A 99-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites is in review for development next to the planned iFly indoor skydiving venue near St. Johns Town Center.
Hotel guests will have options for entertainment and shopping. Not only is the Brightman Boulevard site near the Town Center, it also is south of Topgolf and north of the planned Floor & Décor.
The city issued a Conditional Capacity Availability Statement for the proposed 69,700-square-foot, five-story hotel on about 1.4 acres.
England-Thims & Miller Inc. is the engineering consultant, and the developer is Fox Jacksonville LLC.
A Fox Jacksonville representative said Friday the hotel will be built with the Holiday Inn Express Formula Blue concept and anticipates an opening by summer 2019.
Holiday Inn Express is a limited-service hotel. Its Formula Blue is called “smart design for smart travel.”
Fox Jacksonville bought the land Jan. 10 for $1.16 million, the same day Sky Entertainment LLC paid $738,644 for its site. The iFly is planned on about 1.1 acres.
Both deeds list members of the Skinner family as the sellers.
In May 2015, Lodging Magazine reported that InterContinental Hotels Group formalized Formula Blue, the Holiday Inn Express design prototype.
It said that “with a design that puts sleep quality, simplicity, and ease of maintenance at the center of its concept, compliance with Formula Blue is mandatory for all future renovations and new-build Holiday Inn Express properties, which is a first for the brand.”
Lodging Magazine said Formula Blue had been in development for nearly two years through the combined efforts of IHG and the IHG Owners Association, with the final product focused on both owner interests and guest satisfaction.
Holiday Inn Express’s previous design option was reaching 15 years old, and both IHG and the owners said the brand needed to be updated to remain competitive.
Aldi (Florida) L.L.C. bought land in Yulee for what appears to be its first supermarket in Nassau County.
Aldi paid $1.5 million for property at 86062 Gene Lasserre Blvd., at Florida A1A. It’s just west of Target.
It bought the property from 2017 Gene Lassere Yulee LLC, managed by Paul Ferber and Paul Ferber Jr. The Ferber Co. is a real estate investment and development company based in Ponte Vedra Beach.
The recorded company name is spelled differently than the street name.
The limited liability company bought the 10.45-acre site as it sold a piece of it to Aldi. It acquired the vacant land from The Commercial Range at Amelia LLC of Fernandina Beach.
The deeds for both deals were recorded March 1 with the Nassau County Clerk of Circuit Courts.
In November, Upham Inc. submitted site engineering plans to the St. Johns River Water Management District for the 22,731-square-foot Yulee Aldi on 2.53 acres of the 10.45-acre development at Florida A1A and Gene Lasserre Boulevard.
Untuckit, a New York City-based retailer that sells men’s, women’s and boys’ shirts designed to be worn untucked, intends to open at St. Johns Town Center.
It also sells dresses, pants, sport coats, jackets and other clothing.
With 25 stores across the country, Untuckit will open at 4711 River City Drive, No. 101, next to Ann Taylor. It posted a job opening for a retail store manager.
The city is reviewing a permit application for a $50,000 improvement to the 1,500 square feet of space.
• Cantina Louie will build-out in The Shoppes of St. Johns at 10870 U.S. 1 N. in St. Johns County. Darrell Glen Smith of Atlantic Beach is the contractor for the $300,000 project for almost 5,000 square feet of space. It should open in July or August.
• Starbucks Coffee Co. will build-out in Collins Plaza at 7051 Collins Road, No. 406. Elfrink Custom Construction Inc. is the contractor for the $225,000 project.
• Kathy’s Table will open a second location in Sea Walk Village at 1020 N. Third St. in Jacksonville Beach. The first location of the gluten- and dairy-free prepared meals store is at 7035 Philips Highway.