Southeast Toyota Distributors has finished work on its $145 million processing and distribution facility at the Jacksonville Port Authority’s Blount Island facility, contractor JE Dunn Construction announced Feb. 4.
The completion of a rail connection marked the final step in the construction project, JE Dunn spokesperson Justin Davidson said in an email. Vehicle processing began in October 2025 at the facility, which comprises seven buildings encompassing 380,000 square feet.
The facility can process 4,000 vehicles weekly, 6% more than its previous operations at the Talleyrand Marine Terminal.
“The completion of this project is the culmination of the largest investment in our history,” Eric Carter, Southeast Toyota group vice president of operations, said in a news release. “Now that construction is completed, we look forward to serving our dealer network even faster and better than before while continuing our long-term commitment to growth in Jacksonville.”
The primary building on the 88-acre site accounts for 272,000 square feet of the total footprint and includes office space, a full kitchen, cafeteria, locker rooms and a fitness center. The facility also includes a fuel island to accelerate the fueling process, a three-lane car wash and a rail connection system alongside electric vehicle charging stations.
The project was funded by Southeast Toyota and a $19.78 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to assist with terminal development.
In April 2022, Southeast Toyota announced plans to move its operations from the Talleyrand terminal to the Blount Island site. At that time, the company was processing vehicles in a 50-acre facility at Talleyrand and an adjacent 23-acre private facility.
Shortly after the announcement, the JaxPort board voted 7-0 to approve a 25-year lease with the company for the 88 acres on Blount Island. The lease agreement includes three five-year renewal options. JaxPort officials said the lease agreement and facility upgrades were valued at $210 million over 40 years.
Foundation work on the Blount Island facility began in August 2023, and the start of vertical construction followed in July 2024.
“Southeast Toyota Distributors is one of JAXPORT’s longest-standing tenants and a key part of our success as one of the nation’s leading vehicle-handling ports,” JaxPort CEO Eric Green said in a release. “With Florida and the broader Southeast US continuing to add residents and visitors, their expanded capabilities allow us to efficiently serve rising demand for autos across our region and state — while supporting hundreds of quality local jobs.”
Southeast Toyota has been operating at JaxPort for more than 50 years and is one of the port’s longest-standing tenants, according to JaxPort. The company processes Toyota vehicles manufactured in North America and Japan at JaxPort for distribution across the Southeast U.S.
In September 2025, the JaxPort board voted 6-0 to contribute $589,667 to help repair soil erosion at the new facility. JaxPort officials said the contribution would cover 50% of the cost to fix voids under the pavement of the facility, which were caused by soil erosion that created gaps between the pavement and the ground below.
In January 2024, the JaxPort approved a 30-year, $136.6 million agreement with Enstructure, the parent company of longtime JaxPort tenant Seaonus Stevedoring, to lease and develop the acreage being vacated by Southeast Toyota at Talleyrand.