Documents filed the past week with the City indicate the proposed FedEx Ground Package System distribution center at Cecil Commerce Center will employ at least 250 people and add more for seasonal work.
The count of 150 full-time and 100 part-time employees was included in an application for a zoning deviation for parking. A site plan indicates in the fine print that the project is for FedEx.
FedEx Ground spokesman Jesse Bull said late Wednesday that he could again confirm the company's interest in Cecil Commerce Center, but he could not provide more information.
"Although we can confirm our interest in the Cecil Commerce Center, at this point, we are still in the preliminary stages of our search; therefore, company policy prohibits giving details about the proposed facility," Bull said in an email.
While FedEx and City officials have not discussed specific plans, documents continue to surface that confirm the large project under regulatory review is for the package company.
Separate site-review plans filed with the City, which are labeled "FedEx Facility" on the documents, outline a 300,000-square-foot distribution warehouse on 45.3 acres along New World Avenue, north of the Saft America Inc. plant at Waterworks Street and New World Avenue.
SunCap Property Group of Charlotte, N.C., is shown as the developer.
Similar information was filed last week in an application with the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Documents titled "FedEx Ground Distribution Center" were filed with the district and included a report by Ellis & Associates Inc. of Jacksonville referencing the "FedEx Ground Distribution Center."
The City of Jacksonville owns the Cecil Commerce Center property; Prosser Hallock Inc. is an agent for the FedEx project; and SunCap is the developer.
Cecil Commerce Center is a former naval air station in West Jacksonville along Interstate 10, not far from I-95 and the I-295 West Beltway.
The employment numbers are outlined in the application for a zoning deviation, filed Friday. The City and Prosser Hallock request an increase in the maximum number of off-street parking spaces for in industrial warehouse use.
"The intended use is a regional packaging warehouse for a national company," the application says.
It said the City Zoning Code allows a maximum 213 parking spaces for the proposed development and asks for a deviation to allow 550.
A site plan shows 537 off-street parking spaces.
The application says that there will be about 150 full-time employees and 100 part-time employees that work in the package-handling facility and at least 50 more during peak shipping seasons.
The facility also will operate a truck/van terminal and accommodate up to 250 driver/operators in addition to the warehouse and office employees at the facility.
All employee parking is required to be provided on-site and in a secured lot with direct access to the facility, the application says.
The application states four reasons for the need for increased parking:
• The facility is a package distribution facility. During peak seasons (holidays), the warehouse will staff up significantly with additional temporary employees to meet the peak shipping demand and additional on-site parking is required to meet the demand.
• The facility is operated 24/7/365. There is overlap in the shifts, which increases the parking requirements during transition times.
• The facility will provide capacity relief to the existing Orlando hub and will require additional parking spaces for drivers. The facility will be used as "overflow" for extra trailers in the network. As additional accounts are brought on, more trailers and drivers will be parked at Jacksonville and then dispatched to other facilities.
• Florida is a high-growth state in terms of package volume and the facility is designed to accommodate that growth by having readily available employee parking for the projected staffing needs.
Bull said the proposed Jacksonville project is separate from the proposed FedEx Ground Package System hub in Ocala, reported by the Ocala.com news site as a $122.9 million investment into a building and equipment.
"Company policy prohibits us from getting into specifics on this proposed project since our talks with the city and county are still ongoing," Bull said about the Ocala hub.
Ocala.com reported Ocala City Council and the County Commission approved an agreement to offer FedEx Ground Package System a combined $3.47 million in incentives to encourage it to build a 383,161-square-foot package distribution hub near I-75 and bring 165 jobs to the area.
It said the state would need to sign off on its $792,000 share of Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program incentives.
No incentives request has been filed with Jacksonville City Council for FedEx in Cecil Commerce Center.
Asked if the Jacksonville and Ocala projects were competing, Bull indicated they were not.
"The two areas are separate opportunities we are looking into. It is not an either/or situation," he said.
He did not say how the center would affect FedEx's existing Jacksonville facilities.
In early May, Bull confirmed the company's interest in Cecil Commerce Center, but he did not discuss a specific site.
The water management district documents describe the proposed Cecil Commerce Center FedEx construction as a 303,771-square-foot distribution facility constructed of tilt-up concrete panel walls and a grade supported floor slab.
The Learning Experience, Mellow Mushroom, Chipotle joining River City Marketplace area
River City Marketplace and the adjacent Parkway Shops area will be gaining at least three more businesses.
• The Learning Experience plans a 10,000-square-foot child-education center on 1.01 acres along Wolf Bay Drive in the River City Marketplace.
The Learning Experience filed plans with the St. Johns River Water Management District for the center and adjacent 5,000-square-foot playground.
It would be one of eight Learning Experience centers operating, under construction or planned in the area. Adkinson Engineering filed the information.
Edward Eickhoff, vice president of development and redevelopment for Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, developer of the marketplace and the adjacent shops, said the company was under contract with a developer who will build a Learning Experience on a site near Main Street.
• Mellow Mushroom owner John Valentino created the MM River City LLC company in October. It paid $1.2 million on May 22 to buy a 1.2-acre outparcel at 15022 Max Leggett Parkway in the Parkway Shops.
Mellow Mushrooms operate in Tinseltown at 9734 Deer Lake Court, Suite 1; 1018-2 N. Third St. in Jacksonville Beach; and 1800 Town Center Blvd. in Fleming Island.
The chain also plans a restaurant in Avondale, making the Parkway Shops site its fifth.
MM River City bought the property from Ramco Duval TRS LLC, part of Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust. The rgpt.com site says Parkway Shops is being developed next to the 900,000-square-foot River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to open an 80-seat restaurant at the new Pointe Place retail center at 790 Skymarks Drive.
The City is reviewing a building permit application for tenant build-out for the restaurant in 2,425 square feet of space in Unit 101 of the 14,782-square-foot retail center.
It will seat 54 patrons inside and 26 on a patio, plans show. No contractor was listed for the $80,000 project.
The chipotle.com site shows three area restaurants. They operate at the Markets at Town Center near St. Johns Town Center; at Blanding Boulevard and Youngerman Circle; and at San Jose Boulevard and Claire Lane.
Charlotte Russe planned at Markets at Town Center
The Charlotte Russe fashion retailer for women in their teens and 20s plans to open in the Markets at Town Center near St. Johns Town Center.
The City is reviewing a building-permit application for a Charlotte Russe store at 4870 Big Island Drive, Suite 5, near West Marine.
No contractor is listed on the application, which shows a 4,800-square-foot store. The tenant build-out cost is listed as $110,000.
The charlotterusse.com website shows one Jacksonville location at The Avenues mall.
The San Diego, Calif.-based company began in 1975 with its first store in Carlsbad. It is named after the French dessert.
It operates more than 500 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
World Affairs Council heads Downtown
The World Affairs Council of Jacksonville intends to open Monday in new offices Downtown in WJCT Studios at 100 Festival Park Ave.
The council has been based in Ponte Vedra Beach. The phone number remains (904) 280-8162.
"Providing access to the very best thinking on global issues of the day, the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville is moving into the WJCT Studios alongside other 'convening' organizations of Jacksonville, illustrating the vibrant citywide collaboration and revitalization effort under way," said Executive Director Trina Medarev.
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