City power provider JEA has disapproved the first review cycle for the “Significant Industrial User” that is exploring about 300 acres at AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center for a manufacturing facility that would use an average of up to 600,000 gallons of water a day.
JEA updated the status Jan. 15 and requests that applicant BGE Inc., a civil engineering firm, schedule a meeting with the city utility to discuss project details.
BGE Inc. will need to resubmit the application when the JEA’s comments are addressed.
JEA spokesperson Karen McAllister said Jan. 16 by email that the application has been disapproved because JEA requires more information from the applicant to determine the appropriate connection points for the project.
She said a meeting has been scheduled with the applicant for Jan. 23 to discuss the project.
“This is part of the standard review process on applications,” she said.
When sufficient information is provided, JEA can complete the review. Upon that, JEA will issue a letter detailing the available service connection points and any special conditions.
The recap
JEA, which provides water and power services, has been reviewing a request submitted Dec. 22 and edited Jan. 5 to determine the availability of service for the unidentified project.
JEA review is part of a developer’s due diligence before pursuing a project.
Potential users of the size listed in the application could be a bottling facility, a solar panel plant or similar uses that need large amounts of water, according to industry sources.
Mayor Donna Deegan has confirmed it is not a data center but did not comment further during an interview Jan. 13 on the WJCT Public Media “First Coast Connect” talk show.
The identity is not in the request nor being shared by the entities involved.
BGE submitted the application for “Jacksonville Manufacturing at Cecil,” referring to AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center, a city-owned industrial park in West Jacksonville.
Jenny Urcan, BGE Jacksonville director of land/site development, said by email Jan. 6 that she could not comment further on the information in the JEA service availability request.
Dallas-based Hillwood is the city’s master developer of AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center.
Dan Tatsch, executive vice president of Hillwood, said by email Jan. 6 that he could not comment on the JEA service request.
The city owns AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center. Hillwood is the operator and master developer.
The prospect appears to be in touch with the city.
“This is a confidential economic development project, so we are unable to share any details, per state statute,” said city Chief Communications Officer Phil Perry in an email Jan. 5. State law allows public agencies to maintain the confidentiality of economic development projects.
AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center is generally between Interstate 10 to the north and south to Normandy Boulevard, with some property south of Normandy to 103rd Street.
The industrial park is west of the First Coast Expressway. POW-MIA Memorial Parkway runs through the lower part of the park from the expressway to Normandy and 103rd.
The project parameters
The service availability request is for Parcel L-O of AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center.
The request specifies 617 Water Works St., on the west end of that street. The street is also called Waterworks in some uses.
It is west of the Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC distribution center, which is at 4950 POW-MIA Memorial Parkway.
An AllianceFlorida site plan shows Parcel L at 146.98 acres and Parcel O at 152.37 acres.
The Duval County Property Appraiser says the real estate parcel identified in the application totals 582.79 acres.
The project description shows that:
• The manufacturing facility will be constructed in two phases.
• The average daily demand is 581,491 gallons of water per day and 401,455 gallons of wastewater produced.
• The maximum daily demand is 976,995 gallons of water per day and producing 531,148 gallons of wastewater.
• Those daily demands are for full build-out and within a 24-hour period.
• The manufacturing facility would operate 24/7. The peak hourly rate is unknown at this stage of design.
The application states: “We are anticipating that this will be classified as a Significant Industrial User with additional pre-treatment & discharge requirements that will be determined during the Industrial User Application process.”
JEA said it had no information beyond the application.
The municipal service provider says it classifies industrial users according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
The EPA definition for a significant industrial user is one that “discharges an average of 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater to the POTW (excluding sanitary, noncontact cooling, and boiler blowdown wastewater).”
EPA defines POTW as a publicly owned treatment works such as a water treatment facility or sewage treatment plant used in the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature, and is owned by a municipality or other governmental entity.
The St. Johns River Water Management District has not received an inquiry about the project.
“At this time, the District does not have a permit application under review associated with the address provided,” district Media and Communications Manager Ashley Evitt said Jan. 6 by email.