Gatlin Development Co. Inc., whose area retail projects include The Pavilion at Durbin Park in St. Johns County, moved its headquarters from the Downtown Southbank to suburban Baymeadows.
Gatlin relocated from its initial Jacksonville offices on the 19th floor of Riverplace Tower to the Reflections I office building in Deerwood Center.
Gatlin opened at Riverplace in mid-2015, when it relocated its headquarters from Fort Lauderdale.
Principal Frankie Gatlin IV said May 24 the company moved about a month ago. Gatlin has 15 employees at its headquarters.
“The main reason for moving was to create a shorter and quicker commute for all of our employees and they are very grateful so far with most of their commutes cut in half now,” Gatlin said.
“For a while now we had wanted an easier, smaller and more low-key building without all of the parking garages and elevators,” he said by email.
“We are really enjoying it so far.”
He said the majority of Gatlin’s employees live in St. Johns County or near the Beaches.
The city is reviewing a permit application for an estimated $300,000 renovation to almost 7,700 square feet of space on the third floor in Reflections I at 7775 Baymeadows Way, Suite 300.
Reflections representative Mark Montgomery, senior vice president of Avison Young, said Gatlin Development is leasing 8,141 square feet of space.
He said the company is occupying temporary space in the building as it renovates its permanent space.
Gatlin expects that will take about 120 days.
“I believe they liked the flexibility and economics of Reflections and most of their projects are south, so this office is closer to where they are working on projects,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery said the lease lifts occupancy at the three-story Reflections I and II buildings to about 50%.
Michael Loftin, managing director with JLL, said Gatlin leased 7,000 square feet at Riverplace Tower, at 1301 Riverplace Blvd.
He said the space is available for lease.
Principal Frank Gatlin III started the company in 1976 in New Orleans, and moved it to California before returning to the Southeast in Nashville and then Fort Lauderdale before relocating to Jacksonville.
Gatlin Development is a real estate investment corporation specializing in retail shopping center development, management and renovation.
Its main focus since 1984 has been the development of Walmart-anchored shopping centers, including several Walmart Neighborhood Markets in Jacksonville.
It says it has developed more than 7 million square feet of retail shopping centers valued at more than $1 billion across the United States.