Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 114 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Why Delaney broke his own rule Curry first mayoral candidate he’s backed in 12 years
Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney, right, endorsed candidate Lenny Curry in the race against Mayor Alvin Brown.
Photo by David Chapman
By Marilyn Young Editor Susie Wiles knows John Delaney well. Their decades-long relationship includes her working for the former mayor at City Hall and with him on countless issues and causes over time. Even then, Delaney can surprise her sometimes. She and others had been talking to Delaney for a while about endorsing Lenny Curry in his campaign against Mayor Alvin Brown. But Wiles didn’t hold out much
hope it would happen, that the man she calls a Jacksonville patriot would break his 12-year policy of not endorsing a mayoral candidate. So, when Delaney told her Friday he would publicly support Curry, it was a bit of a surprise. “Honestly, I didn’t think he would,” Wiles said. “But the more he looked at the situation, the more he felt compelled to do it.” Wednesday morning, Delaney and Curry stood side-by-side on the Southbank Riverwalk as the popular former mayor made it known Curry was his choice to
lead Jacksonville. Delaney said City Hall and its finances were in “absolute shambles.” He called Brown’s budgets ”as mythical as a fairy tale.” He chastised the mayor for lack of movement on pension reform, the port and UF Health Jacksonville. And he bemoaned Brown’s proposals to cut hundreds of police officers at a time when the city’s murder and violent crime rate were soaring. As Delaney touted Curry’s enthusiasm and plans for the city, the two were flanked by Delaney... Continued on Page A-4
Fanatics seeking $1.4M in incentives
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor Jacksonville-based Fanatics Inc. wants to add 80 IT and marketing jobs, and seeks $1.4 million in city and state incentives to add those positions and expand in its headquarters city. Those incentives would consist of $348,000 million in city grants and $1.07 million in state funds, including a $3,000 tax refund and a Quick Response Training Grant of $1,800 for each new employee and $1,000 each for 200 retained employees. Fanatics, an online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise and collectibles, wants to determine where it’s best to establish its headquarters and fulfillment center, according to a city project summary. Even though the 20-year-old company considers Jacksonville a “legacy location,” it foresees a challenge to recruit the needed IT and digital marketing talent from the Jacksonville labor pool. Fanatics recently opened a mobile applications office in California as a result of the “dearth of IT talent” in the Jacksonville metropolitan statistical area, said the summary. The summary says the expansion project would help preserve Fanatics’ 900 existing jobs, which include IT professionals, call center representatives, product designers and manufacturers, and warehouse workers. The new jobs would pay an average wage of $85,800. Fanatics also would invest $10 million in two leased Southside office locations — its existing operations at 6800 Southpoint Parkway, where it operates a call center, and a new location at 8100 Nations Way. Fanatics has two other locations in West Jacksonville. Fanatics would move its headquarters Fanatics... Continued
Public
on
Page A-2
Choosing the Landing’ s designer
Special to the Daily Record
Company wants to stay, expand
Two companies tie as top candidates for Downtown project. Read about what’s next in a story on Page A-3. Cooper Carry Inc., in association with Civitas Score: 124 Inside the portfolio: RiverPlace, Greenville, S.C. Cooper Carry provided master planning, architecture and landscape architecture for the mixed-use development that’s next to the Reedy River in Greenville. Civitas, based in Denver, is a landscape and architectural firm that specializes in public-oriented design and a focus in waterfront design.
Wakefield Beasley & Associates, in association with Urban Design Associates Score: 124 Inside the portfolio: St. Johns Town Center Wakefield Beasley provided master planning and architectural design services for the local shopping and dining destination. Urban Design, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is known for its urban infill and waterfront using green design, mixed-use and parks and open spaces.
Gordon confirmed (again) for DVI post By Max Marbut Staff Writer Jacob Gordon was confirmed Wednesday as the second executive director of Downtown Vision, for the second time. The former executive director of the Business Improvement District in Camden, N.J., was the unanimous choice among four finalists for the $115,000-a-year job. He will succeed Terry Lorince, the Downtown advocacy organization’s executive director since it was established in 2001. “The interview process was me telling them what I thought. Now, I can meet
legal notices begin on page
A-11
the board members individually and find out what they want,” he said Wednesday afternoon. His first day on the job is scheduled May 11. The selection committee agreed that Gordon’s more than eight years of experience managing a district similar to Jacksonville’s made him the clear choice among the candidates. “He has a deep body of work around what we want done here,” said Debbie Buckland, DVI board chair. A dissimilarity between Jacksonville and Camden is that property owners in Camden make voluntary contributions
Published
for
to create the BID’s $1.3 million annual operating budget. In Jacksonville, property owners within the 90-block district are assessed an additional 1.1 mills of property taxes to support DVI’s $1.3 million budget. Gordon said not having to raise funds every year Gordon will allow him more time to “get things done,” but the difference in the mechanism for contribution doesn’t change his or DVI’s responsibilities. DVI... Continued on Page A-2
26,641
consecutive weekdays