Scott Keith told the Daily Record this month the bank company's presence is expanding in Jacksonville.
Keith said in an email that as BB&T's business expands in North Florida, it will need more space and the Summit location is a good opportunity.
Spokesman Brian Davis said more details would be available in late October. Davis is the corporate communications strategist at BB&T headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Brad Chrischilles, who represents the building owner, said the target occupancy date is Oct. 1.
Plans show offices, open work areas, conference rooms, a break room and other areas. Occupancy can reach 210 people, according to city code.
Chrischilles principal of CNL Commercial Real Estate in Jacksonville, said BB&T's lease of 21,500 square feet of space will accommodate 140 to 150 seats.
The Summit at Southpoint is a 23-acre lakeside campus of four three-story office buildings totaling about 260,000 square feet of leasable space. It faces Interstate 95 near Butler Boulevard.
Body Central starts work on Imeson center
Fashion retailer Body Central Corp. was cleared to start work on its headquarters and distribution center at One Imeson Center in North Jacksonville.
The city approved a building permit for Dav-Lin Interior Contractors to renovate 295,663 square feet of space at 1 Imeson Park Blvd. for Body Central's distribution center at a project cost of $1.4 million.
It's part of almost $5 million in renovations sought for the project.
Jacksonville-based Body Central will move from a 179,000-square-foot building, of which 146,000 square feet is warehouse space, at 6225 Powers Ave.
The tenant work alone adds up to $4.53 million for the almost 400,000-square-foot build-out at One Imeson.
Renovations are planned for headquarters offices, lobby upgrades and tenant work for a two-story distribution center.
The permit was one of three in review. The other two are:
• $3 million for interior build-out of 97,852 square feet of office space.
• $113,272 for renovations to first-floor office space and code upgrades for lobbies.
In January, City Council approved $1.39 million in city and state incentives for Body Central to relocate and expand its headquarters to One Imeson, a former Sears catalog center that consists of almost 2 million square feet of office-warehouse space.
One Imeson can accommodate several tenants. It's also the council-approved site for the Duval County Supervisor of Elections center.
Doll House to be built along Philips Highway
The Doll House nightclub, whose building was demolished along Atlantic Boulevard for road construction, has found a new home along Philips Highway.
The city approved construction for the Doll House at 6105 Philips Highway. Contractor Fulmer Inc. will demolish the building on the site and put up a new one at a cost of $250,000.
The adult-entertainment operation operated at 2220 Atlantic Blvd. The Florida Times-Union reported in January 2011 that it would be seized by the state and demolished as part of a plan to replace the Overland Bridge, an elevated section of Interstate 95 south of the Fuller Warren Bridge.
Plans show the former Sunshine Stucco Supply Inc. building along Philips Highway will be demolished and the Doll House built on the site. Sunshine Stucco Supply has relocated to 5323 Philips Highway.
Hartsock Enterprises, which does business as the Doll House, bought the site for $625,000.
Plans show the existing 10,041-square-foot building will be removed and a nightclub will be built on the 1.73-acre site.
Dollar General confirmed for Atlantic Boulevard site
A building-permit application states that Concept Development LLC of Gainesville will develop a Dollar General store at 6830 Atlantic Blvd., near Agnue Avenue.
Concept Construction of North Florida Inc. will remove the partially completed 18,026-square-foot retail center on the 1.66-acre site and build a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General at a project cost of $350,000, plans show.
Concept Development LLC, the Gainesville-based developer of at least 18 Dollar General stores in Northeast Florida, also is seeking approvals for a 9,100-square-foot retail store on 2.08 acres along Baymeadows Road, east of Goodbys Creek and west of Regina Road, and has filed plans for an unidentified retail store along West Beaver Street near Chaffee Road on a 1.3-acre site.
Pardee named interim building official
Eric Pardee has been named interim building official manager at the city's Building Inspection Division, succeeding the retired Jim Schock. Pardee has been the mechanical inspection supervisor.
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