The Mayor’s Budget Review Committee voted unanimously Aug. 21 to advance legislation to Jacksonville City Council for a $1.5 million grant for Project Empire, a $64 million, 100-job logistics and distribution center near Kraft and Eastport roads in North Jacksonville.
The unidentified company proposes to build a 400,000-square-foot building at an estimated $57 million and invest $7 million for machinery and equipment.
The vote authorizes the city’s Office of Economic Development to introduce legislation to Council for a Recapture Enhanced Value Grant property tax refund capped at $1.5 million over five years.
The grant is based on 50% of the increase in real and personal property taxes.
The city’s project summary states the company plans to distribute products throughout the Southeast. It proposes to create up to 100 jobs within a year of completing construction and installing the equipment.
The summary says the company is considering other cities in the Southeast for the project and the grant is a material factor in the site decision.
It says the company has about 400,000 employees globally and has a “significant presence in Florida.”
The committee asked to have details of the refund clarified and the number of new jobs filled by Jacksonville residents be tracked.