With a pair of 0-7 votes, the Duval County School Board rejected a proposal Oct. 7 to sell its administration building and property at 1701 Prudential Drive on the Southbank Downtown and another proposal to buy an office building at 8928 Prominence Parkway in Baymeadows.
Retirement community developer Fleet Landing proposed to acquire the Duval County Public Schools’ riverfront headquarters for $20 million, demolish the building and build a high-rise senior living community on the site.
The school board was considering purchasing the Baymeadows building, owned by Dream Finders Homes LLP, for $13.65 million and moving its administrative staff there.
Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket parent company, Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers, has leased the building in Baymeadows since 2016.
Southeastern Grocers’ lease of the four-story, 165,000-square-foot structure expires at the end of 2025. The company is preparing to move its headquarters to its Edgewood Support Center at 5050 Edgewood Court in West Jacksonville.
Board members expressed concerns over not having seen more than one proposal, even though 10 were considered and three were selected as finalists by staff.
Another concern was that the proposals were not reviewed by the district’s Audit Advisory Committee.
The terms of the proposed agreement with Fleet Landing were discussed. The developer was to pay $12.5 million at closing and the remaining $7.5 million three years after closing.
The timing of the two closings also was questioned by board members.
Under the terms of the agreements, Duval Schools would buy the Baymeadows building by Dec. 31 but the sale to Fleet Landing would not close until the third quarter 2026, meaning the schools would own and maintain two administration buildings for about eight months.
School board Chair Charlotte Joyce said after the votes that the district can begin new negotiations with Dream Finders and will continue to review proposals to sell the Southbank property.