So far, Preferred Growth Properties LLC’s Mandarin South Shopping Center redevelopment is adding up to more than $11 million.
The city issued permits Tuesday for Hoar Construction LLC to demolish and rehab the interiors of the units at 11700 San Jose Blvd., including space for Earth Fare and PetSmart.
Earth Fare and PetSmart have applied for interior build-out and other tenants also are expected to do so.
Preferred Growth Properties is the real estate subsidiary of Books-A-Million Inc. of Birmingham, Ala. Through PGP Jacksonville LLC, it bought the 34-year-old struggling center in July 2014 for $4.7 million, promising on its website to renovate it.
Hoar Construction also is based in Birmingham.
The almost 70,000-square-foot center sits on nearly 5 acres west along San Jose Boulevard, south of Interstate 295.
The permits issued Tuesday cover about $4.3 million in interior demolition and rehabilitation of almost 62,000 square feet.
AutoZone is one of the existing tenants to remain and does not appear to be involved in the renovations.
Separately, Earth Fare is taking the next step to renovate its demolished interior space with a $1.5 million build-out and PetSmart expects a $690,000 renovation.
Earth Fare has said the new store will be a “modern and more updated operation” of its organic and natural foods grocery chain. A spokeswoman said Wednesday the company was not ready to share details about the new store.
The North Carolina-based chain opened a new-concept store last year in Atlanta with a layout that places a greater emphasis on freshly prepared food items. That store also features a 50-seat, indoor/outdoor cafe with free Wi-Fi.
Plans filed with the Mandarin South permit application this week show a layout different from that of Earth Fare’s first Jacksonville store, which opened in August 2014 at Kernan and Atlantic boulevards.
The new 27,638-square-foot store appears to concentrate fresh produce, bulk foods and the meat and seafood departments to the right, moving the wellness center and home and baby goods section to the center.
Wine shelves are spread side-by-side across the back of the store.
The deli, prepared and freshly made foods remain on the left side near the front-of-the-store café, which will offer 61 indoor seats and 16 outside seats.
There also will be a counter to sell beer and wine by the glass, according to a plan filed with a request for a zoning exception for off- and on-premises consumption.
Earth Fare opened its first Jacksonville store in the Atlantic North shopping center. At 24,000 square feet, it is slightly smaller than the new location. Plans for that store showed a 41-seat café area near the entrance.
Earth Fare has not said when it will open at Mandarin South, although PetSmart has said it plans to open in fall 2017.
Only a few spaces appear to remain available for lease in Mandarin South.
A site plan shows that along with Earth Fare, PetSmart and AutoZone, Mandarin South either has signed or is negotiating leases with 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza, Royal Nails, Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Flooring Store and Yogurt Mountain along with existing tenants Planet Beach and The Poochie Spa, which are relocating within the center.
Tesla service center opening on Philips
Tesla Motors Inc. will open a service center in front of Perimeter Commerce Park, according to a city permit issued Tuesday for a $1.13 million build-out at 7818 Philips Highway.
The center will occupy 18,180 square feet.
The permit application in August showed a construction cost of $250,000 to accommodate a service and sales center.
The contractor is Terry Adams Inc. of Elizabethtown, Ky.
Plans show Tesla, based in Palo Alto, Calif., will operate an electric automobile repair, sales and service center.
It’s a second presence in Jacksonville. The company, which makes and sells electric cars, also is relocating to a larger showroom within St. Johns Town Center.
Tesla, incorporated in 2003 and traded publicly, operates subsidiaries in North America, Europe and Asia.
Sulzbacher Village construction at $10M
Sulzbacher Center for Women and Children applied for a permit to build the Sulzbacher Village that shows a construction cost of $10 million.
Summit Contracting Group is the contractor for the three-story, almost 90,000-square-foot project at 5455 Springfield Blvd. at northeast Springfield Boulevard and East 44th Street.
Ground-breaking is scheduled Dec. 9 and the Village should open late next year.
The project is designed to provide permanent housing to single women, female veterans and families.
There should be 70 one- and two-bedroom residences, as well as 54 units for women and families who need short-term emergency housing and medical respite.
Food notes
• Two more McDonald’s restaurants are adding customer kiosks for its Signature Crafted program, boosting the number of Duval County locations involved in the update to 17. The latest are at 8590 Baymeadows Road and 13217 Atlantic Blvd. Each is a $25,000 renovation to add two kiosks that will allow customers to custom-build their sandwiches. The program should be available next year in most of the 52 Duval County McDonald’s restaurants.
• Grabbagreen applied for a permit to build-out its Brooklyn Station on Riverside location at 90 Riverside Ave. at a construction cost of $150,000 for about 2,000 square feet of space. No contractor is specified. It will be one of the company’s three healthy-food restaurants planned in the area.
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