About a month after Sysco International Food Group Inc. bought vacant industrial land in Jacksonville and the code-named Project Moana received public incentives for an expansion in the city, Sysco was identified Aug. 21 as the company.
Aundra Wallace, president of JAXUSA Partnership, announced at the organization’s summer luncheon that Sysco is Project Moana.
On July 22, the city approved $2.5 million in incentives for the code-named project.
Jacksonville City Council voted to grant final approval for incentives for a “well-known international wholesale distributor” to expand in Jacksonville with a $90 million food distribution warehouse, described as an additional facility.
Also on July 22, Sysco International Food Group Inc. bought land in Westlake Industrial Park along Pritchard Road from Becknell Industrial LLC of Indianapolis. The property is part of Lot 21, a 171-acre site.
Houston-based Sysco Corp. markets itself as the world’s largest food distributor. It has two cold-storage food operations in Jacksonville already.
The city Office of Economic Development requested the incentive for Project Moana through Resolution 2025-0481, which provides the
funding through a 60%, five-year Recapture Enhanced Value Grant, which is a refund on ad valorem tax revenue generated by a new development or property enhancement. It can apply to property and tangible personal property.
According to an OED staff summary, Project Moana plans a capital investment of $80 million in new construction and $10 million in equipment for the 275,000-square-foot expansion warehouse.
The summary said the company plans to add 100 employees to its workforce in Jacksonville with an average annual compensation of $52,000, plus an average of $13,700 in annual benefits.
City documents said multiple locations and incentive packages had been offered to the company, both in Florida and beyond, and that the incentives are a “material metric” in the decision over where to build the facility.
The documents indicate that the Jacksonville site will require sewer upgrades, including a new lift station, and roadwork to facilitate ingress and egress. The estimated costs of those improvements were not listed.
The company plans to have the facility up and running by late 2029, the OED staff summary says.
OED estimates that the city will receive a return on investment of $4.50 for every $1 of incentives provided.
The Jacksonville City Council approved the ordinance on a 17-0 vote, with members Ju’Coby Pittman and Rory Diamond not present.
The JAXUSA Partnership luncheon was held at the Florida Blue Conference Center at 4800 Deerwood Campus Parkway. JAXUSA Partnership is the economic development division of JAX Chamber.