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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
THE MATHIS REPORT
904 Tacos coming to Five Points
Daily Record
Exchange at Jacksonville no longer under contract
JACKSONVILLE
Owners plan to serve authentic Mexican food with a full bar in former Derby House Diner space.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
BY KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER
JACKSONVILLE
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Developer Jeff Fuqua announced plans in March 2019 for the Exchange at Jacksonville. The project was designed for up to 350,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, 650 to 700 multifamily units, two hotels and a 60,000-square-foot office structure.
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Atlanta-developer Jeff Fuqua’s mixed-use project stalled, but residential property at the Southeast Quadrant is expected to sell by year-end.
The proposed Exchange at Jacksonville mixed-use retail project near St. Johns Town Center apparently won’t be developed, at least anytime soon. Property owner representative A.C. “Chip” Skinner III said Aug. 3 the property is no longer under contract to Atlanta-based developer Jeff Fuqua. “As you can imagine, the retail, Fuqua has been delayed indefinitely,” he said. Asked whether Fuqua still had the property under contract, Skinner said: “No, they do not.” He said the contract expired. Fuqua, who introduced the project in March 2019 at the International Council of Shopping Centers North Florida Idea Exchange in Jacksonville, has not responded to calls, texts or emails seeking comment. Fuqua expected to buy the land early this year from the Skinner family. The
67-acre site is within the family’s 1,063 acres at southeast Butler Boulevard and Interstate 295. The location is opposite St. Johns Fuqua Town Center, which was developed on former Skinner land at northwest Butler and I-295. Skinner said most of the single-family residential property in the Southeast Quadrant is under contract and is expected to close before year-end. On March 28, 2019, Fuqua, principal of Fuqua Development, unveiled plans for his proposed $300 million mixeduse project called the Exchange at Jacksonville. Plans included retail, entertainment, SEE MATHIS, PAGE 2
The former Derby House Diner in Five Points, vacant since October, has a new tenant. 904 Tacos plans to open at 1068 Park St. in the next month and a half. Jesus and Blanca Valencia are the owners. They also own 14 Salsas Mexican Restaurant and Anejo Cocina Mexicana locations. Blanca Valencia said 904 Tacos will serve authentic Mexican food with a full bar. The menu will offer street tacos, a specialty barbacoa taco, tortas, gorditas, homemade horchata, and bottled Mexican sodas. It will be open for lunch and dinner. While the hours haven’t been finalized, Valencia said they plan to be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and close later on the weekends – possibly at midnight or 1 a.m. Margaritas, Mexican beer and other cocktails will be served. “We really wanted to put an authentic Mexican concept somewhere,” Valencia said. The couple drove by the space for rent and decided it was the right location and size for their plans, she said. They will lease about 2,000 square feet from 1068 Park Street LLC. “We didn’t want to open a huge restaurant,” she said. It will have 15 to 20 employees. The Valencias have been in the restaurant business for around 15 years, she said. While the restaurants are related, 904 Tacos is “completely different” from Anejo and Salsas Mexican Restaurant, Valencia said.
KGARWOOD@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Last Jacksonville Pei Wei closes Pei Wei Asian Kitchen closed its final Jacksonville location in The Markets at Town Center. The restaurant’s signs were taken down from its building at 4849 Town Center Parkway as of Aug. 3. It is not clear when the restaurant closed. According to signs on the door, an Aug. 9 auction is planned for the contents of the building. Luman Beasley Auctioneers Inc. will manage the auction. Pei Wei opened in The Markets at Town Center in 2012. It later added locations in Mandarin and Bartram Park, but both have closed.
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