A Brentwood property that the city of Jacksonville purchased amid neighborhood opposition to plans to turn it into a liquor store has opened as a workforce development center.
Mayor Donna Deegan and City Council member Ju’Coby Pittman were among city officials on hand May 7 for an opening event for the Entrepreneurship Workforce Development Center at 865 Golfair Blvd.
Deegan said the center would be the first of four in the city, with others at the Main Library in Downtown, the Phoenix Arts District and the Cecil Commerce Center. She said the centers, which will be operated under the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business program, were part of her effort to make Jacksonville the “small business capital of the Southeast.”
“Through this initiative, we are addressing the critical need for accessible workforce development and entrepreneurship education,” she said.
“By streamlining processes, enhancing access to resources and providing mentorship and training, we are empowering people to turn their ideas into thriving businesses, strengthening our local economy and enriching our community.”
The property was the subject of two rounds of neighborhood outcry, including in 2023 after a previous property owner signaled intent to turn it into a drive-thru liquor store. Residents said the site, which is across Golfair from KIPP Voice Academy K-7 school, was an inappropriate location for that use.
In November 2023, Council voted to buy the property for $1.8 million with plans to repurpose it as a community or resource center to serve the neighborhood.
In March 2025, after signage went up for the workforce center, some residents criticized the city for not turning it into a community center.
The city said in response that the property was about one-tenth of the size it prefers for community centers and that the nearby Jacksonville Public Library branch offered spaces for community meetings and events.
In choosing the development center option, the city said it was also hoping to serve a large number of small businesses in the neighborhood, create job opportunities and drive economic growth.
Pittman, whose District 10 includes the property, said the center “represents transformation for this community.”
“This center will be a lifeline for small businesses that have been here for many, many years and have not had an opportunity to level-up,” she said. “This is a launching pad for careers offering training, workshop support and access to contracts.”
JSEB Administrator Gregory Grant said the center would provide such services as business development workshops, job placement assistance, financial literacy education and information on industry certifications. All services are free, with resources aimed at entrepreneurs and job seekers alike.
“It’s not just a building, it’s a hub where educational institutions, local corporations and agency partners can come together and create an ecosystem of opportunity,” he said.
JSEB offers qualified contractors, subcontractors and service providers certification to bid on city contracts for services, materials and products.
According to the JSEB.jacksonville.gov site, the program’s mission is to “maximize procurement opportunities with City of Jacksonville registered certified Jacksonville Small and Emerging Businesses (JSEBs) as suppliers, prime contractors, and subcontractors of superior products and services to the citizenry of Duval County.”
In March 2025, the city issued a permit for Warden Contracting Corp. of Jacksonville to convert what was shown as a 2,630-square-foot building at 865 Golfair Blvd. at a project cost of $90,567. JAA Architecture of Jacksonville was listed as the architect.
The property is a 0.38-acre lot with a 2,700-square-foot concrete building built in 1963. A deed from 1995 showed it had been used as an automobile service station.