Jacksonville-based Vistakon’s proposed solvent tank farm appears to be at least a $4.6 million project, and likely will top that when interior work is permitted.
The Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. company makes disposable contact lenses at its 69-acre campus at 7500 Centurion Parkway in Southside’s Deerwood Park.
It started development of the manufacturing plant, distribution center and research and development facility in 1993 and has been expanding since.
The city, which approved the tank farm’s $600,000 foundation permit this week, now is reviewing an application for the $4 million building shell.
Gilbane Building Co. is the contractor for the project.
The proposed tank-farm structure, at 8,640 square feet, boosts Vistakon’s expanding presence at the address to almost 797,000 square feet. Vistakon also leases space nearby for administrative offices.
Spokesman Gary Esterow said previously the tank farm houses ingredients used to make Vistakon’s Acuvue brand of contact lenses, which have been manufactured at the site for decades.
He said Vistakon wants to relocate its existing system to an alternative location on the campus. All the necessary environmental permits have been filed, he said.
He said the company does not disclose specific business or investment costs for such facility improvements.
The construction should be completed next year.
Citizens Property board still needs to OK deal
Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s board still needs to sign off on the deal to lease about 230,000 square feet of office space in EverBank Center Downtown.
The board was expected to review the lease at its Dec. 10 meeting but spokesman Michael Peltier said Citizens Property still was working out details on the final contract.
He said Citizens Property would schedule a telephone meeting of the board to approve the deal.
The Tallahassee-based insurer chose EverBank Center, at 301 W. Bay St., as its first choice for a 950-job consolidated office and IT center. It will move operations from the Southside and also relocate some IT jobs from Tallahassee and Tampa.
Citizens Property wants to start moving into the space Aug. 1 and begin the lease Jan. 1, 2016. Peltier said that schedule remains on track.
GSA building in review
Plans for a new $21 million U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection building are in city review.
The agencies, which help to enforce port security, should move in March 2016 into the new North Jacksonville development.
Plans show a proposed two-story, 46,014-square-foot building on almost 5.6 acres along Alta Drive. General Capital Group of Milwaukee, Wis., is the developer. Prosser Inc. of Jacksonville is the civil engineer.
The Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection will use the building for offices and related services in support of security at the Port of Jacksonville and its surrounding waters, according to the General Services Administration.
General Capital Acquisitions LLC of Milwaukee, Wis., won a GSA contract July 31 to develop the structure, near the St. Johns River and the Blount Island and Dames Point marine terminals.
The 5.6-acre Alta Drive site is along the Interstate 295 East Beltway, north of Zoo Parkway/Heckscher Drive.
Steve Sirkis, vice president of General Capital, said previously construction should start in February for completion a year later.
Army Corps issues bid notice for Mile Point
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued its solicitation Monday for the Mile Point project. Bidders must respond by Feb. 13.
The project is reconstruction of a training wall to calm currents where the St. Johns River and Intracoastal Waterway cross. The crosscurrents now create navigational challenges and limit passage of large ships during certain tidal conditions.
The project could cost from $25 million to $50 million, according to the Corps’ bid notice. The Corps has said it expected to award the bid in March or April for a construction timetable of 12-18 months, indicating a completion in the summer or fall of 2016.
The Corps and JaxPort still need to sign their partnership agreement that allows JaxPort to use $36 million in state funds for the project.
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