Christian Harden has been promoted to senior vice president at NAI Hallmark Partners, joining the senior level of company management.
Dave Auchter, Hallmark executive vice president and chief operating officer, in a news release said Harden has distinguished himself among co-workers and industry peers “as the consummate commercial real estate professional, measured both in aggregate brokerage volume and leadership.”
Harden is a 2015 Leadership Jacksonville graduate and is president-elect of NAIOP Northeast Florida Chapter, serving on the board since 2011.
Hallmark Partners is a full-service commercial real estate development company that offers sales/leasing brokerage, property management, real estate intelligence and turnkey development services.
Jaguars, USA Football award equipment grants
USA Football and the Jacksonville Jaguars recently awarded football equipment and uniform grants to youth and high school football programs throughout North Florida.
Grants are up to $1,500 for youth organizations and $2,500 for high school programs and can be used on new or reconditioned equipment and uniforms, among other needs.
The Northeast Florida programs receiving grants for 2015 are: Dupont Middle School; Englewood High School; FHSAA (Baldwin); First Coast High School; the Police Athletic League; Junior Development League Football (Ponte Vedra); Mandarin High School; Robert E. Lee High School; Southside Middle School; and Westside High School. Several programs outside Northeast Florida also received grants.
USA Football is the sport’s national governing body in the U.S.
More than $2 million annually goes to programs through the organization and NFL Foundation, the league’s nonprofit.
Crenshaw seeking applications for military academies
U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, a member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, recently announced his office is accepting applications and paperwork from students interested in being nominated to one of the nation’s service academies.
“Our service academies are vital in preparing today’s youth to assume the responsibility and leadership required to become out future military leaders,” the Northeast Florida representative said in a news release.
Students may begin the nomination process to be eligible for a 2016 appointment by filling out an application and submitting paperwork to Crenshaw’s office by Oct. 23. The process, its requirements and paperwork can be found at crenshaw.house.gov.
Aldi having grand opening Thursday for Southside Boulevard store
Grocery chain Aldi is hosting its Jacksonville grand opening at 9 a.m. Thursday at 9041 Southside Blvd.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will start the event, followed by guests entering an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win a year’s supply of Aldi produce. The store carries close to 70 fruits and vegetables, including organic.
Customers can expect to find more than 1,300 of the most commonly purchased items sold under Aldi exclusive brands for up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets, according to a news release.
The store is open 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Aldi’s business plan calls to add an average of 130 stores each year.
Local housing market ranks poorly in national report …
Jacksonville’s housing market doesn’t fare well with peer cities across the U.S., according to a recent Wallet Hub report. The social media company known for rankings compared 300 cities across 14 metrics.
Jacksonville came in at No. 281 overall, No. 57 of 62 for large cities. Metrics included percentage of homes underwater, average numbers of days until a house sells, foreclosure rate, home price as a percentage of income and job growth. They all comprised two categories: “Real Estate Market” rank and “Affordability and Economic Environment” rank.
Jacksonville’s did worse in the real estate market rank — placing No. 294 overall — while faring better in affordability at No. 122.
Frisco, Texas placed first while Flint, Mich. finished last in the rankings.
… but places better as a retirement destination
Although Jacksonville wasn’t the best housing market in the eyes of Wallet Hub, the city fared better as a retirement destination.
Jacksonville ranked No. 51 of 150 cities ranked in the service’s “Best and Worst Cities to Retire” rankings for the year. This one used 24 metrics across four subject areas.
The city scored No. 37 on affordability, No. 58 on activities, No. 97 on quality of life and No. 83 on health care.
Florida placed several cities in the top 10. Tampa was No. 1, followed by Cape Coral at No. 4, Orlando at No. 5 and Port St. Lucie at No. 8.