Publix’s large West Jacksonville distribution complex along Interstate 10 is set to expand now that the city is reviewing a construction permit for the Lakeland-based grocer to build a frozen foods warehouse at an estimated cost of almost $136 million.
Gray Construction Inc. of Lexington, Kentucky, is the contractor. Gray AES of Lexington is the architect. Dyer & Associates LLC, of Richmond, Kentucky, is the civil engineer.
Project site
The 370,000-square-foot freezer building is planned on 42.4 acres that Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. owns at 10132 General Ave.
Publix plans to develop the warehouse next to its distribution center on the company’s 127 acres between I-10 and West Beaver Street. General Avenue runs by the complex.
The company began developing the site in 1971. Buildings were added since then and now total more than 950,000 square feet.
The structures include warehousing, distribution, refrigerated warehouses, offices and other functions.
That size increases to about 1.35 million square feet with the new warehouse.
City records show the building permit and plans were created for review and processing in April. The city approved civil engineering plans May 28, moving the project into review for construction.
It’s been 18 months since the city signed off on incentives in November 2023.
Publix said in April 2024 that the new frozen foods warehouse was targeted to open in late 2027 and hire about 150 people.
“It will add capacity to our distribution network and primarily serve Central and North Florida, and southern Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina,” said Publix Media Relations Manager Hannah Herring.
Herring said then that the supermarket chain was “in the planning stages” for the project.
Herring’s comments come after the city had issued a concurrency reservation certificate that stated the proposed project had sufficient water, sanitary sewer, solid waste and drainage capacity.
Incentives deal
In November 2023, City Council unanimously approved a Recapture Enhanced Value Grant up to $3.5 million for the warehouse, code-named Project Willow.
The grant represents 50% of the new city ad valorem tax anticipated to be generated by the project over a term of five years.
While not identified as Publix, the legislation said the recipient of the property tax refund is a locally established regional food retailer that wishes to expand its distribution support operations to accommodate continued growth to serve customers in the Southeastern U.S., according to documents filed by the city Office of Economic Development.
The expansion outlined in the ordinance included development of a 300,000-square-foot cold-storage facility with a capital investment of about $150 million for construction and equipment.
The ordinance said the company will maintain its current level of jobs and add 150 jobs with a $7.5 million annual payroll combined with “offering substantial benefits” by Dec. 31, 2027.
A report presented with the proposal by the Council Auditor’s Office indicated the project has a calculated return on investment of $4.17 for each $1 invested by the city.
The details were similar to the new warehouse Publix proposed at its distribution center.
JEA issued a service availability letter Aug. 28, 2023, for Publix to build a 400,000-square-foot warehouse for frozen foods storage on 37.15 acres along General Avenue.