1. IKEA finally says yes to Jacksonville
It was as though the retail gods were smiling on Jacksonville.
IKEA — where you can buy everything from furniture to Swedish meatballs — said in October it was opening a store on the Southside.
Construction could start in the summer with the store expected to open in fall of 2017. Officials said 250 employees would be hired for the 294,000-square-foot store.
It will sit on 25 acres at northwest Gate Parkway and Interstate 295.
City Council President Greg Anderson called it a “really wonderful and very fun announcement.”
The store is a destination retailer, expected to draw customers from a wide swath of North Florida and South Georgia.
What a difference a year can make. In 2014, IKEA officials said the company seeks sites where there is a population of at least 2 million people within 40-60 miles. That’s not expected for the seven-county area of Northeast Florida until 2030.
It will be the fifth IKEA in Florida, but No. 1 in the hearts of Jacksonville fans.
2. Wawa says yes to Jacksonville, sort of
What IKEA is to some retail shoppers, Wawa is to convenience store customers.
And finally, the store admits Jacksonville is on its radar.
A spokeswoman said in November that Wawa hopes “to reach the Jacksonville area in the next several years.”
City Building Inspection Division Chief Tom Goldsbury said he met with an architect and civil engineer representing Wawa in October.
The meeting was about general issues and no sites were specified.
The Wawa spokeswoman said the company is on track to open 25 stores in Florida next year. It has a target of 180 stores in Florida by 2019.
The privately held chain has more than 700 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
3. Sweet Pete’s expands — to Chicago suburb
Marcus Lemonis, star of CNBC’s “The Profit,” made a stir when he had two Downtown buildings under contract to expand Sweet Pete’s.
The Jacksonville-based candy maker experienced such growth that Lemonis, a partner in the business, had verbal agreements in May to buy the buildings at 424 and 502 N. Hogan St. He also was going to buy the parking lot between the business and 424 N. Hogan St.
Sweet Pete’s, located at 400 N. Hogan St., shares the old Seminole Club Building with The Candy Apple Café & Cocktails.
But, later in the year, Florida State College at Jacksonville said it wanted to use the building at 502 N. Hogan St. for a culinary arts program.
That was part of the school’s plan to increase its presence Downtown and would have included a residential complex for FSCJ students at 218 W. Church St.
Lemonis said he would yield to FSCJ’s plans.
A few months later, FSCJ went to Plan B after the numbers didn’t work out.
In November, the school and the developer then asked the city for up to $1.2 million in incentives for a student housing project at 20 W. Adams St.
Ultimately, Sweet Pete’s did expand — to a Chicago suburb.
4. Tinseltown adds Brazilian steakhouse
Apparently, Daily Record readers were excited in January about landing Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse.
The restaurant took over the space formerly occupied by Kan-Ki Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in Tinseltown.
Terra Gaucha features tableside carvings of 15 cuts of lamb, pork, beef and poultry, as well as a gourmet salad and hot bar.
It is located at 4483 Southside Blvd.
5. Blake Bortles buys oceanfront home in Jacksonville Beach
When someone famous buys a house in Jacksonville, it’s big news.
Especially when it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting quarterback.
Blake Bortles spent $1.5 million in July on a 2,500-square-foot oceanfront home in Jacksonville Beach.
The recently remodeled pad features a walk-in temperature controlled wine room. It was built in 1995.
Bortles was the team’s No. 1 pick in 2014, going third overall in the draft.
With the team missing the playoffs again this year, Bortles will have more time to hang out at the beach.
6. Southeastern Grocers cuts 250 workers
Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and two other chains, restructured its store support facilities this year.
And like with many restructures, this one affected 250 workers in seven states.
Overall, the company employs nearly 72,000, according to its website.
The Jacksonville-based company would not say in October how many of those jobs were at its Store Support Center in Jacksonville.
Southeastern Grocers operates more than 750 supermarkets in seven states under three brand names — Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo and Harveys.
7. Tim Tebow's coming home — and bringing some famous friends
Just the announcement that Tim Tebow is coming back to Jacksonville for something draws attention.
When he’s bringing famous friends for his fifth annual Celebrity Golf Classic at TPC Sawgrass, it could break the Internet.
The former University of Florida and Nease High School star uses the classic to raise money for his foundation, appropriately enough named the Tim Tebow Foundation.
This year, the lineup included current professional athletes (such as Cam Newton and Jason Day), former professional athletes (Artis Gilmore and Evander Holyfield), singers (Jake Owen and Javier Colon) and former Florida Gators (Danny Wuerffel and Urban Meyer).
8. Downtown gets Bold (City Brewery)
Downtown had already heard about Intuition Ale’s plans to expand near the Sports Complex.
Late in the year, it got some company.
Bold City Brewery plans to open a small craft brewery at 109 E. Bay St., adjacent to the long-awaited Cowford Chophouse.
Bold City is planning a three-barrel brewery in the back of the building and a taproom in the front.
Both Intuition and Bold City are based in Riverside.
Jacques Klempf approached the Bold City owners about renting space in the building he owns.
Klempf also bought the Bostwick Building where the chophouse is going to open.
Steak and beer can be a good combination.
“Who knows?” Klempf said in November. “Maybe we’ll find a way to brew a Cowford crafted beer.”
9. New life for Barnett Building and Laura Street Trio project?
After more than two years of no payments on loans totaling more than $3.9 million, Shad Khan’s Stache Investments pursued foreclosure proceedings in June against the owner of the Barnett Bank Building.
In 2013, the Jacksonville Jaguars owner’s company, Stache Investments, loaned Barnett Tower LLC $3.76 million to buy the historic 18-story tower at 112 W. Adams St. A second loan of $169,978 was made to Barnett Tower LLC the following year.
Atkins had long talked about developing the Barnett Bank building and the Laura Street Trio before Khan got involved.
The foreclosure issue is still in the court system, but Atkins has a new partner in the $77 million project — The Molasky Group of Cos.
The two would put up $9.9 million and $47 million from senior debt.
They’re also asking for $9.5 million in Federal Historic Tax Credits and an $8 million in public funding.
And there’s still the question of parking to be answered.
Discussions with the Downtown Investment Authority are ongoing.
10. Ameris expands, moves executives Downtown
It was a pretty big year for Ameris Bancorp.
The bank started the year with news it was buying 18 Bank of America Corp. branches in North Florida and South Georgia, as well as Gainesville-based Merchants & Southern Banks of Florida Inc.
At the time, the Moultrie, Ga.-based Ameris had 10 branches in the Jacksonville metropolitan area.
The Bank of America deal was for eight branches in North Florida and 10 in South Georgia. Merchants & Southern had 12 banking offices, including one in Keystone Heights.
Later, Ameris announced it was moving its executive team and dozens of employees to Riverplace Tower, where the bank’s name will be on two sides of the top of the building.
In October, Ameris said it had a $96.6 million deal to buy Jacksonville Bancorp Inc., the parent company of The Jacksonville Bank.
Jacksonville Bank, the largest community bank headquartered in Jacksonville, has nine branches.
The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2016.
11. National search for Florida Coastal dean ends in Jacksonville
Florida Coastal School of Law had a nationwide search for its new dean.
Turns out, the search ended in June with a candidate close to home. Really close.
The for-profit school chose Scott DeVito, who had been a Florida Coastal professor since 2008, from the 47 candidates it considered.
DeVito said he wanted Florida Coastal to become a “22nd-century law school.” One that is less expensive for students and one that invests in technology and web-based learning.
He had a jump-start on the latter with his role as chair of the school’s Innovation Committee.
12. Peterbrooke opens Downtown store
Chocolate and Downtown — a pretty sweet combination.
Peterbrooke Chocolatier said in January it would open a Downtown store and a factory/tourism center in Brooklyn.
The company, opened its store at 100 W. Bay St., wanting to be part of Downtown’s revitalization.
And it was just in time for the company’s busiest month of December.
Peterbrooke hopes to capitalize on foot traffic from Downtown’s employees, many of whom make above-average incomes.
The Bay Street location makes it ideal to stop by and grab dessert after lunch or take a treat home at the end of the day, the company said.
The store carries Peterbrooke’s entire line, including its signature chocolate-covered popcorn.
It’s Peterbrooke’s 24th store and 14th in Jacksonville.
The company also opened a production plant, which includes the Peterbrooke Bake Studio, at Copeland and Forest streets in Brooklyn.
13. An astounding end to Body Central after 42 years
Body Central’s 42-year history came to a stunning end in January.
The Jacksonville-based company announced Jan. 9 that its 265 stores would close that weekend after going-out-of-business sales. In addition, 2,500 employees would lose their jobs.
The company received a notice of default from investors who held $18 million in convertible notes.
Body Central hoped to reorganize as a smaller company, but no investors could be found.
It was an astounding end to the company that was started by Jerrold and Ronnie Rosenbaum of Jacksonville in 1973 under the name Body Shop. The couple had 175 stores when they sold a controlling interest to investors led by WestView Capital Partners.
The company had a successful initial public offering in October 2010 and its stock reached a high of $30.93 in May 2012.
Then bad news set in.
A disappointing sales forecast, followed by a series of poor financial reports led the stock to plummet. After Body Central reported its sixth consecutive quarterly net loss, the company’s stock fell by 97 percent.
The stock was at 18 cents on the day the closure announcement was made.
14. Jaguars and city partner for $90M in EverBank Field improvements
For months, Shad Khan and the Jacksonville Jaguars talked about developing the abandoned Shipyards property.
Then came a November surprise: a plan for $90 million in upgrades to EverBank Field, with the costs to be split by the Jaguars and the city.
The project includes an indoor practice facility and amphitheater, both of which had been part of what Khan’s investment company pitched for the Shipyards site.
In addition, the stadium’s 11,000 club seats would be replaced.
The city’s portion would be funded through part of the 6 percent bed tax.
In December, with little disagreement, the City Council approved the proposal.
Work is expected to begin in January and completed before the start of football season.
It was the second time city and Khan were partners in major stadium improvements. In July 2014, the world’s largest scoreboards were unveiled at EverBank.
The city paid $43 million of the project, while Khan put in $20 million.
As for the Shipyards project, Downtown Investment Authority CEO Aundra Wallace said he expects to get information from Khan’s group on what public investment it is seeking for the site.
15. East San Marco getting closer to having its Publix
In March 2014, City Council paved the way for a long-awaited East San Marco multi-use development, including apartments and a Publix.
In April 2014, the residential developer withdrew because it could not line up financing.
Hope returned in May of this year when John Carey, managing member of Whitehall Realty Partners LLC, said the company was under contract as the co-developer with another group. And, he said, financing had been arranged for the project at Hendricks Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard.
Construction was expected to start in early 2016. The Publix and some of the apartment units could be completed in 15 to 18 months, he said.
Whitehall moved its headquarters from Riverside to San Marco bringing it closer to the $60 million project.