JEA hunt for headquarters site is silent on evacuation risk

[KenFSU]

I'm still trying to understand why they seem to want JEA so badly. Is it just the number of workers or something else?

Think like a single guy who wants someone to go home with. It's closing time at the club, and an okay looking woman is also looking for someone to go home with. She's made her mind up that she's spending the night in a new bed.

Sometimes, it's what'a available.

I could see this scenario actually playing out if JEA to Lot J happens. Some tourist with poor timing hears that Lot J is the place to be, drinks too much on a dead Wednesday night at Howl at the Moon, shares a plate of Aramark nachos with the only "babe" there, and wakes up the next morning next to some 70 year old woman who accidentally stumbled into Jacksonville Live while trying to pay her sewage bill. Between the parking garage, office complex, Cordish entertainment center, and demolition of the old JEA Tower, the intercourse enjoys a $14,000 public subsidy.

[Steve]

In all seriousness, that's sort of what I don't understand. JEA talked about security, and in that vein, turned down the Atkins proposal which was the mos mixed use of all of the developments. Yet, they're considering relocating to a mixed use complex next to a stadium?

[Charles Hunter]

^ The "security" of keeping Khan happy?

[bill]

I'm still trying to understand why they seem to want JEA so badly. Is it just the number of workers or something else?

Think like a single guy who wants someone to go home with. It's closing time at the club, and an okay looking woman is also looking for someone to go home with. She's made her mind up that she's spending the night in a new bed.

Sometimes, it's what'a available.

Very funny



I could see this scenario actually playing out if JEA to Lot J happens. Some tourist with poor timing hears that Lot J is the place to be, drinks too much on a dead Wednesday night at Howl at the Moon, shares a plate of Aramark nachos with the only "babe" there, and wakes up the next morning next to some 70 year old woman who accidentally stumbled into Jacksonville Live while trying to pay her sewage bill. Between the parking garage, office complex, Cordish entertainment center, and demolition of the old JEA Tower, the intercourse enjoys a $14,000 public subsidy.

[Captain Zissou]

I'm still trying to understand why they seem to want JEA so badly. Is it just the number of workers or something else?

Think like a single guy who wants someone to go home with. It's closing time at the club, and an okay looking woman is also looking for someone to go home with. She's made her mind up that she's spending the night in a new bed.

Sometimes, it's what'a available.

I've seen Steve pull this move many times.  Truly a privilege to watch an artist perfecting their craft

[Kerry]

I'm still trying to understand why they seem to want JEA so badly. Is it just the number of workers or something else?

It is because Khan and company are quickly running out of potential tennants.  Instead of trying to poach existing downtown businesses or even other local companies, Khan should be trying to attract a corporate relocation from out of state.

[thelakelander]

They don't have to look far. Khan already owns Flex N Gate. Be like Dan Gilbert and move your own company to serve as an anchor for the grand vision.

[Jagsdrew]

They don't have to look far. Khan already owns Flex N Gate. Be like Dan Gilbert and move your own company to serve as an anchor for the grand vision.

It would be a big undertaking for Khan do that. Corporate employees are scattered throughout the midwest and manufacturing is scattered through the world.

Can't disagree though with your statement. You are 100% correct considering if you want an anchor tenant and you have a multi-billion dollar company. I think it would be around the 1,000-1,500 job range that would be moved down here if this was in consideration. Manufacturing would probably not relocate.

[KenFSU]

^Flex N' Gate has a market cap of $7.5 billion, and is Shad Khan's primary business. Illinois has been his home since he's moved to the United States (like Detroit to Dan Gilbert), he's very well connected in Chicago, and Illinois has given him a lot of attractive subsidies for job creation. I don't think it's reasonable to expect him to uproot 13,000+ employees and abandon his home to make some big statement about a Cordish big-box development being built to support his $2 billion football hobby.

What's more reasonable to me is that, after years of moving Jags home games abroad and pumping us full of rhetoric about how great the London relationship will be for Jacksonville, the Jags give us something to show for it. For six years, we've been sending the mayor along with other city and civic officials to London for a week before the game to cultivate relationships with the London business community and stimulate economic development for Jacksonville.

Surely, after six years, there's got to be a waiting list of London-based companies dying to expand internationally into Jacksonville.

The Jags can take their pick.

[Kerry]

Lol - is this a good time to mention British Airways expanded to Charleston and not Jax?

[jaxjags]

Lol - is this a good time to mention British Airways expanded to Charleston and not Jax?

Again look at CHAS deal - SUBSUDIES

[Kerry]

Because Jax doesn't offer subsidies?

[marcuscnelson]

What's more reasonable to me is that, after years of moving Jags home games abroad and pumping us full of rhetoric about how great the London relationship will be for Jacksonville, the Jags give us something to show for it. For six years, we've been sending the mayor along with other city and civic officials to London for a week before the game to cultivate relationships with the London business community and stimulate economic development for Jacksonville.

Surely, after six years, there's got to be a waiting list of London-based companies dying to expand internationally into Jacksonville.

The Jags can take their pick.

Woah, there. I think you're misunderstanding the nature of this relationship. It's really quite simple. London gets to host football games we send our city officials to, and threaten to take our football team, and in exchange, we get the satisfaction of knowing we have a football team.

For now.

[Steve]

Because Jax doesn't offer subsidies?

Generally not for flights like this. For the CHS flight, the State of SC tossed money at it. Florida is unlikely to do that considering we have America's #3 international gateway already.

[sandyshoes]

With all the vacant real estate in this town, why are they having to build something new...maybe they should look into the failed Brooklyn shopping center or the convention center.  Or The Landing.  Just sayin'.