The city is reviewing permit applications for a $7 million construction project for Kenworth of Jacksonville Inc.’s new dealership and storage space in West Jacksonville.
Auld & White Constructors LLC is the contractor for the project at 1121 Suemac Road. Ebert Norman Brady Architects is the architect.
Kenworth bought the West Jacksonville property to develop a truck sales and service center to replace a smaller site nearby.
Owner Dennis Ross said in May that he told his team “I am building a new facility that they deserve.”
Kenworth, which operates on property leased at 833 Pickettville Road, paid $1.99 million for 12.23 acres on Suemac Road.
It bought the undeveloped land from N.G. Wade Investment Co. on March 24.
The new site is at northeast Commonwealth Avenue and Interstate 295.
Ross said in May that Kenworth employs 88 people. He said he thanked them for being such a high performance team “to give me the confidence to make this large investment.”
The permit application shows a 65,118-square-foot, two-story dealership at a cost of $6.7 million and a 2,464-square-foot storage garage at $300,000.
Ross said in May the center will be completed in midsummer 2021.
“I look forward to building a world-class heavy truck dealership facility to support Northeast Florida,” Ross said.
“It will be a facility representative of our dedication to the Northeast Florida market and sized for our current and future business needs,” he said.
Kenworth of Jacksonville sells new and used heavy-duty trucks. It will double the size of its parts inventory moving into the new building, and its PacLease rental and lease division also will relocate there.
City Council enacted Ordinance 2019-0872 on Feb. 11 to change the land use on 8.89 acres of the property for development of a heavy truck service facility with retail truck sales, outside display and storage. Council also enacted Ordinance 2019-0873 to change the zoning for the uses.
Kenworth occupies 6 acres nearby at southwest Commonwealth and I-295 on land owned by Ray Lane Properties LLC. Property records show four buildings totaling about 24,000 square feet developed between 1978 and 2004. Ross said he has been at that site since 2003.
Ross registered Kenworth of Jacksonville Inc. with the state Division of Corporations in 2003.
Solid Rock Engineering Consultants Inc. submitted electronic civil plans to the city April 7 for the project.