Wawa Inc. intends to roll out its Jacksonville expansion plans on June 9 at a “community partnership event” at the Main Library Downtown.
A “Save The Date” invitation says the Pennsylvania-based chain of gas stations and convenience stores will be breaking ground and developing sites in Jacksonville in 2017.
Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens will talk about “The Wawa Story” and John Poplawski with Wawa Real Estate will outline plans for Jacksonville.
The first of up to an eventual 25 area Wawa locations has been confirmed for Beach Boulevard and Central Parkway.
“We look forward to having the opportunity to give you a preview of Wawa as we begin our journey to Jacksonville,” said the invitation, shared by City Council member Danny Becton.
The first confirmed Wawa is in his district. Becton said Tuesday night after the council Land Use and Zoning Committee meeting that he has spoken with Wawa about development, but he could not comment about how many stores and their locations.
Wawa spokeswoman Lori Bruce said the event is specifically for business partners, developers and community officials, as well as members of the media, to share more information about the company and its plans.
The invitation says registration and exhibits are scheduled for 5-5:30 p.m., followed by remarks at 5:30- 6 p.m. by Gheysens and Poplawski, and a dinner and reception at 6-7 p.m.
Wawa is a privately held and family owned chain of more than 725 convenience retail and food stores.
During the event, the company will “demonstrate what makes us unique: our fresh and inviting food service offer, and our history and culture.”
Wawa said previously it wanted to start its expansion into Duval, Clay and St. Johns counties with at least five or six stores and eventually open 20 to 25.
The company entered Florida in July 2012 with its first store in Central Florida. It has been adding stores statewide.
Leggett, Sorensens moving on project
A retail development partnership between landowner Steve Leggett and Firehouse Subs founders Robin and Chris Sorensen is taking shape as an almost 78,000-square-foot shopping center in North Jacksonville.
Duval Station Phase 2 — just a working identity — is shown on St. Johns River Water Management District plans as four buildings with two at 9,408 square feet, one at 27,075 square feet and another at 31,875 square feet.
All are shown as retail structures on the 11-acre site.
The center is planned along North Main Street just north of Duval Station Road.
It is not connected to the existing almost 73,000-square-foot Duval Station shopping center anchored by Publix Super Markets Inc. and owned by Kimco Realty Corp.
Leggett and the Sorensens bought their 15-acre site in April. The existing first phase includes a CVS Pharmacy, a Kangaroo Express gas station-convenience store and four available outparcels of about an acre each.
They created Old No. 1 Partners LLC for the project.
Leggett said construction of the stormwater facility will begin in three to four months and that a name for the development will be announced as well.
“We wanted to get the environmental and stormwater permits in hand,” Leggett said. “If we go ahead and get these entitlements in hand and the right project comes along, it’s ready to go,”
The Sorensens’ father, Rob, and Leggett’s dad, Max, served together in the fire department and the families have been friends for decades.
Burger King, Family Dollar, Tires Plus adding locations
Burger King wants to open at 9551 Argyle Forest Blvd. in OakLeaf Town Center. The city is reviewing site plans for a 3,365-square-foot restaurant on about an acre.
Two Family Dollar stores are in review in West Jacksonville — one at Collins Road and Pineverde Lane and the other at Firestone Road and Morse Avenue. Both are 8,320 square feet.
Tires Plus Total Car Care is in review for a 7,700-square-foot location on 1.22 acres at 12575 Bartram Park Blvd. in Bartram Village.
Daily’s soon to go up on Hendricks
First Coast Energy LLP is preparing to build a Daily’s gas and convenience store at 3973 Hendricks Ave., one of three new or upgraded Daily’s planned along the Hendricks Avenue-San Jose Boulevard corridor.
C. & R. General Contractors Inc. is the contractor for the $1.5 million store at Hendricks Avenue and Mellon Street. A building-permit application shows a 5,000-square-foot convenience store along with canopies and eight gas pumps.
Jacksonville-based First Coast Energy also will build a Daily’s at San Jose Boulevard and Sunbeam Road and wants to rebuild its Shell station at 5640 San Jose Blvd. into a Daily’s.
Shoppes of Baymeadows center sold for $4.25M
The Shoppes of Baymeadows shopping center was sold Friday to a Jacksonville investor for $4.25 million.
The Simpson Organization Inc. of Atlanta sold the center through Shoppes of Baymeadows LP to Safari Property No. 11 Inc., led by President Anton Nowner Safar.
Property records show Shoppes of Baymeadows comprises almost 28,000 square feet of retail space and nearly 6,000 square feet of restaurant space on 3.3 acres at 5210 and 5230 Baymeadows Road. It was built in 1985.
Anchors include Los Loros Mexican Restaurant, H&R Block and other tenants.
Property records show the assessed value at almost $2.4 million.
Prime Realty sales associate Austin Kay said it was an off-market deal in which he represented the buyer and directly approached the seller.
He said occupancy is 76 percent.
Kay said a monument sign along Baymeadows Road recently was installed and tenant signage will go up this month.
Core Property increases loan by $10M
Atlanta-based Core Property Capital, which is developing Town Center Promenade, increased an almost $10.9 million loan by more than $10 million.
The amended mortgage for $20.9 million was dated Friday. State Bank and Trust Co. of Atlanta is the lender to Core Property, operating as CPC Jacksonville SJTC LLC.
Core Property Capital bought property near St. Johns Town Center for $23.5 million Jan. 19 and State Bank and Trust issued a $10.88 million mortgage that day.
Land is being cleared and construction should begin soon for a spring 2017 completion on the area’s first Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews and several other new restaurants, along with other retailers and an Aldi Food Market.
Core Property Capital intends to develop a multifamily project, too.
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