Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 199 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Curry sought Bishop’s resignation Request is second time the mayor wanted appointees who backed opponents to leave By David Chapman Staff Writer For the second time this month, Mayor Lenny Curry has forced the resignation of an independent board member who supported his opponents. The latest came this week with Melody Bishop’s resignation from the Downtown Investment Authority board. Bishop is the wife of former City Council member and mayoral can-
Bishop
didate Bill Bishop. After finishing third in the first election, Bill Bishop supported former Mayor Alvin Brown in the race against Curry. Melody Bishop was one of four original DIA board members still serving, with a term set to expire June 30, 2018. Earlier this month, the administration called for Ernest Isaac’s resignation from the Jacksonville Aviation Authority board. Isaac appeared in campaign commercials for Brown, whom Curry defeated
in May. The two are the only resignations that have been sought by the administration, according to Curry spokesman, Bill Spann. Bishop said she initially considered that politics played a role in Curry’s decision, but later thought otherwise. “That would be silly,” she said. “He doesn’t seem like the vindictive type.” Isaac said he didn’t want to speculate whether politics drove
Curry’s decision to ask for his resignation. He said he wanted to finish his term, set to expire Sept. 30, 2017. “Obviously, that wasn’t the way it worked out,” Isaac said. He said he believed Curry wanted people who shared his vision to serve on such boards, but never had the opportunity to meet to discuss his own. Still, he said he supports Curry. “He’s my mayor,” said Isaac, DIA continued on Page A-2
Cornering the market
College football, hoops and curling
Grants awarded to bring events to town Jacksonville’s reputation as a destination for marquee sports events will grow in 2016, with a high-profile college football game, a major conference basketball tournament and the national championship of a sport that’s not associated with Florida. The Duval County Tourist Development Council approved a $125,000 grant for the Navy vs. Notre Dame football game scheduled Nov. 5, 2016. The amount was half of the $250,000 sought by Gator Bowl Sports Events to supplement the payouts to the teams. The remaining $125,000 will be considered later. The game is expected to attract as many as 25,000 Notre Dame fans and 15,000 Navy fans from outside Duval County, said Jacksonville Sports Council CEO Rick Catlett. The game will be played the Saturday after the Florida vs. Georgia game and at the beginning of the city’s annual Week of Valor that each November salutes the armed forces. The council approved a $100,000 grant for marketing and a portion of the venue rental for the Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament March 1-6 at Veterans Memorial Arena. Sports council Executive Director Alan Verlander said 14 teams, plus school officials and fans, are expected to book as many as 8,000 hotel room nights for the tournament, scheduled March 1-6. The event also will contribute to the council’s work toward more gender diversity in sports. This is the first time the tournament has been in Jacksonville, Verlander said. “It’s time, as a city, that we focus on great women’s sports events,” he said. The tournament will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and the SEC Network. The USA Curling National Championship, scheduled Feb. 6-13 at the arena, received a $15,000 grant to offset the cost of renting the venue. Curling is a sport in which competitors slide 42-pound granite stones across a TDC
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Photo by Carole Hawkins
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
D.R. Horton’s Express Homes forgo granite countertops and tile floors in exchange for Formica, basic carpet and vinyl. “There aren’t any upgrades, but the homes are still really beautiful,” said Rachael Ridaught of Re/Max Unlimited. The strategy brings the price as low as $125,000 to entry-level buyers in Jacksonville.
D.R. Horton leads way with Express line
By Carole Hawkins Staff Writer Brandi Thibeault was ready to buy a home, but she and her husband couldn’t find one they wanted. They hoped to stay near Green Cove Springs and at a price range they were accustomed to as renters — about $1,000 a month. That translated to a $150,000-$160,000 home, hopefully one with four bedrooms, to accommodate their four young children. They found foreclosures. Nice on the outside, run down on the inside and needing repairs. There were new homes in the Branan Field area that fit their needs, but they cost more than $200,000. The family landed in Magnolia West, an Express Homes community by D.R.
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“We really like it. It’s definitely a good option for an entrylevel buyer.” Brandi Thibeault Horton. Their four-bedroom, two-bathroom house has a washer, dryer, refrigerator and a range, all brand new and with warrantees. Total cost: $163,000. “We really like it,” Thibeault said. “It’s
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definitely a good option for an entry-level buyer.” At a time when homebuilders have been reluctant to dip their collective toe back into entry-level product, D.R. Horton is proving the market is there. The nation’s largest homebuilder tripled sales of its entry-level Express Homes yearover-year during the quarter that ended March 31. The “no-frills” homes forgo granite countertops and tile floors in exchange for Formica, basic carpet and vinyl. Prices locally start at $125,000 for a 1,540-squarefoot home.
Targeting millenials
Nationally, about 2,000 Express Homes sold in the quarter. The line is now 18
26,731
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consecutive weekdays