The Bruss Co., a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., has reapplied for $1.2 million in City and state incentives to purchase and renovate a vacant refrigerated warehouse building in Northwest Jacksonville.
The 47,000-square-foot site at 5441 W. Fifth St. would be used for the company's meat processing operation.
The company would create 200 jobs with an average wage of $31,000 plus benefits by Dec. 31, 2017, as part of the deal. Of the 200 jobs, 162 are semiskilled with "an excellent employee benefit package" valued at $8,000, according to the project summary.
The jobs would produce an annual payroll of about $7.8 million.
Its estimated private investment is $7.2 million, comprising $1.5 million for the acquisition, $2 million in renovations and $3.7 million in machinery and equipment.
The incentives comprise a Brownfield Redevelopment bonus tax refund of $500,000, of which the City is obligated for $100,000, or 20 percent. The state will pay the remaining $400,000.
The City also will provide a $400,000 Northwest Jacksonville Large Scale Economic Development grant, which is available for projects in the area and will be paid upon acquisition and renovation of the building and purchase of the machinery and equipment.
The $400,000 is anticipated to be disbursed in July, according to the project summary.
The state also is offering a $300,000 Quick Response Training Program grant.
Combined, the City's obligation of the $1.2 million is $500,000.
The company had the same incentives deal approved Oct. 14, 2011, by the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and Dec. 13, 2011, by City Council, but delays resulting from environmental remediation affected the performance schedule in the original agreement.
That agreement expired, resulting in the need for new legislation with a revised performance schedule.
It was filed Wednesday and is scheduled to be introduced Tuesday to Council.
The Bruss Co. was founded in 1937 by Samuel and Selma Bruss as Bruss Provision Co. and was registered as an Illinois corporation in 1956. It became a Tyson subsidiary in 2001.
The company has one 52,000-square-foot meat-processing plant in Chicago that supplies portion-controlled steaks and chops to the food-service industry, according to the project summary.
During the 2011 commission meeting when the incentives were approved, Bruss Vice President and General Manager Anthony Cericola said the company had looked for the right place to establish its second plant.
"We think we've found the ideal location," he said.
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