Daily Record Financial News &
Friday, August 14, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 195 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
White Oak, the more than 10,000-acre wildlife conservation center in far north Florida, wants to expand its golf course. White Oak Conservation Holdings LLC applied to the St. Johns River Water Management District on July 30 to expand an existing golf course by 18 holes. Its current nine-hole course, with 54 different teeing grounds, creates 27 distinct holes. White Oak, at whiteoakwildlife.org, says at 368 yards, its signature hole features three waterfalls. White Oak says it offers a full-length driving range, a
10,000-square-foot putting green and resident PGA professional. The course is open to the public by reservation of a tee-time and is also available for groups and corporate outings. It can be reserved for exclusive use by private groups, organizations and companies. Dunn & Associates Inc. is the
engineering consultant and Environmental Services Inc. is the environmental consultant. In addition to wildlife conservation, White Oak offers conference and meeting facilities along with tours and visits. White Oak is 30 miles north of Jacksonville on the banks of the St. Marys River in Nassau County. The Gilman family bought the property in 1938 and in 1982 established a program that has grown into one of the world’s leading wildlife conservation facilities. Mathis continued on Page A-2
Photo from whiteoakwildlife.org
White Oak files to expand golf course
White Oak Conservation Holdings wants to add 18 holes to its golf course in Nassau County.
New year, new start for budget opener
Welcome to Jacksonville. Want to buy a house?
Exit Real Estate Gallery will open a relocation center at the Jacksonville International Airport this month. The office will be one of the first things passengers will see after arriving in Jacksonville, said Exit co-owner Sonny Downey.
Photo by Carole Hawkins
By David Chapman Staff Writer
Exit Real Estate setting up shop at airport
By Carole Hawkins Staff Writer What’s the best place in Northeast Florida to open a new real estate office? St. Johns? Nocatee? Fleming Island? OakLeaf? Exit Real Estate Gallery picked the airport. A place 10,000 people walk through every day. The company expects by the end of August to open a 400-square-foot relocation center in Jacksonville International Airport’s main atrium. The hope is to snag the business of relocating executives and time-starved military
Public
transfers. Buyers on their first steps into the city. Sellers as they travel out of town to check out their new communities. “We’re going to be in front of the people that are already relocating from the Downey get-go,” said Sonny Downey, Exit’s vice president of Development and Growth. “We’ll be able to engage from the moment they land and show them, not just one community, but all of the
legal notices begin on page
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options in Northeast Florida.” Jay Cunio, director of business development for the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, said airport officials are excited to have the company in the terminal. “We think it’s an opportunity for Exit to provide another amenity to the traveling public,” he said. “A lot of folks come through the airport are people who are relocating.” Located next to the Latitude 360 lounge, Exit’s newest location will be one of the first storefronts seen by passengers arriving at the airport. The centerpiece will be a shopping kiosk, Exit
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What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, the City Council Finance Committee on its first day of budget hearings stared at a nearly $20 million hole. After Thursday, the first day of hearings for fiscal 2015-16, the group is up almost $1 million. Last year, members didn’t like revenue projections Mayor Alvin Brown’s team proposed. They didn’t like $37 million in reserves being used as a balancing tool. Wholesale cuts to Brown’s proposed investments followed. Now, the different vibe already is apparent. Bill Gulliford, the veteran chair of the committee, chalks the difference up to trust. “From the very outset last year and the years before, it was bad,” he said, “because we knew we were being had. They didn’t give us a balanced budget and consequently, we just felt victimized from the very start … and that doesn’t make for good relationships or a good process.” Revenue this year Williams was mostly accepted. There weren’t any wholesale cuts, because there was no funding crater to climb. The differences stretched beyond the working relationship between the committee and mayoral administration. In years past, Sheriff John Rutherford had vehemently pushed for more funding. Last year, Rutherford wanted 40 police officers and 40 community service officers added. Yet, with the upward funding climb the committee had, Rutherford was resigned it wasn’t to be. He blamed Brown for not providing the funding source, a disconnect that grew over the coming months. This year, new Sheriff Mike Williams never raised his voice like his predecessor felt he had to at times. Williams didn’t have to. Curry’s budget has money for an additional 25 officers and 40 community service Council continued on Page A-4
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