What appears to be BMW of North America LLC’s proposed $30 million distribution center, along with a separate speculative warehouse, is taking shape in West Jacksonville — at least on paper.
Atlanta-based Stone Mountain Industrial Park Inc., owner of Westside Industrial Park, is requesting city concurrency review for the 115 acres it bought in November along Imeson Road, adjacent to the established park at Imeson and Pritchard roads.
The filing includes not only the site that matches the proposed BMW center and the spec warehouse, but also outlines two more warehouses for the property. All of the buildings feature truck courts.
All total, those four buildings would add 1.3 million square feet of distribution space to West Jacksonville, the largest industrial market in the area.
The site is west of Imeson Road, with Moncrief Road to the north and Forshee Drive to the south.
Building No. 4 fits the details for the proposed BMW center, designed as 448,043 square feet and expandable by 166,730 square feet. That takes it to more than 600,000 square feet on almost 28 acres.
The initial speculative warehouse, Building 1, is shown as 189,750 square feet on 15.02 acres.
Future buildings comprise a 356,400-square-foot warehouse next to Building 4 and a second 189,750-square-foot warehouse next to the first.
BMW of North America said in March it would invest more than $30 million to build a 450,000-square-foot Regional Distribution Center at 600 Imeson Road in the park to replace a smaller parts facility there.
BMW leases about 213,000 square feet in the park for a parts distribution center. It was built in 2002, to support the BMW and MINI dealerships in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina.
Kenn Sparks, spokesman for the Germany-based carmaker in the U.S., said in March BMW plans to occupy the new site next year in April and to bring it to full operations the following October.
He said by email Thursday there was no update.
Pattillo Industrial Real Estate Vice President Peter Anderson did not identify BMW as a prospect, but said one of the two buildings was for a single tenant and the other for multiple tenants.
He said several active prospects have expressed interest in Building 4.
Because of that, “we are being proactive in developing plans and obtaining permits for the construction of a building on the site.”
Concurrency is the city’s determination whether public facilities can absorb the impact of a proposed project. If not, the city and developer decide how to correct the situation.
Pattillo and Stone Mountain share some common leadership. Pattillo Industrial Real Estate operates the Jacksonville holdings, which have expanded to about 1,500 acres in West and North Jacksonville. The holdings are dominated by the 960-acre Westside Industrial Park.
The west side of Jacksonville accounts for almost half of the area’s industrial real estate space as well as the more narrowly defined warehouse and distribution space.
Of the area’s 104 million square feet of industrial space, West Jacksonville accounts for 47 million of it, according to the first-quarter report by the Cushman & Wakefield real estate group.
It’s also a busy market. Compared to a 7.2 percent vacancy throughout Northeast Florida’s industrial space, West Jacksonville’s is just 4.9 percent.
Specifically among warehouse and distribution space, the 5.9 percent vacancy rate in West Jacksonville is lower than the area’s 8.6 percent.
LA Fitness shown on plans for Mandarin site
LA Fitness might on a track to open a fifth Jacksonville center, expanding into Mandarin.
Plans filed with the city Concurrency and Mobility Management System Office show LA Fitness joining the Old St. Augustine Plaza at 11250 Old St. Augustine Road.
Regency Centers Corp. owns the center and declined comment.
As proposed, the 30,700-square-foot fitness center will take up a space created for it between Burlington Coat Factory and Publix Super Markets, bracketed by some smaller shops.
Plans show about 18,910 square feet of retail space will be demolished to help make way for LA Fitness.
Fitness International LLC, an affiliate of LA Fitness, emailed a statement that it was premature to share information regarding questions about the proposed location and to ask again in three to six months.
Irvine, Calif.-based LA Fitness operates four centers around town — in Lakewood, Atlantic North, Blanding at Interstate 295 and Atlantic Beach.
The city reviewed a mobility fee application and concurrency review application for the LA Fitness at Old St. Augustine Plaza, which is I-295 and Old St. Augustine Road.
It calculated a mobility fee of $67,152 for the project. The fee is the cost for a new development based upon the link between land development and transportation.
French Pantry adding seats and space
The French Pantry is slated for renovations to include mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, finishes and new restrooms, along with some additional interior dining space.
The city is reviewing an application for Tenant Contractors Inc. to perform the $100,000 project at the 6301 Powers Ave. bakery and restaurant.
John Valentino, who bought The French Pantry in 2015, said when he renewed the lease he had options to take additional adjacent space.
He said interior space was added for bathrooms and more dining seating. Dining capacity should increase by 15 seats to 61.
He said the work connected with the permit application should take place over the next few months.
“We are taking it slowly so we do not disrupt the current retail business,” he said.
Valentino also expects to expand the bakery square footage in the fall.
Design Cooperative LLC is the architect.
The French Pantry, established in 1995, is a wholesale bakery for restaurants and other accounts but also opens for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Valentino said he has no immediate plans for changes at the former Edgewood Bakery in West Jacksonville, which he bought early this year and converted to the second French Pantry.
Denim & Soul projects mid-May opening
The Denim & Soul high-end clothing and accessories retailer, a turnaround by “The Profit” host Marcus Lemonis, expects to open in mid-May at St. Johns Town Center. It’s leasing the space vacated by Cache.
The marcuslemonis.com site says with assistance from Lemonis, Denim & Soul transformed the founder’s urban fashion ideals into a “modern, laid back luxury boutique” of clothing and accessories for men and women. It is based in Chicago.
Aldi prepared for more expansion
Aldi isn’t saying how many grocery stores it will open in Northeast Florida, but promises to keep in touch as it completes plans for grand openings.
Dave Rinaldo, Aldi Haines City Division vice president, was responding to questions about two new stores in Jacksonville.
Aldi has been announced at the planned Town Center Promenade in Southside and also has been included on site plans for a location along Normandy Boulevard in Westside.
Rinaldo said the company did not have an expected opening date for the Normandy or Town Center Promenade stores, although developers said the Town Center store would open in spring 2017.
Aldi has three area stores along Southside Boulevard in Jacksonville, in St. Augustine and Middleburg.
The two new Jacksonville stores are about 18,000 square feet, about a third of the size of a larger Publix Super Market.
Rinaldo said there will be many new stores in Florida by 2018. It has 84 stores in the state and 1,515 nationwide, mostly in the East and Midwest.
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