Deciphering JEA's Search: What's Best For Downtown?

[vicupstate]

I agree but don't be surprised when the Jags float that ballon. They are already laying the groundwork for it.

JEA not moving to Lot J doesn't kill their plans. Nothing's stopping them from developing the thing.

I doubt they will build a Spec office building.  They need someone to be the pioneer tenant before they will build an office building. I question if they will build the entertainment part without something else going up as well. 

[Steve]

I agree but don't be surprised when the Jags float that ballon. They are already laying the groundwork for it.

JEA not moving to Lot J doesn't kill their plans. Nothing's stopping them from developing the thing.

I doubt they will build a Spec office building.  They need someone to be the pioneer tenant before they will build an office building. I question if they will build the entertainment part without something else going up as well. 

Not saying that. I'm saying that if JEA doesn't select Lot J, it doesn't stop someone else from wanting to move there. Go get another company.

[Kerry]

I beg to differ - I think JEA is the core of their Lot J plans.

[Steve]

I beg to differ - I think JEA is the core of their Lot J plans.

Let me get this straight....they put together a plan for Lot J, a mixed use entertainment district, almost 18 months ago, and as the anchor of this mixed use plan was the relocation of Jacksonville's public utility!?

I'm not going to say the fix isn't in, because it may be, but I highly doubt this plan was designed entirely around the power company being a central focus of it.

[marcuscnelson]

I beg to differ - I think JEA is the core of their Lot J plans.

Let me get this straight....they put together a plan for Lot J, a mixed use entertainment district, almost 18 months ago, and as the anchor of this mixed use plan was the relocation of Jacksonville's public utility!?

I'm not going to say the fix isn't in, because it may be, but I highly doubt this plan was designed entirely around the power company being a central focus of it.

And more importantly, if this plan was designed entirely around the power company being a central focus, then they clearly aren't competent enough to be launching a mixed-use entertainment district, and should probably not be trusted to properly manage said mixed-use entertainment district.

[Kerry]

It makes sense if you follow the time line.

Oct 18, 2018
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2018/10/18/jaguars-lot-j-could-show-progress-in-late-2018.html

Development of Lot J development is now the top priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars — and could even begin this year — after owner Shad Khan withdrew his offer to purchase Wembley Stadium in London.
...
"The acquisition of Wembley Stadium was designed to serve a very specific purpose and that was to strengthen the Jaguars here in Jacksonville," Lamping said at press conference on Thursday. "The fact that it's not going to happen puts pressure on us to find other ways to generate the revenue that would've come from there and we are confident that we will do that.
...
The team is now turning to Lot J and Lamping said there could be progress on the project by the end of 2018 or early next year.

So what was this progress by end of 2018 or early next year?

Well, we now know that months prior to July 30, 2018 the Jags solicited JEA.  Let's call that April 30, 2018 since we don't know what 'months' means.

July 30, 2018
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jea-looking-at-developing-lot-j-for-new-headquarters/802090589

JEA confirms to Action News Jax that the Jaguars reached out to the utility months ago about being an anchor tenant at its proposed $2 billion Lot J development at TIAA Bank Field.

So for almost a year (they didn't think of JEA and then make the pitch on the same day) the Jags have been planning for JEA to be their anchor tenant.

What else happened in April 2018?  For one, Khan shifted the focus from The Shipyard to Lot J.

April 19, 2018
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/jaguars-share-vision-for-lot-j-entertainment-district

The focus for the development around the stadium, at least in the near-term, has shifted from the Shipyards to Lot J.
...
The hope is that Lot J will become a place people want to go to, and not just on game day.
...
Khan and Lamping both said the development doesn't change or replace their desire to ultimately develop the Shipyards, but they believe the Lot J plan will be easier to get approved. 

The goal would be to start with the lot and work downtown.

So to answer your question - Yes, I do think Khan and Company built the entire Lot J project around JEA.  If there is any other company under consideration it is the best kept secret in Jacksonville.  Vystar wasn't even approached.

[thelakelander]

Here's an article that talks about shifting to Lot J a few months (January 2018) earlier than the source you found. However, it only speaks of the entertainment center:

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/entertainment/jaguars-turn-sights-on-lot-j-at-stadium-for-entertainment-district/77-511996615


Also KenFSU mentioned months ago that VyStar did consider Lot J:

In many cities they are DRAMATICALLY cheaper. In Jacksonville they might not be....I'm guessing that VyStar is paying less for the tower than it would cost to build from scratch.

Vystar is paying $175 per square foot for the Suntrust building; they estimated $300 per square foot for a suburban campus.

They also talked Iguana about Lot J and Elements about the District before deciding on the Suntrust building.

[Steve]

It makes sense if you follow the time line.

Oct 18, 2018
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2018/10/18/jaguars-lot-j-could-show-progress-in-late-2018.html

Development of Lot J development is now the top priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars — and could even begin this year — after owner Shad Khan withdrew his offer to purchase Wembley Stadium in London.
...
"The acquisition of Wembley Stadium was designed to serve a very specific purpose and that was to strengthen the Jaguars here in Jacksonville," Lamping said at press conference on Thursday. "The fact that it's not going to happen puts pressure on us to find other ways to generate the revenue that would've come from there and we are confident that we will do that.
...
The team is now turning to Lot J and Lamping said there could be progress on the project by the end of 2018 or early next year.

So what was this progress by end of 2018 or early next year?

Well, we now know that months prior to July 30, 2018 the Jags solicited JEA.  Let's call that April 30, 2018 since we don't know what 'months' means.

July 30, 2018
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jea-looking-at-developing-lot-j-for-new-headquarters/802090589

JEA confirms to Action News Jax that the Jaguars reached out to the utility months ago about being an anchor tenant at its proposed $2 billion Lot J development at TIAA Bank Field.

So for almost a year (they didn't think of JEA and then make the pitch on the same day) the Jags have been planning for JEA to be their anchor tenant.

What else happened in April 2018?  For one, Khan shifted the focus from The Shipyard to Lot J.

April 19, 2018
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/jaguars-share-vision-for-lot-j-entertainment-district

The focus for the development around the stadium, at least in the near-term, has shifted from the Shipyards to Lot J.
...
The hope is that Lot J will become a place people want to go to, and not just on game day.
...
Khan and Lamping both said the development doesn't change or replace their desire to ultimately develop the Shipyards, but they believe the Lot J plan will be easier to get approved. 

The goal would be to start with the lot and work downtown.

So to answer your question - Yes, I do think Khan and Company built the entire Lot J project around JEA.  If there is any other company under consideration it is the best kept secret in Jacksonville.  Vystar wasn't even approached.

Dude, they wanted an office tenant. It's not every day that someone is looking for space for 900 jobs in the core. They may have known JEA would be looking, but the reason they shifted the development proposal to Lot J is because unlike the shipyards, the City would have less say.

JEA's needs, aside from not wanting to be part of a mixed use building, aren't very different than any office building proposal.

[Kerry]

You're right - it isn't everyday, especially in Jax, which further convinces me their plan for the last 12 months has been JEA and only JEA.   If Vystar was in talks that would have been over a year ago.

[thelakelander]

How do you figure? They announced their intention to acquire the SunTrust Tower in June 2018.

[heights unknown]

Yeah, the current 19-story building is more space than they need. I don't believe anyone expected 200,000 square feet of space to add up to +30 stories. At best, you get what Progress Energy constructed in downtown St. Petersburg a decade ago:



If you want height, that's the Adams Street proposal because it's a one-block site in the actual downtown core. At worst, you get a low-rise, suburban office box in the parking lot of TIAA Bank Field.

Hey, that's not a bad looking building; I like that; now put a parking garage underneath it...LOLOLOL...I know y'all think I am crazy, yeah, wishful thinking; I get it, I understand what you're saying Lake and others. But I can wish, dream, wish, dream, ho, hum, blah, blah, tired, go to sleep, while tampa, Miami, Orlando, fort Lauderdale, st. Petersburg, even Tallahassee all zoom past Jax...oh, I'm sorry, I was just dreaming.

[Jagsdrew]

Its simple. The Jags are going to keep proposing office space to companies even if they're not looking. With all the top business leaders always connected to each other, Lamping sure has probably put his feelers out to a lot CEOs and RVPs in Jax.

They'll adjust their renderings to correspond to the next companiy's needs and present it, no different than what we saw Tuesday except it will be less public. I'm sure he's probably talked with Aetna before they moved to the Southside, Web.com before they built near the Town Center, etc. These plans/renderings have been in motion for years before it was brought to the public eye.

It's not make or break with JEA.

[Charles Hunter]

Here is the opinion of Nate Monroe, of the TU - https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190206/nate-monroe-dark-future-ahead-for-jacksonvilles-utility?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TheFloridaTimesUnion-SND

But there is one overwhelming reason JEA's future headquarters will probably go there: Khan wants it.

Since the JEA board now operates as more a sub-department within the mayor's office, Khan, a prolific contributor to local politicians generally and Curry specifically, is the easy favorite.

He also talks about the potential sale of JEA arising again.

[Kerry]

How do you figure? They announced their intention to acquire the SunTrust Tower in June 2018.

Personal experience with how long it takes companies to make a decision this big.  Not that I am super experienced with it but in the few I am familiar with the decision was well over a year in the making and in one case over 2 years for a new tower.  Vystar probably knew they needed move 2 years ago.

[thelakelander]

So you don't know for sure if they were courted by Iguana or not. Just a guess.