WEDNESDAY September 9, 2020
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
DEVELOPMENT
Venus plans West Coast warehouse
Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
Preston Hollow Capital taking control of The District
The company will keep its Jacksonville distribution center open, but it is laying off some of its workers.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
BY MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JACKSONVILLE
File images
An artist’s rendering of The District on the Downtown Southbank. Plans for the mixed-use development include retail and office space, a marina, green spaces, residences and a hotel.
Co-developers Peter Rummell and Michael Munz will remain involved to provide “support, counsel and development expertise.” BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
Dallas-based Preston Hollow Capital LLC is assuming control of The District, the $600 million, mixed-use project on the Downtown Southbank. Michael Munz, co-lead of Elements Development of Jacksonville LLC, which led the proposed development since 2014, said in a statement Sept. 4 that Preston Hollow will assume the rights and responsibilities for The District under Elements’ redevelopment agreement with the city and Downtown Investment Authority. The announcement comes as Elements approached an Oct. 1 deadline set by DIA CEO Lori Boyer and city attorneys to close on revenue bonds needed to break ground on the project and meet the progress benchmarks in its development agreement. SEE THE DISTRICT, PAGE 2
Above: The District sits on about 30 acres that previously was JEA’s Southside Generating Station. The plant was decommissioned in 2001 and demolished. Left: The District developers Michael Munz and Peter Rummell say they will remain involved in the project as consultants to Preston Hollow Capital.
Venus Fashion Inc. said Sept. 4 it is laying off 120 workers at its North Jacksonville fulfillment center as part of a plan to open a second distribution center on the West Coast. Venus said in a news release it will continue to operate its Jacksonville center at 1 Imeson Park Blvd. but with the opening of a second facility, it expects a smaller business volume to run through the Jacksonville center, so it is laying off some employees. The swimwear and woman’s apparel company is headquartered at 11711 Marco Beach Drive in the EastPark business park on Jacksonville’s Southside. Venus sent a letter to state officials Aug. 10 under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act saying it would lay off 120 people no earlier than Oct. 10. In its news release, Venus said workers will receive a 30-day notice once the layoff date is determined. Affected workers will be offered severance and an opportunity to apply for other positions with the company. The company said it has 550 employees outside of its Jacksonville warehouse. Venus said it is working with a partner to open the second distribution center on the West Coast. It expects the additional facility to improve customer service and efficiency of its supply chain. Venus, founded in 1984, has annual sales of about $300 million. It is a subsidiary of the Otto Group, a Germany-based company which acquired Venus in 2009.
MBASCH@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
Tepeyolot Cerveceria owner opens food truck With his sights set on an October opening for the Tepeyolot Cerveceria brewpub, owner Luis Melgarejo already is cooking up Mexican street food in front of the building as walls go up inside. Melgarejo opened the Tepeyolot Cerveceria food truck Aug. 24. He said he likely will keep food operations in the truck once the brewery opens. Melgarejo said buying a food truck instead of installing a full kitchen will save $10,000 to $20,000. The truck is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday in front of the building at 2136 Kings Avenue in San Marco. More at JaxDailyRecord.com
VOLUME 107, NO. 208 • ONE SECTION