WEDNESDAY October 16, 2019
Public legal notices begin on page 3
jaxdailyrecord.com • 35 cents
Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
Nine companies selected to potentially buy JEA
Internet cafes issued cease and desist letters
Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
Department of Homeland Security helping the city shut down adult arcades.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
ing and wastewater services in 46 states and has 7,100 employees nationwide. Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Asset Inc. is an Australian-based global asset management company whose parent, the Macquarie Group Ltd., has offices in Riverplace Tower on the Downtown Southbank. In an interview with the Daily Record on Oct. 4 during a visit to the office, Macquarie Managing Director and CEO Shemara Wikramanayake said the company was interested in acquiring JEA. She said the company manages many utility assets, with more than 100 energy projects around the world, through its Green Investment Group. JEA’s power and water assets are “definitely something we would look at,” Wikramanayake said. Two of the bids came from financial asset management companies. IFM
Department of Homeland Security began assisting the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department on Monday to close Jacksonville’s internet cafes. City documents show inspectors visited 86 of the 173 previously known Jacksonville cafes — commonly called adult arcades — and issued 48 cease-anddesist letters by Tuesday afternoon. Some of the sites visited had closed while others now have a different use. According to city Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Stephanie Burch, all notices and initial stops at the arcades will be complete by Monday. The city has deemed simulated gambling devices used in the arcades to be a public nuisance. The cease-and-desist order gives the business five days from the date on the letter to stop using the machines or face a fine of up to $250 for each simulated gambling device in operation. The letter also states that the arcade properties “may be condemned or otherwise terminated as a public nuisance” should the business owners continue to use simulated gambling devices. In a 10-9 vote, City Council approved a bill Oct. 8 that calls for an immediate end to the use of simulated gambling devices by commercial businesses. Mayor Lenny Curry signed the bill into law Friday. It amends Ordinance 2019209-E approved in May that gave adult arcades until Feb. 1 to come into compliance.
SEE JEA, PAGE 2
SEE ARCADES, PAGE 2
JACKSONVILLE
Photo by Mike Mendenhall
From left, JEA Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer John McCarthy, JEA Chief Procurement Officer Jenny McCollum and the utility’s fivemember bid evaluation committee. The group met Monday at JEA headquarters.
Eight of the companies disclose their identities in possible purchase of the city-owned utility. BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
JEA procurement officials announced Monday that nine companies will move forward as the city-owned utility’s weighs a possible sale. Of the 16 replies received from JEA’s invitation to negotiate, 13 satisfied the mandatory bidding requirements. That list was pared to nine by a JEA evaluation team. Eight of the companies gave permission to disclose their identities, which was not required. They are: n American Public Infrastructure LLC.
n American Water Works Co. Inc. n Duke Energy Corp. n Emera Inc. n IFM Investors PTY Ltd. n JEA Public Power Partners — a con-
sortium of Bernhard Capital Partners, Emera Inc. and Suez SA. n Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Inc. n NextEra Energy Inc. ABOUT THE COMPANIES
NextEra owns Florida Power & Light Co., whose CEO confirmed interest in JEA assets in August. Emera is the parent company of TECO Peoples Gas. The JEA Public Partners consortium comprises Emera; Bernhard Capital Partners, a Baton Rouge, Louisianabased equity firm; and Suez, a French drinking and wastewater treatment service company. American Water Works operates drink-
Ascension St. Vincent’s files plans for Westside ER Ascension St. Vincent’s filed plans for its second free-standing emergency room in Jacksonville at Collins Town Center on the Westside. The 2.15-acre site is along Parramore Road at southwest Interstate 295 and Collins Road. Harmony Farms of Jacksonville LLC owns the land. It’s across the street from Costco. Plans call for a 13,446-square-foot building. There’s space for a patient and emergency vehicle drop-off. Ascension St. Vincent’s filed plans for an ER in Arlington on Sept. 24. Both facilities have the same square footage.
VOLUME 106, NO. 234 • ONE SECTION