Daily Record Financial News &
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 207 • One Section
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Steele Creek complex a $28M project
Permit applications were filed for the 300-unit Steele Creek apartments in Southside at 8599 A.C. Skinner Parkway. LandSouth Construction Co. of Ponte Vedra Beach is the contractor for the project, which is shown at a construction cost of $28 million. AC Packer West LLC, led by Joseph Eckstein, will develop Steele Creek on 14.76 acres next to The Loree apartments, which Eckstein’s group also is developing. AC Packer CFO Scott Gay said site work began last week and the
project should be completed in 18-20 months. The city approved site clearing in June. Gay described the architectural inspiration as a revival of influences of industrial Northern Florida and Southern Georgia from the 1950s through the 1970s. He said the project and its design team won the 2015 Design Excellence Award from the First Coast Chapter of the Florida Planning and Zoning Association. The project will include six four-story apartment buildings, seven parking garages, a clubhouse, maintenance building/car
wash, fitness center and pool. Gay said the four-story buildings will have elevators. Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. is the design consultant and engineer while Charlan, Brock & Associates Inc. of Maitland is the architect. Dix.Hite + Partners Inc. of Longwood is the landscape architect.
Units comprise 171 one-bedroom, 111 two-bedroom and 18 three-bedroom apartments. Gay said the average unit size will be 1,000 square feet, ranging from 798 to 1,380 square feet. Rents have not been determined.
Ravella apartments apply for construction
The Strand at Town Center could soon see construction start on 263 units of the Ravella at Town Center apartment community. Permit applications were filed
last week for five four-story apartment structures totaling a construction cost of $22.1 million. No contractor is specified. Houston-based Stanmore Partners intends to buy about 6 acres at the northern end of The Strand to develop the 305-unit Ravella at Town Center apartments at 4674 Town Center Parkway. Stanmore previously applied for a permit to build a seventier parking garage for the apartments. A contractor was not specified for that $6.5 million project, either. Mathis continued on Page A-2
Randrr expanding HQ on the Southside
A new weapon in the sky
City may buy $800,000 used helicopter for mosquito fight By Max Marbut Staff Writer
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
Look up in the sky: It might be a bird, it might be a plane. Or, if City Council approves a proposed $800,000 purchase, it might be an addition to the war against mosquitoes in Duval County. A bill is being considered to approve the purchase of a helicopter to add more spraying capability. The Mosquito Control Division currently operates two piston-engine helicopters — one is 22 years old and the other is 42 years old — to kill mosquitoes in the 850-squaremile county. The city proposes using about $490,000 in funds designated by the Risk Management Department to purchase a preowned MD500 turbine helicopter to replace the older aircraft. The remaining funds — about $310,000 — would come from a non-departmental line item balance in the 2015-16 budget. According to a report prepared for the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee, in addition to purchasing the helicopter, a city pilot will be trained and certified to fly the turbine helicopter at an estimated cost of $10,000. He will train other pilots to fly the new aircraft. A pesticide-spraying system will be installed for about $54,500. In addition, about $48,000 for repair and maintenance supplies and $10,000 for fuel will bring the total cost of the new helicopter to about $922,000. The average annual maintenance and operations cost of the existing helicopters is about $37,000. The report recommended keeping the older helicopters to supplement inspection and spraying operations, thus
Randrr, which Gov. Rick Scott announced in June would create up to 200 software development jobs in Jacksonville by 2018, is preparing to expand its presence at Lakeside Two in Flagler Center. The company will move into about 13,000 square feet in November on the fourth floor and expand after that. Its interim office is on the first floor. “As we grow, we will take on more space to support our growth,” randrr CEO Terry Terhark said Monday. He said the company can accommodate up to 65 people in the initial space. “Assuming that we grow to 200 staff in the near term, we could see taking on significantly more space,” Terhark said. Scott said the randrr digital platform would add $9 million in capital investment. In June, the company employed 15 people and planned to add up to 50 employees by the end of this year at its interim offices in Flagler Center. Terhark said Monday the company has grown to about 30 Terhark technical employees and is steadily hiring, mostly technical staff such as software engineers, product professionals and big-data professionals. He said the company is having “great success” finding and hiring qualified employees. Terhark said the company was working with the professional community, universities, local government and economic development groups. He said the company will not seek taxpayer incentives. To prepare for the November move, Dav-Lin Interior Contractors Inc. will build-out 12,235 square feet for randrr at 12740 Gran Bay Parkway W., No. 400. The project cost is shown on a permit application at $184,068. Plans show open office areas, two large conference rooms, a collaboration area, two breakout rooms, a break and gathering area and other functions. Drawings indicate space for more than 50 employees in the open areas. Randrr continued on Page A-4
Public
Special to the Daily Record
The city is considering purchasing a pre-owned MD500 turbine helicopter to add to the Mosquito Control Division squadron.
The Mosquito Control Division currently flies two of these Schweizer 300 helicopters to spray insecticide. One was purchased in 1974, the other in 1994. reducing time on the turbine helicopter’s components. It noted the city might choose to continue to operate only one of the current helicopters, reducing operations cost and allowing the oldest aircraft to be used for parts, since selling it would result in marginal one-time revenue. The city also maintains the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
legal notices begin on page
A-9
Air Unit. It comprises six helicopters, ranging in age from 12-46 years. The unit is supported by eight pilots, three maintenance personnel and a unit commander, said spokeswoman Lauri-Ellen Smith. The police choppers are used for routine air patrol and to support activities on the ground, such as traffic management, searches and rescues.
The sheriff’s office has no plans to replace any of its helicopters, Smith said. The legislation for the mosquito control helicopter will be reviewed and scheduled for public hearings by the council Finance and Public Health & Safety committees. mmarbut@jaxdailyrecord.com (904) 356-2466
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