Developer Hillwood told the city Dec. 30 that a prospect eliminated AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center from consideration for an up to 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center.
Dallas-based Hillwood, the city's master developer of the West Jacksonville business park, said in its required quarterly report that it received and responded in mid-July to a broker's request for proposals.
The broker represented a prospect interested in a build-to-suit warehouse/distribution facility comprising 1.1 million to 1.2 million square feet of space.
“By the end of the reporting period, Hillwood had learned that the prospect had eliminated AllianceFlorida from consideration,” said the third-quarter report, covering July 1-Sept. 30.
Hillwood did not identify the prospect.
The prospect had been in play for awhile at AllianceFlorida, which is in west Jacksonville south of Interstate 10, along Cecil Commerce Center Parkway and north and south of Normandy Boulevard.
Hillwood told the city Sept. 30 in its second-quarter report for April 1-June 30 that a potential 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center prospect had reduced its needs to 1.1 million square feet.
At the time, the prospect was evaluating its requirements before issuing a revised request for proposals.
If it's the same prospect, it might be looking at other locations in the area. At least five developers filed plans for a prospective 1 million-square-foot or larger distribution center in Jacksonville but have not disclosed the tenant’s identity.
Hillwood was among those. It previously filed plans for a 1.5 million-square-foot center at POW-MIA Memorial Parkway, 103rd Street, Aviation Avenue and Cecil Pines Street.
Hillwood Senior Vice President Dan Tatsch said in September the building remains a “concept only” and there are no immediate plans to build it.
Hillwood also said that during the third quarter it:
• Received and responded to a preliminary inquiry from a broker representing a prospect interested in leasing a 200,000- to 300,000-square-foot warehouse facility.
• Received and responded to a preliminary inquiry from a prospect interested in acquiring 5 to 6 acres on Parcel R, which is south of Normandy Boulevard, to develop a retail facility. Hillwood answered the initial list of development-related questions. At the end of the quarter, the prospect had hired a civil engineer and began initial due diligence of the site.
In other development activities, Hillwood told the city that work continues on the Wayfair Inc. distribution center. I
Hillwood previously executed a long-term lease with Wayfair for a 1,012,567-square-foot fulfillment center along 103rd Street next to the Amazon.com fulfillment center.
During the quarter, the tilt-wall panels, structural steel and roof installation were completed at Wayfair's center. Interior work also began.
As of Sept. 30, Wayfair predicted substantial completion by Dec. 17.
In 2009, Hillwood won a competitive bid to become the master developer of the 4,474-acre Cecil Commerce Center, which is a portion of the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field owned by the city.