Daily Record Financial News &
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Vol. 103, No. 028 • Three Sections
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Changes for public service grants Proposal takes City Council out of spending decisions
Pei Wei, Chipotle adding locations
Pei Wei Fresh Kitchen and Chipotle Mexican Grill intend to open in Bartram Village, while Chipotle also is shown on site plans at Pablo Plaza in Jacksonville Beach. Bartram Village is at southwest Interstate 95 and Old St. Augustine Road in south Jacksonville. Neither company responded to requests for comments Tuesday. Chipotle currently is making news because of E. coli outbreaks linked to its restaurants in nine states. None has been reported in Florida. Founder and Chairman Steve Ells said in a letter on the chipotle.com site the company is confident it can reach near-zero risk with a food-safety program that “began with a farm-to-fork risk assessment of every ingredient and all of our restaurant protocols and procedures.” Bartram Village Retail LLC is developing three retail buildings within the shopping center that are expected to be completed by April. Pei Wei and Chipotle will open in those by the time the structures are completed. Pei Wei, which also operates a restaurant at The Markets at Town Center, intends to lease space at 12553 Bartram Park Blvd., No. 304. A pending building permit shows a $375,000 build-out of 3,280 square feet of space, plus outdoor patio seating. L.D. Reeves & Associates Inc. is the contractor. Studio K2 Architecture of Denver is the architect. Chipotle will lease 2,625 square feet in the 100 building, a structure along Old St. Augustine Road. Bartram Village Retail LLC is led by Leonard “Buzzy” Grunthal and William Mathis
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made. A council subcommittee studying the public service grant process recently wrapped its review, hitting a deadline set for the end of the year. Four months’ worth of work will be incorporated into a bill to be filed in January that could reform and alleviate many of those concerns. Crescimbeni said possibly the biggest change is a shift in timeline. Currently, the mayor selects and council confirms amounts
nonprofits receive each budget cycle. Decisions largely are made with the help of the Public Service Grant Council, which grade applications for priority populations like the homeless, lowincome families and the elderly. However, that setup left room for changes, Crescimbeni said. Organizations that didn’t receive funding often would lobby council members to make changes during the budget process. Grants continued on Page A-4
Brosche
Law firm paying for Hemming recycling
Downtown Christmas tradition
By Max Marbut Staff Writer Inspired after watching people toss cans and bottles into trash cans at Hemming Park, two local attorneys have signed up to sponsor Downtown’s first public recycling program. Diana Johnson and Michael Lufrano of Johnson & Lufrano P.A. attended the park’s Thursday evening beer garden and other events at Hemming and wondered why recycling wasn’t an option. “Our law firm is Downtown and we’re passionate about making it a better place. We decided there’s no reason we can’t recycle,” said Lufrano. After a meeting with Friends of Hemming Park, the nonprofit contracted by the city to manage the one square block of public space, the law partners agreed to sponsor installation of collection containers and weekly pickups by Republic Services. After Jan. 1, four bright blue receptacles will be placed around the park to collect empty bottles and cans. “There are more events all the time and more people are coming to the park. It’s a small investment and every little bit we can do makes Jacksonville better,” Lufrano said. People who live Downtown have been recycling for years. Recycling
Two Downtown icons: Roy Thomas, owner of Jacobs Jewelers and the Christmas tree that each year is placed at the front door of the store that’s been part of Downtown retail since 1890. See what’s in his workspace on Page A-7.
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There has been consistent outcry over the years about the city’s public service grants program. In scarce budget times, there’s been limited funding for nonprofits seeking to provide services. More so than funding, though, there’s been criticism with how the dollars have been awarded. City Council member Anna Lopez Brosche has heard it dur-
ing her first six months in office. Criticism of a lack of transparency and a flawed system. “You can’t trust the process,” she recalls being told. “You kind of hoped and just crossed your fingers.” Council member John Crescimbeni has seen the flaws over the years — a problem that’s grown so big it’s almost been a deterrent to tackle. There have been attempts in the past, but now both council members think progress has been
Photo by Max Marbut
By David Chapman Staff Writer
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Law partners Diana Johnson and Michael Lufrano beginning in January will sponsor a bottle and can recycling program at Hemming Park.
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