by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission approved three projects Thursday to create jobs, preserve history and lease space Downtown.
The projects must next be approved by City Council.
Commissioners approved a proposal that could bring 100 high-paying professional jobs to Jacksonville, a grant to help preserve two historic buildings Downtown and the issuance of a request for proposals to lease more than 29,000 square feet of distressed and unoccupied office space owned by the City.
They unanimously approved a Qualified Target Industry tax rebate for PLS Logistics Services, a Pennsylvania-based firm that provides third-party logistics management. The company is considering Jacksonville and Dallas for a “super regional” center, its first outside Pennsylvania.
The company doesn’t own trucks or warehouses, but provides support services for almost 8,000 shippers, including UPS and Federal Express.
PLS intends to create 100 jobs at an average salary of $45,564 plus benefits. In return, the company would receive a tax rebate of $3,000 per job over a five-year period with 80 percent, or $2,400, of the incentive funded by the state and the remainder funded by the City.
PLS Vice President for Human Resources Bob Janeda said the company would transfer no more than 10 employees from its headquarters in Rochester, Pa., and would hire the remainder of the inside sales, management and logistics coordinator positions from candidates in Florida and south Georgia.
Janeda was asked what PLS considered the most important factors in selecting a site for the satellite office. “University access, cost of living, safety and that it’s a good area for the younger demographic,” he said.
Janeda said originally the two cities vying for the new office were Dallas and Atlanta, but Jacksonville replaced Atlanta in the running after PLS hired Ron Stanley, former vice president and COO of Landstar System Inc., to be its interim president and COO.
“We took him off the golf course. He’s a great salesman for Jacksonville,” said Janeda.
He said PLS plans to hire its staff “right out of college” and that the company wants to have its new operation staffed and in business early this year.
“I’m impressed with Jacksonville. It reminds me of Pittsburgh south,” said Janeda.
The commission also approved a $250,000 grant from the Historical Preservation Trust Fund that will be used by the Jacksonville Historical Society to raise funds for the purchase of Old St. Luke’s Hospital and the former Florida Casket Company building.
The adjoining properties are at the corner of Duval and Palmetto streets near the Sports and Entertainment Complex.
The grant will be used by the society as dollar-for-dollar matching funds. Society President Jerry Spinks said the purchase price for the two properties is $575,000 and the grant would allow the society to raise the balance from sources in the community.
“This grant would enable us to pursue several large grants that are very close. This grant would say, ‘it’s legit, let’s get going,’” said Spinks.
The Jacksonville Historical Society restored Old St. Andrew’s, the former Episcopal church near the Baseball Grounds that serves as the society’s headquarters, and received a City grant to purchase and restore Merrill House, the museum next door to the former church.
JEDC Executive Director Ron Barton said the society has an excellent track record when it comes to working with City grants to preserve historic buildings. “If you don’t own it, you can’t save it. The historical society has proven they can do it,” he said.
One of the provisions of the grant is if the society ever chooses to sell the two buildings (which is not likely, said Spinks), the City’s investment would be reimbursed in full.
The commission’s third agenda item was the issuance of a request for proposals for the lease of 29,230 square feet of office space on four floors of the Florida Theatre Building previously occupied by the City’s Planning Department.
Barton said the City functions moved to the Ed Ball Building and the empty space is “in need of investment.”
Lisa Rinaman from the mayor’s office said several groups have expressed interest in leasing part of the space. The Florida Theatre’s board of directors has presented a business plan to lease the space to artists and arts-related businesses.
“This is not Class A. It’s not Class B. It’s not even Class C office space. If we don’t do something like this, it will sit vacant,” said Barton. “The arts community has the ability to be a catalyst for change in revitalizing Downtown. This is a natural thing for us to test.”
The next meeting of the JEDC is scheduled for at 9 a.m. Feb. 10 in the mayor’s office conference room at City Hall.
356-2466