by David Chapman
Staff Writer
On a day of groundbreaking for ICI Homes, Beazer Homes and City Fire Station No. 50, it was the weather that seemed record breaking.
Under a sweltering sun, the three participated in a ceremony to celebrate the first step towards a new fire station in what will soon be Tamaya, a joint community from ICI Homes and Beazer Homes.
The community isn’t the only part of the project the two homebuilders are sharing, though.
The entire cost of $2.6 million for the new station will be split evenly between the two companies. The old station will be replaced by improved roads and the entrance for the soon-to-be community.
The old station might bring nostalgia to some of its firefighters but the time for a new station was needed, said one official.
“The timing was perfect,” said Larry Peterson, chief of Administrative Services for Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. “It’s a win-win situation for the citizens of Jacksonville.”
The community should be open for sale next year and should be a hot ticket, according to Robert Greenwood of Beazer Homes.
“It’s the last available land near the beaches that will offer a high quality of life,” he said.
Greenwood envisions the area will have numerous shops and boutiques within walking distance for the future residents of the planned 2,100 homes.
“It’s going to be a large and important project,” said Greenwood. “The station will do a lot for not only Tamaya, but the rest of the community.”