Talk about a done deal.
In less than five minutes, City Council Tuesday approved $18.4 million in city and state incentives for “Project Rex,” an unnamed company that proposes to create 1,500 jobs at a $200 million state-of-the-art fulfillment center to be built in North Jacksonville.
The city’s share of incentives is $13.4 million, including a Recapture Enhanced Value Grant of up to $10 million, to be paid in annual installments based on increases in real and tangible personal property.
The city also is paying 20 percent of a Qualified Industry Tax Refund for 500 of the jobs, which will have an average annual salary of $50,000.
The state will cover the remaining 80 percent.
Based on the project summary and documents filed for roadway improvements for the 171-acre site near Duval and Pecan Park roads, the company is widely believed to be Amazon.com Inc.
Discussion of the bill prior to the vote was limited to an economic projection for the center from council member Aaron Bowman, who is senior vice president of business development for JAXUSA Partnership, the economic development division of the JAX Chamber.
He said construction of the facility would create 2,333 construction jobs and over the nine-year period of the incentive package and would improve Duval County’s economy by $1.95 billion, including $912 million in disposable income generated by the workforce.
“It’s one of the largest projects we’ve ever had in Jacksonville,” Bowman said.
Also approved was a plan to donate, auction or sell property the city owns through foreclosure on municipal code compliance and tax liens.
About 400 parcels have been placed on the “Affordable Housing Inventory List” to be donated or sold to entities dedicated to constructing housing for low-income residents.
In a last-minute amendment, council member Garrett Dennis added HabiJax, the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, to the list of preferred providers that will be given the first opportunities to develop the properties.
Council member Bill Gulliford added Beaches Habitat for Humanity to the list.
Council Vice President Lori Boyer’s amendment to the bill requires any entity that receives city property for development to be in compliance with city regulations and free of code violation or tax liens.
Gulliford supported the requirement.
“It would be foolish for us to allow people to take advantage of us and then reward them,” he said.
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