Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 189 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
St. Vincent’s invests $26M in centers
St. Vincent’s HealthCare will debut new-concept health centers next year in Mandarin, North Jacksonville and St. Johns County, totaling an initial investment of almost $26 million. The centers will provide essential services, including urgent care, primary care, imaging, lab services and specialty care in one location. Mandarin will be the first to open in the first quarter in a redeveloped former Walgreens store at 10503 San Jose Blvd., north of Interstate 295. Realco Recycling Co. Inc. is preparing to demolish the interior of
the 14,587-square-foot structure to create space for a new floor plan for St. Vincent’s. The hospital said that leased location will be 20,000 square feet. The St. Johns County center, along County Road 210 on land St. Vincent’s purchased west of I-95, should open in summer 2017. The North Jacksonville center will open in late 2017, although the location and opening date have not been determined. The centers’ developments are estimated at $8.5 million each. St. Vincent’s said the initial locations were chosen based on
an analysis of where services are most needed. “Our goal is to optimize access, quality, convenience and value while responsibly reducing health care costs for those we serve,” said David Meyer, chief strategy and marketing officer for St. Vincent’s HealthCare, in a news release. St. Vincent’s is part of Ascen-
sion, considered the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system. It includes St. Vincent’s Medical Center Riverside, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Southside, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Clay County and St. Catherine Laboure Manor, among other services that include primary care and urgent care centers, labs, imaging centers and pharmacies.
Tijuana Flats wants to open in Mandarin South
Tijuana Flats likely will join Earth Fare and PetSmart at the
Mandarin South Shopping Center. Chief Marketing Officer Monique Yeager said Wednesday the restaurant chain was “almost there” in lease negotiations at the 11700 San Jose Blvd. shopping center. PetSmart has said it will open there in fall 2017. Earth Fare, shown on plans next to PetSmart, said it would announce more details later. Property owner PGP Jacksonville LLC, part of Books-A-Million Inc., has applied for a siteclearing permit at the property. Mathis continued on Page A-2
Boutique wants to be Downtown trailblazer Former Underbelly partner brings Wolf & Cub to core
Photo by Fran Ruchalski
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
Trump rallies supporters at Veterans Memorial Arena Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke to more than 10,000 people at a rally at Veterans Memorial Arena on Wednesday night, while several dozen people protested outside. He shared familiar criticisms about his opponent, Hillary Clinton, and President Barack Obama. Trump did say something positive about the Jacksonville Jaguars: “I hear good things.” See more photos from the rally on Page A-4.
Selling merits, faults of pension sales tax Radio show host, city officials showcase pros and cons
By David Chapman Staff Writer
While thousands flocked Downtown to see a presidential hopeful rallying support for his November election, a decidedly more intimate group wasn’t far away being rallied on the pros and cons about an issue voters will decide this month. Even with Donald Trump in town, the selling of Mayor Lenny Curry’s pension plan went on, the latest stop being a group that isn’t exactly the Republican nominee’s base. About two dozen people attended the Jacksonville Young Democrats meeting Wednesday evening to hear why they should — or maybe why they shouldn’t —
Public
vote to implement a half-cent sales tax to pay down the city’s massive pension debt, but also why they shouldn’t. “It’s not the way to do business,” said Andy Johnson, a local radio show host and former state representative. Johnson, a Democrat, was referring to dedicating what essentially will be an extension of the Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax to pay down $2.8 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. The situation is not an emergency, he said, because the revenue wouldn’t arrive for years. Furthermore, money shouldn’t be locked in for pension or any other governmental purpose, he said. Johnson had other reasons he said people shouldn’t support the initiative. It’s
legal notices begin on page
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illegal as written on the ballot, which is the subject of a lawsuit. The last half-cent sales tax didn’t deliver on promises for certain communities. But maybe the most prevalent was Johnson’s labeling the tax as regressive. Kerri Stewart, Curry’s chief of staff, says throughout the time selling the pension solution, the “regressive” description is a constant one she tries to dispel. She began the latest pitch by laying out the city’s financial situation before hitting the plan’s highlights. A recent report showed the city could save as much as $68 million in the next couple of budgets, but at the cost of spending millions more later as the length of Pension continued on Page A-3
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Shopping for clothing and accessories is back in the urban core and so is Emily Moody. A former partner in the Underbelly nightclub that opened on East Bay Street in 2012, she has opened Wolf & Cub, a boutique at 205 N. Laura St. in the historic Elks Building. “We want to be a place Downtown where people can grab a gift or a quick change of clothes for after work,” said Moody. She describes the store as having a “finely curated” selection of clothing and accessories, including vintage, that are “independently produced products.” The “curated part” is due to the care Moody takes in selecting merchandise. “It’s not a second- Moody hand store. We go through all the junk to get to the good stuff,” she said. The independently produced part is about carrying items that are made locally, including Moody’s own line that she designs and fabricates. That’s what led her back Downtown. After she and her partner in Underbelly parted ways, Moody joined the traditional workforce as the public programming manager at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. Moody didn’t stop creating jewelry, though. She began setting up a booth at Jaxsons Night Market in Hemming Park, but found setting up a booth to sell her creations for four hours a month wasn’t enough exposure to connect with customers. “And it was a lot of schlepping,” she said. Wolf continued on Page A-3
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