An Indian and Middle Eastern grocery store in Jacksonville is seeking a land use amendment and rezoning to build a meat processing facility on its property after abandoning an off-site version in 2024.
Apna Bazar is at 11153 Beach Blvd. in My Jax Plaza, a 6.82-acre property between DeSalvo and Cortez roads. The property owner is Qaisar Mahmood through My Jax LLC.
Property records show the plaza comprises two buildings totaling about 59,000 square feet with multiple businesses.
Apna Bazar plans to expand its operation with a 30,000-square-foot addition and to build a 23,800-square-foot freestanding structure to the east of the shopping center.
Meat processing for the facility’s on-site butchery would take place in the new structure, which would include a warehouse, storage space and retail storefronts.
The grocer sells Halal meats, which are prepared according to Islamic dietary laws. Those laws include restrictions on the process of slaughtering the animal, who can slaughter it and the type of meat that can be processed.
Through city Ordinance 2025-0487, Apna Bazar requests a small-scale land use amendment from Community/General Commercial and Low Density Residential to Light Industrial on a 0.91-acre portion of the property, and from Low Density Residential to Community/General Commercial on a 1.38-acre portion.
For the overall 6.82-acre property, Ordinance 2025-0488 would change zoning to Planned Unit Development from Residential Low Density and Community/General Commercial. A PUD is a special zoning district that allows for a mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses within a single district.
The ordinance and companion legislation for a rezoning request are expected at the Jacksonville Planning Commission on Aug. 21.
Apna Bazar’s request for rezoning is the organization’s second since April 2024. At that time, ownership withdrew a previous request for a zoning exception for land in Northwest Jacksonville from the Planning Commission after area residents voiced disapproval to the development.
That request was for a 25,000-square-foot metal building on about 2 acres at 7709 Woodley Road west of New Kings Road. It was designed to provide products for other grocers. Similar establishments named Apna Bazar or Apna Bazaar operate in several Florida cities.
Dozens of residents turned out for a Planning Commission public hearing on the project, where they raised objections about noise, smells and traffic the processing center would bring, along with its potential effect on property values.
The project planned for Beach Boulevard would serve only Apna Bazar instead of being a processing facility for multiple grocers.
With the building designed to enclose the butcher’s operation, planners hope to address any concerns among residents and businesses near the property, said Cyndy Trimmer, who filed the rezoning application and request for the land-use amendment on behalf of property owner. Trimmer is a land-use attorney with Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne and Diebenow PLLC.
“For all intents and purposes, it would look like a box truck delivering (live animals) from the outside and a garage door closing,” Trimmer said.
Nearby properties around the proposed plant are a bowling alley, flea market and single-family housing.
Ray Ratliff, who lives on Kernan Boulevard, expressed concerns about the facility’s proximity to neighbors and possible ground pollution. Animal slaughter could cause illness in nearby residents, he said, and could open the city up to litigation. Kernan is 2.4 miles east of the grocery store.
“I’m not talking aesthetics. I’m talking health concerns,” he said. “If someone gets sick, it’s purely Jacksonville’s negligence.”
Trimmer said the business would work to address concerns among neighbors.
“(Apna Bazar) had a bigger vision for how to support the community… That didn’t pan out,” Trimmer said. “The (new) design was done very carefully to try and avoid any pressure points.”