JEA, the city’s utility, formerly operated a generating station on the property.
While talk has quieted about a potential Deutsche Bank project there, the global financial powerhouse had been reviewing the riverfront site for a major office project of at least 300,000 square feet to accommodate its expanding suburban operations, sources have said.
Deutsche Bank has not submitted nor discussed plans for any site. The bank is not specifically identified as a company that solicited a bid package. There are several consultants who requested those packages.
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The Southside Generating Station site is 42 acres. JEA is offering 28.6 acres of it for the public bid.
JEA says the plant was taken off-line in 2001 and has since undergone decommissioning, demolition and environmental activities to prepare for redevelopment. The property was designated in 2001 as a Brownfield site by agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
JEA had issued a Request for Proposal due May 6 for developers who are interested in buying the property. However, that was delayed to noon Tuesday to accommodate land swaps needed among property owners to create access to the site.
JEA extended the deadline to allow its board, the Duval County Public Schools and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to adopt a plan to transfer small parcels adjacent to the site to accommodate construction of an access road. That road would connect Prudential Drive with Broadcast Place and the Kings Avenue parking garage.
The city would apply for a $10 million Economic Development Transportation Fund grant to build a four-lane access road to connect Prudential Drive with Kings Avenue.
A JTA staff resolution attached a workforce figure to the possible project, saying the property could accommodate up to 3,500 new jobs as part of a mixed-use development, which again raised the question about Deutsche Bank.
Deutsche Bank had no comment this week. It occupies space among seven suburban office buildings — the five-building Meridian Business Park along Gate Parkway and two buildings in Butler Plaza along Belfort Parkway.