Atlanta-based developer Rooker is landing regulatory approvals for a proposed 650,000-square-foot warehouse on surplus land it is leasing in North Jacksonville from the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
The St. Johns River Water Management District approved construction of a stormwater management system for an 87.7-acre project known as “Wheels Rd. Phase 1 Redesign.”
The district issued an environmental resource permit June 5 to Rooker through RP Perimeter West LLC. Almond Engineering of Jacksonville is the civil engineer.
Maps show the site at 1350 Wheels Road at northwest Interstate 295 and I-95, about 3 miles southeast of Jacksonville International Airport, which is operated by JAA.
City utility JEA issued a service availability letter Jan. 29 to Almond Engineering for a 650,000-square-foot Wheels Road warehouse.
Rooker intends to lease the land along Wheels Road, which connects to Duval Road.
The project is described as a cross-dock warehouse. Cross-docking is a logistics practice of unloading products from an incoming truck and immediately reloading into outbound trucks or trailers. For example, it can move products from a manufacturer directly to the customer with minimal handling and time.
A cross-docking facility is seen as a sorting center that requires less storage space than a distribution center. Goods often spend less than a day in the terminal. Industries that benefit are perishable goods, foods and beverages; inbound supplier components and raw materials; and packed and sorted products and parcels.
Rooker’s proposed warehouse size has increased the past few years.
JEA had issued a service availability letter in October 2023 for Rooker to develop a 264,000-square-foot warehouse, and that was a change from previous plans for a 288,000-square-foot warehouse.
Almond Engineering then asked to update availability to accommodate a 650,000-square-foot building comprising warehouse and some office space.
The JAA board first entered a ground lease with Rooker as of July 2, 2023, and has amended it three times in March 2025, January 2026 and June 2026.
The third amendment dated June 19, 2026, extends Rooker’s project commencement date to Dec. 31, 2026. If work hasn’t begun by then, the JAA could terminate the lease.
“My understanding is that they are still awaiting final review/approval from the city for permits. Our last amendment provided some time extensions on some of the initial milestone dates,” said JAA Chief Development Officer Jay Cunio in an email July 6.
According to the lease and amendments, Rooker will invest at least $20 million to develop at least 400,000 square feet of Class A industrial space for substantial completion by Dec. 31, 2027. The project must be delivered by June 30, 2028.
Rooker will pay rent of 30 cents per square foot for the 49.02 developable acres on the 87.7-acre site. That would be $640,593.30 a year. Developable land is the portion outside of wetlands and utility easements.
The rental agreement began Jan. 1, 2026. JAA said Rooker has been paying rent since then.
The lease, as amended, is in good standing, Cunio said.
Rooker Vice President Cason Bufe could not be reached for comment July 6.
He said in March 2025 that the company’s investment remains at least $20 million per the ground lease but noted there was no specific project cost.
“That will depend on what size building we land on, so I don’t have a cost yet,” Bufe said.
A lease amendment calls for a minimum of 400,000 square feet of Class A industrial warehouse space to include associated parking, circulation roads, an access drive off Wheels Road and stormwater control facilities within the premises.
On July 1, 2023, JAA and Rooker agreed to a ground lease for about 24 acres to develop a speculative warehouse, proposed then at 288,000 square feet.
“Unforeseen issues with permitting, along with the discovery of a conflicting JEA utility line and easement, have delayed the project,” the March 2025 amendment said.
“Given the delays, along with additional improvements being required by COJ and JEA, Rooker approached Management with the request to expand the premises, modify the scope of the development to address current market conditions, and revise the delivery and commencement dates called for under the Lease,” it says.
“We started discussions with the Jacksonville Aviation Authority back in 2021,” Bufe said in October 2023. “We have been interested in developing one or more buildings on their surplus land since that time.”
Rooker intends to develop the project through RP Perimeter West LLC.
Bufe said previously that Rooker was designing the site for a 650,000-square-foot building to meet the needs of a prospective tenant “if we find a customer that needs that size.”
In any event, the size will be between 400,000 and 650,000 square feet.
“We are doing all this on spec,” he said.
“We are open to a build-to-suit deal if we find one.”
The site is east of International Boulevard and south of the Jacksonville International Tradeport industrial park.
“It is a proven location for Class-A industrial. The Jacksonville International Tradeport has been a high-performing industrial park for many years, but it is fully built-out,” Bufe said.
Bufe said Rooker had no specific tenants.
Rooker has been active in Jacksonville. It developed Perimeter West at northeast I-295 and Pritchard Road.
“Our Jacksonville developments have worked well over the years,” Bufe said.