Gatlin Development Co., which developed the area's first four Walmart Neighborhood Markets that opened this year, is planning for two more – in Southwest Jacksonville and in St. Augustine.
Chad Williard, general counsel of Fort Lauderdale-based Gatlin Development, said work could start early next year on the Wilson Square Shopping Center store at 6855 Wilson Blvd. in Southwest Jacksonville.
He said the St. Augustine Shores Village store at U.S. 1 and Shores Boulevard would start later because Gatlin is not as far along in the approvals process with the property.
The Neighborhood Markets are Walmart grocery stores, much smaller than the Supercenters. The stores are about 40,000 square feet in size and offer groceries, pharmacy services and household goods.
The four markets that opened this year are in Gatlin properties: Merrill Station in Arlington; the Crossroads at Mandarin in Mandarin; Julington Square along Florida 13 in St. Johns County; and along County Road 220 in Middleburg in Clay County.
Gatlin's website shows a Walmart Neighborhood Market at Wilson Square Shopping Center and a future market at the St. Augustine Shores Village.
Williard said that barring unforeseen delays, Gatlin estimates final government approvals for the Wilson Square project could be obtained during the first quarter of 2014, after which Gatlin would close on the property purchase and then start construction about 30 days after that.
He said the St. Augustine Shores development could be approved in the second quarter of 2014.
Williard said Gatlin had no plans for more Neighborhood Markets in the Jacksonville area.
Nassau plans for Tomorrow
The Nassau County Economic Development Board will review its first-year accomplishments of its Nassau Tomorrow strategy at a lunchtime event Oct. 15.
The board plans the event at the Florida State College at Jacksonville Betty P. Cook Nassau Center within the Technical Center.
For information, email [email protected] or call (904) 225-8878.
Microsoft to open Nov. 22 at Town Center
Microsoft plans to open its St. Johns Town Center retail store Nov. 22 with a 10:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony. That's the week before Thanksgiving and Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.
A spokeswoman said Microsoft will present a special performance by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on Nov. 23 in the south parking lot near Dick's Sporting Goods.
For more information visit Facebook.com/microsoftstore.
Also, the Microsoft retail store will be making software donations to local community organizations during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
EverBank putting up signs in Tapestry Park
The city approved three wall signs for EverBank Home Lending at 9822 Tapestry Park Circle in the Tapestry Park center near Tinseltown.
Brown Enterprises is the contractor for the $13,800 project.
Tenant Contractors Inc. has been building out a 5,200-square-foot corner space at a project cost of $206,765.
Jacksonville-based EverBank is moving a retail lending office within Southside from the third floor of an office building in Deerwood Park to the rounded-corner storefront in Tapestry Park.
EverBank recently announced it was putting a bigger focus on its retail lending operations, marketing mortgage loans directly to consumers. The company said it hired 100 people in that area in the second quarter and expects to hire even more.
On the roads
The Florida Department of Transportation remains busy, including preparing for improvements at Interstate 95 and Butler Boulevard in South Jacksonville and for widening I-295 in West Jacksonville.
The department filed plans with the St. Johns River Water Management District for both.
• The Butler Boulevard improvements are designed to improve traffic operations along Butler Boulevard from Philips Highway to Belfort Road, specifically the interchange with I-95. The in-depth description involves terms that sound encouraging, such as eliminating "queue spillback" and "westbound weave" and "eastbound weave." One of the many objectives includes restoring the I-95 exit northbound to travel west on Butler, as well as alleviate the backups for southbound traffic exiting I-95 for Butler. Flyover ramps are planned.
• The I-295 project will widen the interstate from four to six lanes from north of I-10 to north of Commonwealth Avenue. The purpose is to widen 1.6 miles of roadway and two bridges, one over a CSX rail spur and the other over Commonwealth Avenue. The project also includes mainline and ramp milling and resurfacing.
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