• The inauguration ceremony for Mayor-elect Alvin Brown will be 10:30 July 1 at the Osborn Center, according to an email from the Duval County Democratic Party. Business attire is required.
• Home sales fell 10.6 percent in Northeast Florida from May 2010 to the past month. The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors said single-family residential and condo sales fell from 1,544 to 1,381 over the year. Meanwhile, the median sales price of traditional sales rose 5.5 percent to $168,800, while lender-mediated sale prices fell 14.7 percent to $81,000. Pending sales rose 33.9 percent to 1,756.
• In more housing market news, the number of days on the market for homes to sell rose 21 percent over the year, with 119 days being the average time from listing to accepted offer.
• The Realtors also reported that almost half of the sales, 49 percent, were lender-mediated.
• As anticipated, Wells Fargo has signed a lease for 118,000 square feet of space Downtown in the former Modis Building, which will be renamed Wells Fargo Center. It’s a 13-year lease. Michael Loftin, managing director of leasing in Jacksonville for Parkway Realty Services, part of Parkway Properties Inc., and Parkway executive vice president Henry Pratt represented the owner in the deal. Mike Harrell and Lou Nutter with CB Richard Ellis represented Wells Fargo. The lease in the 647,000-square-foot building increases occupancy to almost 95 percent.
• The Jacksonville Waterways Commission discussed a proposed ordinance Wednesday to close Heritage River Road to allow a developer to turn the area into a saltwater marsh mitigation bank. The developer would construct an alternative access road to the Sisters Creek Joe Carlucci Boat Ramp, to which Heritage River Road currently leads. The commission denied the proposed ordinance because there was no language stating the abandoned property would remain a conservation area in perpetuity, and there was concern that the land could be developed in the future. The proposed ordinance is also being reviewed by the Council Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee.
• Bowditch Insurance Corporation of Jacksonville, an affiliate of Mercantile Bank, changed its name Thursday to TD Insurance Inc. As TD Bank integrates Mercantile Bank and other banking subsidiaries of The South Financial Group, TD Insurance will also merge Bowditch and other insurance agencies. Signage at Bowditch Insurance at 101 Century 21 Drive is being changed to reflect the new name.
• Jacksonville Community Council Inc. said Bruce Barcelo will share results of the 5th Annual Sunshine State Survey in an “Issues and Answers” event noon-1 p.m. Tuesday at its 2434 Atlantic Blvd. offices. Barcelo is a member of Leadership Florida. Registration is required. Visit www.jcci.org.