Daily Record Financial News &
Friday, November 13, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 260 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Black Sheep plans Downtown site Restaurant previously announced kiosk in Hemming Park
By Max Marbut Staff Writer The owners of Black Sheep restaurant near Five Points announced in October plans to construct a food kiosk in Hemming Park. Today, the Downtown Investment Authority will discuss the restaurant’s application for a $102,000 Retail Enhancement Grant to establish a casual ver-
sion of the popular upscale Riverside eatery in the former Midtown Deli at 100 N. Laura St. The five-year forgivable loan would be used to defray a portion of the $686,000 development cost for the 5,000-square-foot space — $375,000 to be borne by the restaurant group and the balance to be covered by the landlord, Farah & Farah. The scope of the project includes interior demolition and
plumbing, electrical, HVAC and exterior improvements. According to the application, lunch and dinner will be served Monday through Friday with a menu of $9 or more items, such as sandwiches and salads. Dinner service will offer a combination of lunch items and lower-priced entrees intended to appeal to the evening demographic. Eventually, brunch will be served on Saturday and Sunday,
primarily catering to local residents, the application says. Full bar service and a private dining room seating up to 45 are shown on the design documents. The owners anticipate sales of $1.04 million in the first year of operation. The application indicates 22 full-time positions will be created initially and up to 40 full-time positions will be in place when the schedule expands to seven days a week within one
year of opening. The loan would be subject to the restaurant being open within one year of the agreement with the authority. It must be secured by a personal guarantee from the tenant to protect the city’s investment in the event of a default under the program or funding agreement. mmarbut@jaxdailyrecord.com (904) 356-2466
Advocates ready for Round 2 of HRO Halverson believes ‘nation has changed’
JEA employee John Brown charging his Nissan Leaf plug-in electric vehicle at the utility’s charging station Downtown along Church Street.
Trading the pump for electric plug
Area’s top choices
Chevrolet Volt
JEA paying rebates to electric car buyers By Max Marbut Staff Writer Picture this: You lease or purchase a new or used vehicle, fill out a form, mail it in and get a rebate up to $1,000 from an oil company if you’ll buy their gasoline. Never happen. However, if you’re a JEA electric service customer who purchases a plug-in electric vehicle, the utility will give you a cash rebate up to $1,000 through its Drive Clean program. Since the program began in September 2014, 49 rebates have been approved: Five $500 rebates for vehicles with batteries of less than 15 kilowatt hours capacity; 45
Public
rebates have been issued for vehicles with capacity more than than 15 kilowatt hours, which have greater driving range than vehicles with the smaller batteries. Rebates are offered to encourage more people to switch from gasoline or diesel vehicles to electric, which yields a reduction in carbon emissions, said Dan Copeland, JEA customer solutions field representative. Also, since most owners recharge at home when they are through using their vehicle for the day, they buy the power during lower demand times. “It’s nice to fill in the off-peak voids. It gives us better asset utilization in the middle of the night,” said Copeland. Electric continued on Page A-3
legal notices begin on page
A-9
Tesla Model S
Photo by Max Marbut
By David Chapman Staff Writer It’s been a long three years for advocates of a Human Rights Ordinance. In 2012, frenzied supporters and opponents flocked to City Hall. City Council members heard stories of discrimination and heartache from supporters. They also heard from opponents that passing such a measure would hurt small business and, in religious terms, was morally wrong. The issue narrowly failed, leaving advocates longing. Three years also brings new hope. There’s a new wave of decision-makers. Eleven of 19 council members are fresh faces, many of whom pledged support for the issue during the campaign. And there’s a mayor ready to take charge on the issue. Round 2 starts Tuesday, with Halverson the first of Mayor Lenny Curry’s “community conversations.” “I think the nation has changed,” said Steve Halverson, Haskell Co. president and CEO and longtime civic leader. “It’s sharply evolved.” In 2012, he said, the idea of adding anti-discrimination language to protect the LBGT community was seen as a trend. Today, it’s a decisive direction the country is taking. Polls from the University of North Florida over the past two years have shown an increase in support locally, as well. Halverson hasn’t changed his opinion in the three years since the issue last took to the forefront. From a business perspective, being inclusive and tolerant attracts talent and investment. “It’s not that Jacksonville is a bad place
Nissan Leaf
Published
HRO
for
26,790
continued on
Page A-4
consecutive weekdays