JAX Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis said he sees a shift coming in the center of entertainment Downtown to the Shipyards, including Bay Street.
The catalyst: The Jacksonville Jaguars’ commitment to developing parking Lot J at TIAA Bank Field and the surrounding areas, including the Shipyards.
“You’re going to see a lot of development take place in the Shipyards. There is no looking back,” Davis said.
“The Jags are full steam ahead working on final details with the city, and that should be coming soon as well,” he said.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan and President Mark Lamping are expected to announce development plan updates today at the State of the Franchise.
Davis made his comments during a speech Friday to about 90 members of the Northeast Florida Builders Association Sales & Marketing Council.
His remarks focused on key factors that JAX Chamber is pushing to attract, grow and retain top talent in Jacksonville’s workforce.
Davis referenced the desire of franchise leaders to build an entertainment area near Daily’s Place Amphitheater at TIAA Bank Field.
Mark Lamping reiterated Khan’s commitment to build a mixed-use development at parking Lot J during an April 11 speech to University of Missouri alumni, despite city utility JEA declining the site for its new headquarters.
“That’s going to be the new place that when visitors come to town, we would say this is where you need to go,” Davis told the NEFBA audience.
“Right now, it’s a little difficult because there’s no one place that you can send them, and I think those will probably create that opportunity.”
Davis teased 30 unannounced projects the chamber has in development, which he called “very, very strong” and some that are “imminent.”
“I’m trying to work hard to bring lots of people to buy lots of houses,” said Davis, who was executive director of NEFBA before he took the chamber’s top job in 2013.
Davis said projects span many industries, specifically mentioning financial services and health care. “Some of them are game changers for Jacksonville,” he said.
“You’re going to see activity in Downtown over the next couple months, in my opinion, and I think you’ll see some groundbreakings coming up soon,” Davis said.
“I cannot wait to see the transformation over the next five years in Downtown.”
The JAX Chamber CEO praised Jacksonville’s existing workforce and characterized it as strong, but Davis said the “battleground” for economic development over the next five years will be attracting talent and growing the talent pool “organically.”
The chamber anticipates Jacksonville having the jobs to fill. In an interview after the breakfast at the University of Northern Florida Adam W. Herbert University Center, Davis said the chamber estimates Jacksonville is on track in 2019 to keep or exceed the pace of 2,500 to 3,000 new jobs generated annually in recent years.
“Everywhere I go, that’s what people are talking about. Every time I talk to a potential company that’s looking to come to Jacksonville what do you think is the first question they have?” Davis said.
“The first question is, ‘Do you have the workforce that can fill my 500 jobs I’m going to bring?’ And we absolutely do.”
A big plus for local workforce, Davis said, is the military personnel stationed in Northeast Florida who want to continue to call Jacksonville home after their service ends. Davis said about 3,000 of the 100,000 Jacksonville-area military men and women complete their service annually, and the city retains about 80% as residents.
“Highly trained — know how to show up on time — folks that we can make part of our workforce,” Davis said. “But we also have to grow high talent in all sorts of industry.”
In his remarks to NEFBA, Davis directly linked workforce to creating residential options Downtown.
Davis estimates there are about 4,600 people living Downtown, and workforce housing projects are leasing out within 30 days of opening their doors.
Davis said the redeveloped Barnett National Bank Building, which will add about 100 apartments Downtown, drew about 800 applications.
Steve Atkins with SouthEast Development Group is the Barnett developer.
Davis said developers like Atkins are experiencing demand in Downtown housing from a range of demographics, from millennials to empty nesters looking for walkability as part of their lifestyle.
“The young talent coming out of universities today want to live in an urban environment, they most likely don’t want to drive a car, they want to be able to live, work and play within walking distance,” Davis said.
“Actually, residential in Downtown is super hot and there is no vacancy.”