The city approved a permit for Tenant Contractors Inc. to build-out headquarters space for Pet Paradise at 1551 Atlantic Blvd. at a cost of $765,542.
Pet Paradise will lease about 7,424 square feet of space on the second floor of the San Marco building.
Jacksonville-based Pet Paradise Resort and Day Spa develops and owns boarding and day care centers for dogs and cats. It occupies about 5,000 square feet of office space in Southside at 5130 University Blvd. W. next to one of its pet centers.
The 16-year-old company will move to accommodate its growing staff, which is working on adding eight to 10 Pet Paradise centers a year.
Brian Franco, vice president of real estate for its corporate parent American Pet Resort LLC, said previously the company is “expanding exponentially” and needs more space.
About 25 corporate staff members will move to the second floor of the Atlantic Boulevard building.
Franco said Pet Paradise intends to add 10 or so full-time employees at the headquarters and will continue to boost systemwide employment as centers open.
Franco said that upon the relocation, the company’s call center will move from the Baymeadows area into the University Boulevard offices. That also is about 25 employees.
Pet Paradise operates 35 locations with more than 800 employees throughout the South. In Northeast Florida, Pet Paradise will open its fourth location Oct. 1 as a prototype at 14976 Walden Springs Way in the Bartram area.