by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Mayor John Peyton introduced a host of legislation to City Council at its meeting Tuesday, including ordinances to assist Jacksonville-based EverBank to add 200 new jobs and consolidate its operations at a Downtown location.
Prior to the meeting, Peyton’s office issued a statement that EverBank is considering expanding and consolidating its operation into a Downtown location. The proposed expansion would add the 200 new, full-time jobs to the local market and would include the relocation of current employees to the urban core.
For Downtown to be considered as a site for the relocation, the City is proposing the use of the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program with a High-Impact Sector Bonus. If approved, the City’s portion would be approximately $420,000.
The proposal also includes the potential relocation of EverBank’s work force from its Southside facilities into Downtown. The agreement calls for the company to maintain a minimum of 1,000 jobs Downtown and an average of 1,350 employees between its Downtown and Riverside Avenue headquarters locations during the initial five-year contract period.
The Daily Record reported in April that EverBank was considering a move of its suburban operations to a Downtown location and that AT&T Tower 301 was one of the locations under review.
EverBank has been operating its Southside operations at Cypress Point Business Park along Philips Highway near Butler Boulevard.
AT&T Tower 301 representative Pam Smith said in April that she had no comment and reiterated that statement when reached for comment Tuesday.
EverBank spokeswoman Justine Navajo said Tuesday that the company is considering a lot of different possible locations.
“We’re exploring all of our options. There is no urgency,” she said.
The total cost of the relocation and expenses involved with the five-year lease agreement are estimated by the mayor’s office at more than $26 million. The City is proposing a grant of $2.75 million from the Downtown Economic Development Fund to partially offset the relocation expenses.
In the news release, Peyton described the recent announcement by Wells Fargo about moving its operations out of Enterprise Center Downtown and into the former Modis Building a block away, combined with the proposed incentives, as a “growing corporate presence and forward momentum in Downtown redevelopment efforts.”
Prior to the full Council meeting, Peyton said bringing jobs and housing was vital as Jacksonville recovers from the recession and that recent efforts to bring additional work force Downtown have been positive.
”We’re on a good trajectory,” he said of the post-recession efforts.
The administration also requested legislation to increase parking capacity Downtown through an agreement with Parador Partners LLC, owners of the SunTrust office building.
The bill proposes a reimbursement plan for Parador Partners in the event that the company privately funds and acquires the surface parking lot on the west side of the building and constructs a multi-story parking garage with a minimum of 500 parking spaces to serve the needs of the tenants in the SunTrust Building. The proposal also calls for 200 short-term parking spaces dedicated for the general public, including patrons of the Landing.
In return, once the structure is complete, the City would reimburse up to $3.5 million in construction costs.
Peyton proposes to fund the project with unspent Downtown capital dollars that were appropriated for the renovation of Metropolitan Park.
According to the news release, the proposed agreement would not affect the City’s obligations under the current lease between the City and The Jacksonville Landing ownership group (JLI). Should JLI ever meet their obligation with the City to construct an additional parking garage facility, funding is still appropriated to meet the City’s financial obligation, it said.
Another piece of legislation was filed that proposes the donation of City land to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority for the development of a Regional Transportation Center. The RTC would link several existing and planned modes of public transit, including JTA fixed route and trolley services, existing Skyway, Bus Rapid Transit services and an intercity bus terminal including Greyhound service.
The City has committed $5 million in the five-year Capital Improvement Plan toward the RTC development. In lieu of contributing cash, the new legislation proposes the donation of City land to JTA valued less than $5 million.
Part of the land – bounded by Adams, Johnson, Houston and Stuart streets – would be the site of the relocated Greyhound terminal and the intercity bus terminal. Under the terms of a letter of intent, Greyhound would lease a portion of the land and the remaining parcel would be used as leverage to provide funding for the bus terminal construction.
The ordinance provides that the bus terminal property would revert to the City if the terminal is not constructed within three years and the other parcels would revert if they are not developed with RTC-related uses within 10 years.
The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission is scheduled to consider the proposed legislation June 9 at its regular meeting, said mayor’s office spokeswoman Misty Skipper. If approved by JEDC, the bills would then advance to a City Council committee the week of June 20. The earliest the legislation could be considered by the full council is June 28, three days before Mayor-elect Alvin Brown and seven newly-elected council members take office.
Each of the proposals, and several other items, were introduced as an addendum to the agenda at the full Council meeting Tuesday.
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