City Council is scheduled to hear petitions to establish two community development districts in the Southeast Quadrant, comprising 974.15 acres at southeast Butler Boulevard and Interstate 295.
The Skinner family wants to develop the last large piece of property from its original 50,000 acres in South Jacksonville into neighborhoods and businesses with a distinct character.
The site is where Atlanta-based Fuqua Development announced plans in March for a $300 million mixed-use project tentatively named the Exchange at Jacksonville.
City Council scheduled a hearing Aug. 27 about the proposed CDDs.
CDDs are a special purpose governing entity granted by state and local governments.
CDDs can finance, plan, design, construct and maintain infrastructure in the planned communities.
The districts are governed by an elected board of supervisors, initially selected by the landowner. After a set period, the board selection transfers to the property owners in the CDD.
Assessments are discussed at public meetings and budgets are reviewed by independent auditors.
CDDs initially are financed by issuing special assessment revenue bonds to pay for a development’s facilities and infrastructure. Property owners in the CDD pay back the bonds along with an annual assessment for operations and maintenance.
The CDD pays for initial construction.
The city pays for the maintenance of city-owned facilities within CDDs, such as roads and traffic signals. JEA will own and maintain utilities and street lighting.
The council Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee introduced the ordinances July 23. They were requested by landowner Sawmill Timber LLC, led by members of the Skinner family.
Ordinance 2019-483 establishes Boggy Branch CDD on about 560 acres southeast of I-295 and Butler Boulevard, north of the Hampton Park subdivision.
Boggy Branch CDD will serve about 1,800 residential units estimated to be built in phases from 2021-32.
No master housing developer-builder has been named for the property.
Ordinance 2019-490 refers to about 414 acres, establishing Ryals Creek CDD, southeast of I-95 and Butler Boulevard, west of undeveloped property and north of Gate Parkway.
Ryals Creek will serve about 1.32 million square feet of commercial use and 230 multifamily units. Infrastructure improvements are estimated to be built between 2020-22.
The development includes a southern access route, proposed for construction in 2026, that is located adjacent to the CDD, not within it.
The southern access is a required condition of the approved planned unit development zoning.
Ryals Creek is where Fuqua plans to develop a 67-acre retail, entertainment, hotel, office and apartment center.
