From the Daily Record
The new On the Move gas station and convenience store chain will expand into Jacksonville as part of a Southern growth strategy to compete with Wawa, RaceTrac, Daily’s, QuikTrip and other companies.
The company has letters of intent to buy and renovate six Jacksonville locations, Executive Vice President Russell Parker said.
The first On the Move Jacksonville store would open in the first quarter of this year, pending approvals, and all six should be open by the end of June.
The Jacksonville expansion is part of a plan to buy up to 50 stores in Florida next year and rebrand them to On the Move.
The expansion also brings Stewart’s All American Corp. to the area. Well-known for its root beer and other soft drinks, Stewart’s also serves burgers, hot dogs, fries, desserts and more.
Seattle-based Sur La Table intends to open its first Jacksonville store at Mandarin Landing.
The company has not yet signed a lease, but has laid out a construction timeframe leading to an October opening.
With more than 115 stores nationwide, Sur La Table sells cookware, cutlery, dinnerware, food, coffee and tea and more and offers culinary classes.
It carries thousands of products for the kitchen, including barware, electric items, gadgets, glass ware and table décor.
Sur La Table’s cooking-class program teaches more than 300,000 students each year. Most classes are hands-on and are led by classically trained chefs.
Turner Pest Control will move its headquarters from West Jacksonville to 8400 Baymeadows Way, where majority company owner Ashton Hudson bought a building to house the corporate offices.
Hudson bought into Turner Pest Control in 2002 and since that time, staff has grown from 20 to about 135.
The move will increase the building footprint from 10,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet. The city has approved a permit for an almost $606,000 office space renovation.
Retired NFL wide receiver Laveranues Coles Jr. has conveyed a Downtown building he bought from Insetta Family Properties LLC back to the family.
Coles had planned the Levels Nightclub at the 323-325 E. Bay St. structure, but stopped work on it.
Restaurateur Jonathan Insetta said he doesn’t have immediate plans for the structure and might put it back on the market.
Coles bought the building in October 2013 for $750,000. Insetta Family Properties issued a $640,000 mortgage the day of the purchase.
Coles granted the property back to Insetta for consideration of $634,724, which is the balance of the loan Insetta made to Coles.
Insetta is president of Black Sheep Restaurant Group Inc., which operates Restaurant Orsay near Avondale and Black Sheep Five Points.
He plans to open another Black Sheep Downtown at 100 N. Laura St.
A proposed $750,000 renovation is in review for Tax Defense Network, on the top two floors of Building 100 at the Bank of America office campus.
The permit application is part of an estimated $1.3 million renovation and expansion there.
It is the first deal completed at office space opened for lease this year at the 9000 Southside Blvd. complex.
Tax Defense Network LLC works with taxpayers nationwide with federal and state tax issues or who are facing collection actions by IRS or state agencies.
Plans show a build-out of 50,510 square feet of space, more than three times larger than Tax Defense Network’s previous lease.
International Décor Outlet has signed a lease for 200,000 square feet in Regency Square Mall, taking over the entire west wing.
The company will hold the master lease and sublease space to international manufacturers and retailers who will set up showrooms to sell directly to consumers
International Décor Outlet LLC describes itself as a direct-to-consumer outlet for manufacturers and retailers of interior décor and home-improvement materials.
According to its website, global manufacturers, including from China, will sell from the storefronts leased.
There will be about 57 units at Regency and construction on the spaces is expected to start in early 2016.
The owner of the two area La-Z-Boy home furniture galleries has purchased the closed TigerDirect store in St. Johns Town Center.
The company paid almost $6 million for the property and expects to invest another $600,000 in renovations to turn the store into the company’s new concept design, which includes more graphics, color and technological touches and a focus on customization capabilities.
The Town Center store should open by early April and will employ 15-20 people.
Pei Wei Fresh Kitchen and Chipotle Mexican Grill intend to open in Bartram Village in south Jacksonville. Chipotle also is shown on site plans at Pablo Plaza in Jacksonville Beach.
Pei Wei Asian Diner Inc. reported the Bartram location is one of three new restaurants it will open in Jacksonville in 2016.
The other two will be in Mandarin at 11200 San Jose Blvd. and in Jacksonville Beach at 319 S. Third St.
It already operates in The Markets at Town Center.