Advanced Disposal Chairman and CEO Charlie Appleby says if incentives had been approved more quickly in Jacksonville, he might be renovating space Downtown for corporate headquarters rather than relocating to St. Johns County.
"Had they been able to move as quickly as St. Johns County, the announcement would have been made and we would have announced for Downtown," Appleby said during an interview Monday afternoon.
Had Advanced Disposal moved Downtown, it probably would have been to the SunTrust Tower. "That would have been the likely place we would have gone," he said.
Signage on the building would have been part of the negotiations. "That was under discussion but not finalized," he said.
Appleby said the time it took Jacksonville City Council to approve incentives allowed Advanced Disposal time to review other options. Incentives legislation was introduced to Council on Sept. 11 and enacted Oct. 9.
"We went back to all the opportunities we hadn't thought about," he said.
During that time, "we became aware of options in St. Johns County," he said. Appleby said St. Johns County took about a week to approve its incentives package.
Advanced Disposal announced a week ago the company's new corporate headquarters will be at 90 Fort Wade Road in Ponte Vedra, in the Nocatee area.
The company's expansion will consolidate its headquarters and create 85 jobs. Advanced Disposal completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Veolia ES Solid Waste Inc. on Nov. 21 and acquired Interstate Waste Services, which tripled its size and led to the need for a new corporate headquarters facility.
As reported, the company will receive an incentives deal just below $700,000 from St. Johns County and $200,000 from the Governor's Quick Action Closing Fund.
The company reviewed, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Charlotte, N.C., Jacksonville and St. Johns County for the move, with the latter being the last reported bidder when the county's commission approved the package during its Oct. 16 meeting.
Advanced Disposal provides solid waste collection, transfer, recycling and disposal services. The company has operations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota.
Jacksonville City Council member John Crescimbeni, chairman of the Council Finance Committee, has questioned whether Advanced Disposal owes money to the City for unpaid landfill fees.
Appleby said those questions did not affect the company's site choice.
"Those issues had nothing to do with our decision," Appleby said.
"Councilman Crescimbeni was doing what he thought was best, in his mind. I don't fault him for doing what he thought was best," he said.
Early last week, Council approved an ordinance to fast-track economic incentive deals, cutting the review time to a minimum of one to three weeks.
Mayor Alvin Brown proposed the legislation to speed up the incentives process.
Appleby said Brown, a close friend, tried to talk him into moving Downtown or at least staying in Duval County. Advanced Disposal operates in the Baymeadows area of Southside.
"He told me I was wrong and argued with me about it," Appleby said, describing Brown as "graciously disappointed."
"The mayor is not shy about sharing the virtues of Duval County and Downtown," he said.
"He was very congenial but he can be very persuasive," he said.
Asked how persuasive the mayor attempted to be, Appleby responded: "I still have to go to the orthopedic surgeon to get my elbow corrected because he was twisting it so hard."
Appleby said he worked for years Downtown while he was with an accounting firm.
"I was very excited about moving Downtown but then this Nocatee opportunity came along," he said.
"Had the City of Jacksonville been capable of moving as quickly as St. Johns County, we very likely would have been Downtown," he said.
Appleby, who served on the former Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, said Advanced Disposal would not have qualified for additional incentives for moving Downtown.
"I'm the one who developed the rules I don't qualify for," he said.
He added applying for a waiver "simply would not look good."
Appleby said the St. Johns County building is a half-mile from the Duval County line and the building was ready for Advanced Disposal, requiring no lengthy build-out or renovations.
He said Advanced Disposal's Baymeadows lease would expire Jan. 31 and could have been extended at a cost.
Appleby said the company chose to remain in Northeast Florida rather than accept deals from other cities under review, including Charlotte, Atlanta and Milwaukee.
He said the company worked with real estate brokers Buddy Register and Bob Retherford and looked at "every building Downtown that had sufficient space."
He said it would have taken 90-120 days or more to complete the permitting and construction process to prepare the Downtown space for Advanced Disposal.
Appleby said parking Downtown was another area of consideration.
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