WEDNESDAY September 30, 2020
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
THE MATHIS REPORT
Tim Baker’s companies targeted in JEA probe
Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
Hillwood reports prospect wants smaller space at Alliance Florida
Attorneys leading the city’s investigation produced a list of eight additional witnesses to interview before Dec. 31.
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BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
JACKSONVILLE
“Positive discussions with the prospect were ongoing,” developer says in its quarterly update to the city.
Hillwood, the developer of AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center, told the city Sept. 28 that it continues to work with a prospect that wants to lease a 270,000-square-foot build-to-suit facility at the West Jacksonville business park. The unidentified prospect initially wanted a 500,000-square-foot center when discussions began in March, according to Hillwood’s second-quarter activity report to the city covering April 1-June 30. As the city’s master developer at Cecil Commerce Center, Dallas-based Hillwood is required to file quarterly reports. “Hillwood received and responded to an RFP from the prospect, after which Hillwood and the prospect exchanged multiple proposals, including a reduction in the building’s size to approximately 270,000 square feet,” Hillwood wrote. “At the end of the reporting period, positive discussions with the prospect were ongoing.” The site is on Parcel F along POWMIA Memorial Parkway. Hillwood previously described the prospect as a distribution facility. Hillwood said it released civil, environmental, geotech and topographic consultants to prepare due-diligence reports in support of the potential
MORE HILLWOOD DEVELOPMENTS
AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center developer Hillwood also told the city that during the second quarter, it: ■ Received and responded to an initial inquiry from an unidentified prospect interested in leasing about 200,000 square feet of industrial space. Based on a list of preliminary requirements from the prospect, Hillwood prepared a conceptual site plan on Parcel P, which is at northeast Normandy Boulevard and POW-MIA Memorial Parkway. At the end of the
development. It also evaluated stormwater, wetland and title issues. The first-quarter report, released in June, followed Hillwood’s action in May to file civil engineering plans with the city to grade almost 63 acres for a 517,510-square-foot distribution warehouse on Parcel F. In those plans, Hillwood did not identify a user or tenant for the building, which was shown to be built in two phases. The property is at southwest POWMIA Memorial Parkway and Waterworks Street, next to the JinkoSolar solar-panel manufacturing plant. The city owns the land.
reporting period, discussions with the prospect were continuing. ■ Continued discussions, which started in February, with a prospect interested in 350,000 to 400,000 square feet of industrial space. At the end of the reporting period, Hillwood was expecting to soon receive a request for proposal from the prospect.
The project description said that along with the warehouse, there will be parking, truck storage and associated infrastructure. Hillwood won a competitive bid in 2009 to become the master developer of the 4,474-acre Cecil Commerce Center, which is a portion of the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field owned by the city. Hillwood Senior Vice President Dan Tatsch said he had no comment beyond the report. KMATHIS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
The City Council committee investigating JEA’s 2019 attempt to privatize voted Sept. 28 to seek subpoenas for companies linked to Mayor Lenny Curry’s former political consultant Tim Baker. The Council Special Investigatory Committee wants records from Baker’s consulting companies Bold City Strategic Partners and Data Targeting Research LLC. The political consultant refused to provide the records during sworn testimony earlier this month with Council’s special counsel Steve Busey. At issue is Baker Baker’s work for NextEra Energy Inc. subsidiary Florida Power & Light. NexEra offered to pay $11.05 billion for JEA in the city-owned utility’s canceled invitation to negotiate issued in August 2019. Busey wants to obtain communications and Bold City’s contract with FPL. Baker told Council investigators during his deposition the consulting contract was active from Dec. 21, 2017, through July 31, 2019. Baker gave a presentation during a July 10, 2019, off-site JEA senior leadership team meeting at The Club Continental in Orange Park. Plans were drafted there for the resolution that JEA’s board of directors would consider July 23, SEE JEA, PAGE 2
Patterson named UNF interim provost The University of North Florida named Karen Patterson interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs effective Oct. 1. Patterson will lead UNF’s academic affairs and oversee the university’s full-time faculty members and six colleges, according to a UNF news release. Patterson has been at UNF since 1999, most recently serving as the associate vice president for faculty development responsible for leading the Office of Faculty Enhancement. She also serves as co-chair of UNF’s Commission on Diversity & Inclusion.
VOLUME 107, NO. 223 • ONE SECTION