• Curious about Mayor John Peyton’s appearance in those newspaper ads in the Times-Union over the weekend? Mayoral spokesperson Kristen Beach said Monday that Peyton hired the cleaning company that was advertising to perform work on his home and was pleased with the results. “Privately, not as ‘mayor,’” she said in an e-mail. “When the workers were present they asked to take a photo and get his feedback to use as a testament to their work with potential new customers,” she said. “However, there was a misunderstanding, in that he did not intend for his comments to be used as an advertisement for the company.” Beach wrote that the company was not running any further ads featuring Peyton. The company did not return a phone call Monday seeking comment.
• The Grubb & Ellis Phoenix Realty Group real estate services firm announced the sale of a 53,534-square-foot building at 2201 Edison Ave. to C&R Contractors Inc. for $850,000. C&R Contractors was represented by Bobby Gatling of Grubb & Ellis Phoenix Realty Group. The seller was Park Properties Inc., which was represented by Cord Butler of The Cordell Group.
• AXIA Public Relations hired Eric C. Cravey as its national public relations director. Cravey will work with AXIA Public Relations’ national accounts from its Downtown Jacksonville headquarters. He has 18 years of journalism, communications and public relations consulting experience.
• Correction: Ava Parker serves on the Baptist Medical Center board of directors, not the Baptist Health board, as reported in Monday’s Daily Record.
• Jacksonville fared better with condo sales and prices in November compared to the Florida Realtors’ state numbers, but closely tracked the existing-home sales and prices. Realtors said that statewide Realtor condo sales rose 11 percent (26 percent in Jacksonville) over the year while the median price declined 16 percent (down 8 percent in Jacksonville). Statewide Realtor single-family existing home sales fell 15 percent and the median price dropped 5 percent, compared to a 17 percent sales drop in Jacksonville and a 5 percent price drop.
• Southeast Toyota Distributors and its parent company, JM Family Enterprises, hosted a holiday party for the Jacksonville Housing Authority. More than 60 associate “elves” from the companies, including company president and CEO Colin Brown, hosted the 17th annual “Extended Family Night” party at the Landing Dec. 8. Nearly 200 low-income elderly and disabled residents from housing authority developments celebrated with dinner served by associates from both companies, holiday music, dancing, food, gifts and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.