OptumRx filed plans to expand its Flagler Center customer service center, which opened two years ago with the intent to grow into a 350-job inbound call center.
OptumRx is UnitedHealthcare Group’s free-standing pharmacy care services business.
OptumRx applied for a permit to build-out vacant office space next to the 53,000 square feet it leases at 7159 Corklan Drive.
The expansion, shown at 13,800 square feet, would boost the lease to more than 66,000 square feet, filling out the ground level of the two-story building in South Jacksonville.
Plans show space for open office, training, conference and gathering areas. They indicate seating for more than 130 employees.
No contractor is listed on the permit, which shows a job cost of $720,000.
The pharmacy benefits management group held a grand opening at the Corklan office in September 2013.
At the time, it said it would employ up to 350 customer service representatives by the end of that year. It operates around the clock and primarily serves Medicare and retiree consumers, handling more than 750,000 calls a month from nationwide customers.
In March, OptumRx announced UnitedHealthcare would buy Catamaran Corp., a pharmacy benefit manager, and that Optum and Catamaran would combine.
A spokeswoman for UnitedHealthcare said by email the company did not have an update about the OptumRx local operations nor did she have the number of employees.
Prominence adding even more parking
Crocker Partners wants to build a 220-space parking lot in the Prominence office park across the street from the building where Digital Risk LLC will relocate 320 employees.
Digital Risk will move the employees in January into Building 100 at the Baymeadows-area office park, which Crocker Partners bought three years ago. It will lease about a third of the building.
It’s the second parking lot Crocker Partners plans to build at Prominence.
Crocker Partners also wants to develop a 182-space parking lot near Building 200, where Southeastern Grocers LLC is relocating its headquarters in the first quarter. Southeastern Grocers will lease that entire building.
An application filed with the St. Johns River Water Management District shows the 2.5-acre parking lot across from Digital Risk would sit north of Liberty Ridge Drive and be bordered to the east and west by Freedom Commerce Parkway. The 2-acre lot across from Southeastern Grocers is to the south of Liberty Ridge Drive.
England, Thims & Miller is the civil engineer.
Josh Edwards, Crocker Partners vice president and regional asset manager, said the additional spaces are being built to serve the entire park and provide a higher parking ratio for the long term.
Crocker Partners has boosted occupancy at the seven-building park from 30 percent upon the purchase to 71 percent with the Digital Risk lease. Another tenant is expected that would raise occupancy to 78 percent.
Gate closer to Airport Center construction
Gate Petroleum is moving toward a December construction start for its River City Marketplace area gas station and convenience store.
The permit application shows a $2 million construction job cost. No contractor was identified on the permit application.
Jacksonville-based Gate has applied for a permit to build the 6,400-square-foot project at 60 Airport Center Drive. Gate expects to start construction in December and open in June.
St. Vincent’s considering San Jose emergency center
A former Mandarin Walgreens could become a St. Vincent’s HealthCare emergency clinic.
A mobility-fee application filed with the city shows the potential redevelopment of the former drug store and pharmacy into a free-standing emergency department for St. Vincent’s.
The 15,000-square-foot building sits on 1.37 acres at 10503 San Jose Blvd.
Driver, McAfee, Peek & Hawthorne is the project agent and the property owner is Mandarin Emporium Inc.
St. Vincent’s operates First Care Walk-In Express Clinics in Ortega and Normandy. It also has emergency centers at its three medical centers in Riverside, Southside and Clay County.
Spokesman Kyle Sieg at St. Vincent’s said the site is one of many under consideration to increase access to the hospital’s services.
Frito-Lay expanding Southside warehouse
Frito-Lay is chipping away toward an expansion of its Southside distribution center.
Site plans filed with the city show an almost 22,000-square-foot addition to a more than 37,000-square-foot warehouse center operating at 6701 Phillips Industrial Blvd.
The net addition is shown as almost 20,000 square feet after a small part of the existing warehouse is demolished. EnVision Design & Engineering is the agent.
The Frito-Lay center was developed in 1996.
Cheddar’s expanding in Florida, but not Jacksonville
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is expanding in Florida, but does not have any immediate plans for a Jacksonville location.
The chain said through a Facebook message that Cheddar’s corporate will open restaurants in Lakeland and Carrollwood in the first quarter, and did not know when Jacksonville will be considered.
Founded in 1979, the privately owned chain has expanded to more than 160 company-owned and franchise locations in 29 states as of March, according to the Orlando Sentinel. It has several Florida restaurants.
Restaurant chains, including Cheddar’s, are considered potential new tenants in Jacksonville, especially at the two mixed-use developments planned near St. Johns Town Center.
In September, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. confirmed it was considering Jacksonville for a restaurant. A real estate representative for the proposed Town Center Exchange near the Town Center confirmed he had spoken with the chain about a site there.
Famous Toastery to open at the Beach
Famous Toastery is coming to town to Jacksonville Beach.
The breakfast-lunch chain, based in Huntersville, N.C., is opening at 311 N. Third St., Suite 101, in The Urbana center.
Famous Toastery has 11 locations, including the one in Jacksonville Beach, opening this month. And 14 more are planned in North and South Carolina and one in Long Island, N.Y., the famoustoastery.com site says.
The concept started in 2005 with two friends making breakfast in a house-turned-restaurant.
The hours are 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Menu items include breakfast fare, quiche, salads, soups, wraps, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and more.
Hibbett Sports plans Southside store
Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc. was issued a business license for a Southside Hibbett Sports store at 5871 University Blvd. W. The chain operates at least 11 area stores, including six in Duval County.
The Birmingham, Ala-based chain concentrates on strip centers, where it opens 5,000- to 6,000-square-foot stores, much smaller than the big-box sporting goods chains. It operates more than 1,000 stores in the U.S.
Dollar General to build on North Main
Dollar General intends to open at 3801 N. Main St. Concept Construction applied to the city to build a foundation and building for Dollar General at a cost of $320,000. It is shown as a 7,477-square-foot store.
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