Legislation for JPMorgan Chase incentives to create 250 jobs, Monroe Street’s closure and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid funding were considered Tuesday by the City Council Finance Committee with different results.
The committee approved an ordinance for Chase to receive $250,000 in City money toward a total Qualified Targeted Industry tax refund incentive to create 250 local jobs in the company’s Home Lending Group.
The state’s match would be $1 million, which includes a QTI High Impact Bonus, for a total tax refund of $1.25 million.
Joe Whitaker, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Business Recruitment and Retention coordinator, told the committee the company would expand by 66,000 square feet within its Deerwood Park offices and in another space further south in the Flagler Center.
With full Council approval, the company would then have 90 days to agree to the move. Richard Mahler, Chase vice president of state government relations, told the committee the company wants the deal to work.
The company also is considering Texas and Ohio for the expansion.
The committee approved the incentives 5-1, with Council member Clay Yarborough in opposition.
Finance also weighed in on the latest Monroe Street proposal, presented by Council member Lori Boyer that would delay the reopening of the street in front of the new Duval County Courthouse and apply the $700,000-plus in savings toward another Better Jacksonville Plan project.
The measure failed 2-4, with Finance Chairman Richard Clark and Council member Greg Anderson in support.
On Oct. 3, the Council Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee approved the substituted measure 4-1, but it failed in the Rules Committee.
Council member Bill Bishop again voiced opposition to the street remaining closed to serve as a pedestrian-only plaza because the opened street reconnects the Downtown grid, among other reasons.
“The street can be designed as part of a pedestrian plaza,” he said.
He cited the streets around Hemming Plaza at City Hall as examples of auto-pedestrian mixed areas that included buildings on the street.
Council member John Crescimbeni, who also opposed the measure, said taxpayers wanted to see the Courthouse project conclude with no hanging future date for potential construction additions.
Boyer, who was in attendance, agreed that the Courthouse was an “albatross” but countered the potential savings were worth taking into consideration.
Under Boyer’s measure, if delayed, the Monroe Street plaza would have grass planted and a pedestrian crossing that wouldn’t need renovations once reopened.
Both the Chase and Monroe Street items will be heard at Tuesday’s full Council meeting.
One item that won’t be on the agenda is a repeal of a $50 court fee assessed on various felonies, misdemeanors and traffic violations that assists funding for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
The item was withdrawn in the Rules and Finance committees.
Clark sponsored the repeal measure but said after sitting down to determine JALA’s funding structure, he decided to withdraw it.
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