Could the potential Amazon.com Inc. fulfillment center on 180 acres in North Jacksonville contain almost 2.4 million square feet of space?
According to a city Mobility Fee Calculation Certificate, yes.
The center’s footprint is 855,000 square feet. However, the larger size for the total enclosed space indicates the structure is several stories high.
The project is expected to be heavily automated with state-of-the art robotics and equipment, which could account for the height of the structure.
Racking systems often are stacked to accommodate the most goods possible and robotics are installed to retrieve the items.
The city Concurrency and Mobility Management System Office signed a certificate in late April that calculates the fee at $947,397 for development of “Project Duval,” which fits the details of the City Council-approved Project Rex, widely believed to be Amazon.com.
The mobility fee is the cost for a new development based upon the link between land development and transportation. It takes into account the mix of uses at the property and other factors that affect the amount of traffic the project is expected to generate.
Details about the project are widely known by now, although the company has yet to reveal its plans for Jacksonville and city and development officials haven’t confirmed the project.
Public records already provide a good look at the project:
The site is under contract north of Interstate 295 at 12900 Pecan Park Road, at Duval Road. The location is near Jacksonville International Airport.
Seefried Industrial Properties Inc. of Atlanta is the developer. Seefried has developed two other Amazon.com centers that each total 1 million square feet in size. The property, among several parcels, would be sold by Steve Leggett, through Broward Signature LLP, and by CRM Florida Properties LLC of Atlanta.
Seefried Chief Development Officer Jim Condon said previously he could not comment “if we are or are not involved in the referenced project.”
Tetra Tech Inc. in Jacksonville is the agent’s engineer. Tetra Tech Senior Project Manager Gregory Kern said previously he was under a confidentiality agreement and could not comment about the project, but called it “a huge win for the community of Jacksonville and for the region.”
The center would hire 1,500 people by year-end 2019, but peak seasonal employment would reach 3,500 workers among two shifts. Of the jobs, 500 would pay an average $50,000.
It is a $200 million project. Ground-breaking is expected this summer. It would have at least 2,750 parking spaces.
City and state taxpayer incentives will provide $18.4 million in tax refunds, grants road improvements and training.
If construction is to start this summer, the official announcement can be expected any day because city reviewers will need to sign off on construction plans and permit applications in order for the company to start development of the site.
@MathisKb
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