San Marco Publix project still alive

[ProjectMaximus]

The greatest tease of the decade...

[CCMjax]

The greatest tease of the decade...

No kidding.  This project has always seemed to me like the biggest no-brainer of a project in all of Jax.  Vibrant neighborhood starving for both a grocery store and more updated rental options and there just so happens to be a gigantic vacant lot right off the square at the best possible intersection scenario for this type of development with easy access to downtown and 95.  Why has it taken so long to get the ducks in a row?  Financing, whatever, I'm guessing there's more to it than that.  Somebody not playing nice?

I heard some SM residents complained that it would cause increased traffic in their quaint little community.  Well people, you live one mile south of downtown in a city of a million residents, there will be an increase in density eventually.  Scale?  I could see that since it is proposed to be at least two stories taller than anything around it.

I hope they aren't actually luxury apartments and are just normal priced apartments in the Riverside 220 price range.  Would probably draw more young people toward downtown from the Southside.  Hopefully some more infill down Atlantic toward 95 would follow.  Need to get people back into the neighborhoods that matter.

[thelakelander]

The original plan featured several hundred units of condos on top of the Publix. Before it broke ground, the real estate market tanked. That's why it's taken so long.

[copperfiend]

I remember being at a conference with people from Publix and they were very excited about this project. That had to have been almost a decade ago.  One of many casualties of the economic recession. I hope it gets built eventually but I am not holding my breath.

[Rynjny]

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-09-14/story/developer-says-publix-anchored-east-san-marco-retail-residential-complex

[MusicMan]

Snooze.

[ProjectMaximus]

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-09-14/story/developer-says-publix-anchored-east-san-marco-retail-residential-complex

Hmm, could this be the site of a woodstock-type festival?

at the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Hendrix Avenue

[UNFurbanist]

So it seems as though there is still no specific word on this. I have connections to Todd Jones (the new CEO of Publix) because I was friends with his daughter in high school. Anyone think it would be worth reaching out to him to see if this thing is actually going to happen?

[Captain Zissou]

I think publix is waiting on the developer.  That store is going to do crazy sales, so I assume they want to be open ASAP.  Whitehall partners and Regency are the ones holding the project up and I believe Whitehall partners has the money they need.  Not sure what else would be holding it back, but Todd Jones probably knows as much as anybody about the project.

[CCMjax]

Whitehall has the money?  I thought the last update in 2015 was that they couldn't line up financing.  Whoever gets this project off paper will do fairly well on it I would think.

[thelakelander]

I believe this September 2015 story may have been one of the most recent updates about this project:

A Times-Union report in April detailed that Whitehall Realty Partners was going to buy the property from Regency Centers and the St. Joe Co., its original developers. It planned to then develop the property with Regency Centers buying back the retail space.

But John Carey of Whitehall said in the spring he was been unable to get funding for his end. The $55 million project required $10 million to $20 million in loans and investment.

Stein said Regency Centers is still involved in the East San Marco project and designs still call for a general Mediterranean architectural style to fit in with the surrounding neighborhood.

But when asked for a timeline of even a beginning of construction, Stein said that's still not certain.

"We're trying to work with getting Publix together and a multi-family developer. ..." Stein said. "We are cautiously optimistic that in the months ahead that we'll be able to finalize those plans and start construction.

"But we still got some lifting to do to make it reality," Stein said.

Once construction begins, it could take over two years to complete.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-09-14/story/developer-says-publix-anchored-east-san-marco-retail-residential-complex

If this project was just a Publix without the residential component on top of it, it would have been built years ago.

[Captain Zissou]

I heard differently from one of the people at whitehall, but that was still 6 months ago.  Right now I'm sure they are preoccupied with the recently announced 675,000 sq ft of development in Nocatee right now.  I don't know if that means they have passed on East San Marco or it's on the back burner for them.

[MusicMan]

Does anyone know what they paid for this parcel?  Can't find it on COJ.net


After a bit more research it looks like they have $3.8 million into it.

Anybody know any more let me know.

[acme54321]

I just drove by a few minutes ago and there is a drilling rig out in the middle of the site putting rod into the ground. I'm assuming they aren't just paying someone to punch holes out there for fun.  Hopefully something is going on and they're just keeping quiet.  With anof the development popping up in the core I don't see how this isn't moving forward considering (to me at least) it's the best location of anything going right now.

[E_Dubya]

I just drove by a few minutes ago and there is a drilling rig out in the middle of the site putting rod into the ground. I'm assuming they aren't just paying someone to punch holes out there for fun.  Hopefully something is going on and they're just keeping quiet.  With anof the development popping up in the core I don't see how this isn't moving forward considering (to me at least) it's the best location of anything going right now.

There is also a Shell station going in on that space. I believe the construction is for that and not the grocery/condo development.