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

[Kerry]

To the points above about Lot J being built specifically for JEA, as others have mentioned, that's just simply not true.

Again, I don't think anyone said or believes this.

But they do need SOMEONE to sign a lease before they start an office building. Yes, at some point, someone will do that. The question is who, how soon, and how much space will they build?  Chances are it will be JEA, because of the political pressure, and that is not a good thing, because it would be for the wrong reasons.     

Did you miss Kerry's tinfoil hat conspiracy theories a couple pages back?

Either I didn't explain it correctly or something.  Lot J is not being built for JEA.  I meant JEA is the key ingredient that makes Lot J possible.  If JEA doesn't make the Lot J choice I expect things go silent on Lot J and the Shipyards.

[Steve]

To the points above about Lot J being built specifically for JEA, as others have mentioned, that's just simply not true.

Again, I don't think anyone said or believes this.

But they do need SOMEONE to sign a lease before they start an office building. Yes, at some point, someone will do that. The question is who, how soon, and how much space will they build?  Chances are it will be JEA, because of the political pressure, and that is not a good thing, because it would be for the wrong reasons.     

Did you miss Kerry's tinfoil hat conspiracy theories a couple pages back?

Either I didn't explain it correctly or something.  Lot J is not being built for JEA.  I meant JEA is the key ingredient that makes Lot J possible.  If JEA doesn't make the Lot J choice I expect things go silent on Lot J and the Shipyards.

So another company with a similar job count wouldn't work? Didn't VyStar confirm they talked about it?

[Kerry]

If another company is under consideration it hasn't been mentioned by anyone and Khan has been in talks with JEA for a year.  As far as Vystar, the only thing I have seen in any media is a comment from Vystar that they considered Lot J, but they didn't say what level of interest they had or if they even talked to anyone at the Jags about it.

[Charles Hunter]

Khan doesn't want JEA private because that complicates efforts to get JEA to Lot J.  He would have to present his case to a Board of Directors that doesn't care if he owns the Jags or not.  With it remaining part of the City he can influence things with political donations.

Couldn't a public JEA and the City commit to Lot J, construction start, then be sold to a Curry contributor?

[Kerry]

Khan doesn't want JEA private because that complicates efforts to get JEA to Lot J.  He would have to present his case to a Board of Directors that doesn't care if he owns the Jags or not.  With it remaining part of the City he can influence things with political donations.

Couldn't a public JEA and the City commit to Lot J, construction start, then be sold to a Curry contributor?

I guess so.  Once the deal is signed it's signed.  It is funny that Khan's comments about privatizing JEA came at about the same time he was pitching Lot J to JEA.  No wonder he didn't want anything changing with JEA, and of course, Curry jumped right aboard with those comments.

April 20, 2018

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jacksonville-jaguars-owner-shad-khan-selling-jea-a-terrible-idea/735299049

"They should not be pursuing this right now, and they need to get back to serving the customers and develop a strategic plan, so they can adjust to the market forces for the future," Curry said.

Could that "strategic plan" and "market forces" be Lot J?  I think so.