• According to Duke Addison of Addison Commercial Real Estate, there’s been considerable interest in the old Barnett Bank Building at 112 W. Adams St. The building, currently for sale at $4.5 million, is drawing interest from both local and out-of-town parties, he said.
• The Chamber of Commerce is warning area businesses not to fax solicitations to prospects without their prior written permission. Under a new Federal Communications Commission regulation, starting Aug. 25 commercial faxes may incur fines ranging from $500 to $11,000 per fax. Compliant businesses could still be hit with an unreasonable paperwork charge.
• Visitors to the mayor’s office may soon receive photographic mementos. Chief of Staff Scott Teagle wants to send visitors digital photographs of their meeting with Mayor John Peyton. He wants to kick it off in the next couple weeks when the mayor thanks his transition team subcommittees.
• There is apparently an opportunity for Jacksonville to create an artificial reef along its coast by sinking a large military ship. However, overcoming competition from the Gulf Coast — Escambia County was just selected as a preferred site for an aircraft carrier — will probably take Mayor Peyton’s personal involvement. The ships attract dive-related tourism.
• The merger of the City’s Housing Division, the Community Development Department and the Finance Authority becomes official Sept. 17. The Housing Division, which currently occupies the fifth and sixth floors of the Florida Theatre building, will be relocated to the second floor of the Police and Fire Pension Fund building on West Adams Street.
• M. Kevin Woodall has left the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission and his position as lead mediator and intake officer/investigator for the City to enter private practice as CEO of Woodall and Wingard Investigations.
• Defensive players Hugh Douglas and John Henderson will represent the Jags today as part of the Campbell’s Chunky/NFL Tackling Hunger program. Campbell’s will donate 10 times their combined weight to the LSS Second Harvest Food Bank.