DCPS intends to relocate and sell its Southbank property
QuoteDuval County Public Schools plans to sell its administrative headquarters on the Southbank, tapping real estate firm CBRE to market its property at 1701 Prudential Drive as well as to help it find a new property to relocate to.
"The District recognizes its current waterfront location is a valuable asset and has made the decision to relocate off the river, which will position the property for new use and promote economic development," said Lee Ann Korst, Southeast Regional Manager of CBRE's Public Institutions and Education Solutions, who is representing the District. "The disposition of this asset supports the commitment made by the City of Jacksonville to revitalize downtown by providing prime real estate located directly on the St. Johns River."
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2021/12/01/duval-county-public-schools-to-sell-southbank.html
Hopefully they'll stay in downtown.
Does the riverfront portion that DCPS took from the District development less than a year ago revert back to the developer? I'm so glad they are getting off the waterfront, but it's ridiculous that they added 2 acres of surface parking just to sell it in 10 months.
I think they had around 50 employees based there. Surely there is space in the existing city buildings on the northbank that could accommodate them.
Quote from: landfall on December 01, 2021, 05:02:41 PM
I think they had around 50 employees based there. Surely there is space in the existing city buildings on the northbank that could accommodate them.
There has to be more than 50 employees there. That lot is pretty full during the day and it's got over 300 spaces.
It would be cool if they restored old Stanton and moved the offices there.
DCPS doesn't own Old Stanton any more, but could buy it back, I guess.
Historic Stanton - http://www.historicstanton.org/
Quote from: Charles Hunter on December 01, 2021, 08:14:26 PM
DCPS doesn't own Old Stanton any more, but could buy it back, I guess.
Historic Stanton - http://www.historicstanton.org/
I know. Total pipe dream there.
Following the link, there's nothing new in the last 2 years. And an old Youtube video from 2011.... SAD
Was this gifted to that LLC? There's no transaction history on COJ.net
From a January 2021 Times-Union article.
Quote
The three-story brick building was condemned as unsafe to enter in May [2020] after the roof fell in and water poured down to the ground level and into the electrical system, starting a fire.
...
Without repairs, the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has decayed more as water flows through its interior after each rainfall.
...
On property records, the listed owner is the Florida Institute, an organization that bought the land and asked the federal government's Freedmen's Bureau to build a schoolhouse for Blacks soon after the Civil War. The Stanton Normal School, the first of four schools on the 1.5-acre parcel, opened in 1869, named for Edwin Stanton, President Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war.
Duval County's school system signed a long-term lease with the Florida Institute's trustees in 1882 to operate a school for Blacks at the site. Old Stanton, the fourth school built there, was a high school from 1917 to 1953 when a new Stanton school opened on West 13th Street. The building downtown then became a middle school and vocational school until 1971.
When the school board finished with the site, it needed a judge's order naming new trustees for the 19th-century institute to take back ownership of the property. Those trustees incorporated a nonprofit, Old Stanton Inc., which was renamed Historic Stanton in 2013.
Historic Stanton's leaders ordered a title search after the roof collapse, but the search moved slowly with the Duval County Courthouse closed for several months by the coronavirus pandemic. The group's board finally received confirmation of the title in November and consulted a title attorney on the best way to clarify its ownership, said Mamie Davis, an attorney and accountant who is the board treasurer.
The group filed a new deed in December. City officials said in October [2020] that ownership also needed to be cleared up to permit any repairs at the school, although in 2014 the city issued a permit for structural repairs to "Stanton Historical Inc."
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/history/2021/01/22/old-stanton-high-decays-backers-try-save-jacksonville-school/6258367002/
Fascinating.... TY
I'd rather see the current plan for Historic Stanton come to life. It's more of a mixed use project with a museum and restaurant component. Just got to get a roof on it!
Quote from: thelakelander on December 02, 2021, 12:00:08 PM
I'd rather see the current plan for Historic Stanton come to life. It's more of a mixed use project with a museum and restaurant component. Just got to get a roof on it!
Something needs to be done with it before it's too late. I have a hard time believing that the non profit that has been struggling for decades is going to be able to make that happen.
Is Annie Lytle not in the running?
I agree that something needs to be done quick and that the nonprofit won't be able pull things off alone. However, I don't see them selling it to DCPS or DCPS wanting to spend millions to retrofit it as a space for 50 employees. They likely could build or less space cheaper right now considering our vacancy rates.
It's interesting that the Daily Record has not put out anything about this. This seems like huge news to me.
I can't believe there are only 50 employees at DCPS HQ. Sadly, a quick look at their website is not very illuminating.
Quote from: thelakelander on December 03, 2021, 12:28:26 PM
I agree that something needs to be done quick and that the nonprofit won't be able pull things off alone. However, I don't see them selling it to DCPS or DCPS wanting to spend millions to retrofit it as a space for 50 employees. They likely could build or less space cheaper right now considering our vacancy rates.
What are our vacancy rates downtown right now Lake? Pretty low and good? Yesterday evening at dusk, when the office lights were coming on, I noticed almost all of the floors were lit up on the tall office towers and the other lower height office buildings as well; does that mean pretty full?
According to a recent Jax Daily Record article:
Average Northbank Downtown vacancy rate: 10.9% to 27%
Average Southbank Downtown vacancy rate: 11.2% to 15.4%
Average suburban vacancy rate: 19.3% to 20.4%
Average asking lease rate per square foot: $21-$25
QuoteCBRE reports the office recovery continues to lag other property sectors in the third quarter as firms adjust lease sizes and terms, often opting for shorter leases.
CBRE reports CSX downsized by 128,000 square feet at 550 Water St. Downtown following Florida Blue's downsize of more than 600,000 square feet last year Downtown and in Deerwood Park.
QuoteDon't look for much Class A speculative office construction.
"We estimate that current construction costs for new class-A office space would require rent in the $40 range, which is well above current market," Colliers wrote.
Colliers reports the average Class A asking lease rate was $22.27 a square foot during the quarter.
Full article: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/commercial-development-outlook-office-vacancy-rates-climb-as-companies-downsize
^ I had reason recently to canvas Liberty Business Park off of Butler Blvd. on A C Skinner Parkway. This is a "mature," very large (appears to be about 60 acres) and first class office park, located in a "hot" part of town, and is home to a number of major offices including the HQ's for Daily's. Even so, it appears to me that about 25 to 35% of it was vacant. Plus, they still have about 3 large parcels still undeveloped. I was a bit surprised and wonder if COVID is the issue, there is just too much office space at this time or a bit of both.
If "in demand" suburban space like this isn't near full occupancy, I don't know how Downtown gets there. Suburban landlords, with that kind of vacancy, are going to drag down Jax lease rates making it even harder for justifying more "higher rent" buildings Downtown.
Updated article from the Jax Daily Record. It appears that the new headquarters does not have to be downtown, which is a big mistake for Jax if that happens. If you can't keep your public entities downtown, what does that say about the desire to attract private offices?
QuoteDuval County Public Schools is searching for a buyer for its administration building on the Downtown Southbank and seeking bids to develop a new headquarters off the riverfront.
Real estate firm CBRE Inc. released an invitation to negotiate Nov. 30 on behalf of DCPS.
It solicits bids for the new headquarters and offers the sale of the office building at 1701 Prudential Drive along the St. Johns River as well as up to three surplus school properties, including the Schultz Center event venue.
QuoteNew HQ list of requirements
This is what Duval County Public Schools is seeking for its new headquarters:
• Room for about 618 full-time employees, or 185-190 square feet per person.
• A total of 100,000 to 120,000 square feet of space.
• A 3,000- to 5,000-square-foot boardroom.
• A cafeteria.
• A visitor lobby and waiting area.
• Break rooms.
• Collaborative spaces.
• Conference rooms.
• Print and copy areas.
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/duval-school-district-seeking-bids-for-a-new-headquarters-location
Seems like moving into the Midtown Centre OP would be a no brainer:
"He said one option could be for a buyer/developer to acquire the Schultz Center and other DCPS assets at 4019 and 4037 Boulevard Center Drive in the Midtown Centre Office Park and lease them back to the district for a consolidated administrative campus."
Existing buildings in a central location. Plenty of parking. This would be a very efficient move.
^Midtown Centre is perhaps easiest for the district, but maybe not the best for the city.
One place my head is at is that the office should be a TOD of some kind, get some inter-agency synergy going. So if we look in the walkshed of the Skyway or downtown Flyer stations, are there options? The old Stein Mart building sold a few months ago, is there space there?
Horrible for downtown if it loses +600 public workers. That's equivalent to a major company picking up leaving for the burbs.
There might also be a few options in the Rail Yard District. One is the old school property the school board already owns on Stockton and currently uses for maintenance I believe. It would be close to the I-10 exit to Stockton and to Beaver Street giving it good access. It would only be about a mile from Downtown and centrally located. Locating there would also give a neighborhood-in-need a big economic shot in the arm.
Another spot might be the assorted parcels (looks like developers are already assembling them) lining I-95 on Myrtle Avenue and roughly across from JTA's bus barns. This would be even closer to Downtown and have good access (and visibility) from I-95.
One other spot in that area with substantial acreage is the old US Natural Resources complex between Beaver and Kings Road and across from the main US Post Office facility. This recently sold to an investor that might be happy to flip it. Again, good access from I-95 and within a mile from Downtown.
Could Public School #4 be demoed and a new HQ be built on top? The building is beyond saving at this point and I think they already own the property? This would keep them near the core, allow them to build exactly what they want in a convenient location, revitalize a decrepit property in an upcoming area, and free up prime real estate for housing/hotel/etc.
"Horrible for downtown if it loses +600 public workers. "
I hear what your saying Lake but do you really believe the 600 employees there were bringing any vibrancy to the CBD? I imagine the vast majority bring their lunches in a cooler and drive straight home after work.
Quote from: MusicMan on December 06, 2021, 04:39:40 PM
"Horrible for downtown if it loses +600 public workers. "
I hear what your saying Lake but do you really believe the 600 employees there were bringing any vibrancy to the CBD? I imagine the vast majority bring their lunches in a cooler and drive straight home after work.
Youust have never gone to tidbits at lunch lol
No... I have not.
Would have bee ice if it was considered with the jEA building and stayed the 9 stories they originally planned on.
Quote from: MusicMan on December 06, 2021, 04:39:40 PM
"Horrible for downtown if it loses +600 public workers. "
I hear what your saying Lake but do you really believe the 600 employees there were bringing any vibrancy to the CBD? I imagine the vast majority bring their lunches in a cooler and drive straight home after work.
I worked next door for a year or two. They do eat at Southbank and San Marco businesses. We did and even took the Skyway to the Northbank sometimes.
I believe they would be a better benefit if relocated to the Northbank. Get them closer, not further away. It should be easier to do this with a public entity than a private one.
Quote from: jaxlongtimer on December 06, 2021, 03:22:11 PM
There might also be a few options in the Rail Yard District. One is the old school property the school board already owns on Stockton and currently uses for maintenance I believe. It would be close to the I-10 exit to Stockton and to Beaver Street giving it good access. It would only be about a mile from Downtown and centrally located. Locating there would also give a neighborhood-in-need a big economic shot in the arm.
This is one of the parcels in the surplus bundle with the Southbank site. According to the Property Appraiser site, the Stockton parcel is 1.99 acres, and the existing one-story building has 11,738 heated square feet. Immediately adjacent to the 'surplus' parcel is a 20.28-acre parcel also owned by DCPS that houses the Landscape Maintenance Yard. There is still a lot of undeveloped space on the Landscape Yard parcel. A building of 120,000 square feet could be built there. I wonder about the proximity of McCoys Creek and the prospect of flooding (although the upcoming McCoys Creek project is supposed to take care of that).
Quote
Another spot might be the assorted parcels (looks like developers are already assembling them) lining I-95 on Myrtle Avenue and roughly across from JTA's bus barns. This would be even closer to Downtown and have good access (and visibility) from I-95.
I think U-Haul or some personal goods storage company is assembling the parcels across from the JTA Bus Barn on Myrtle, and have committed to preserving some of the buildings. None of the buildings would be useful to DCPS and would need to be demolished to make room for a new office building.
Quote
One other spot in that area with substantial acreage is the old US Natural Resources complex between Beaver and Kings Road and across from the main US Post Office facility. This recently sold to an investor that might be happy to flip it. Again, good access from I-95 and within a mile from Downtown.
Together, the 11 former USNR parcels total around 9 acres, not counting the city streets that divide them. Assembling smaller groups of parcels maintaining the east-west streets (State and Union Streets), but closing the north-south Blanche Street gives options ranging from 2.23 acres to 3.35 acres - plus whatever Blanche Street would add. I would imagine the environmental clean-up of most of these parcels could be quite extensive - and expensive.
I agree with Lake that it would be better for Downtown and the DCPS employees, to locate their new HQ in the Northbank Core. Better for the employees - not only the HQ employees but also District employees and the public needing to go there - by being located near restaurants and other amenities including transit.
^ Charles, thanks for the detailed response. Despite your concerns over this area, I think you also highlight much of its potential to meet the requirements of DCPS.
Addressing some of your concerns....
Re: Stockton Street, that location will not only benefit from the restoration of McCoy's Creek but will be along side the Emerald Trail offering a great amenity to employees wishing to take lunch time walks, runs or bike rides or just enjoy and outdoor picnic! I also believe this property is elevated quite a bit over the creek flood plain as it currently exist.
Re: Myrtle Avenue, I was referring to the blocks north of the U-Haul and existing building structures. These blocks have been mostly cleared of their shotgun houses and are thus vacant lots although a very few of the original shotgun houses remain. Those owners would need to be compensated, of course, and the short street ends starting at Myrtle and dead ending at I-95 would need formal closure.
Re: US Natural Resources, I would imagine that funding could be found for any environmental cleanups, a la what Shad Khan is getting from the City for Lot J and/or the Shipyards/Metro Park properties or what JEA did for Rummel's District project. Much of such costs would also be reflected in the sales price of the land. If we ever want to move toward more infill in the urban core, this assistance, like grants for historic preservation, is a must. Giving it to the School Board should be a lot more popular than giving it to Shad Khan or the District.
As the School Board's property is exempt from property taxes, it would be better on less valued land on the fringes of Downtown than in Downtown. As stated before, it also provides a catalyst for developing a part of town that has been mostly overlooked before now.
JLT, thanks for your response, you make some interesting points.
Thanks for pointing me to the right area along Myrtle. If you're talking about the area between Adams and Duval (and closing Monroe), that looks like about 4.6 acres. It appears there are several homes on the north side of Duval Street, so it would have to stay open. Isn't Adams the northern border of the U-Haul site?
I haven't been by the Stockton property, and I am not aware of the difference in grade.
The US Natural Resources property is adjacent to the "S"-Line segment of the Emerald Trail.
Part of the old USNR property is now leased to a new manufacturer.
http://www.thybar.com/thybars-new-jacksonville-plant/
Given all the vacant Northbank land the city owns, they really should sell the DCSB whatever acreage they need. Get three appraisals and go with the lowest, or at lest the average, given the need for DT to keep those employees.
With all the First Baptist property available, that should be looked at too.
I doubt the DCSB would be interested in leasing though, so Stein Mart, etc. might not be a good option.
Wouldn't be surprised to see a custom built/leased building, not directly on the water, in Rivers Edge. Lots of statements such as we like where we are and want a central location, just not on the waterfront makes me think that could happen. Not sure about timing on vertical construction in Rivers Edge. Similar to what JEA is doing.
"I believe they would be a better benefit if relocated to the Northbank. Get them closer, not further away. It should be easier to do this with a public entity than a private one."
That definitely makes sense. Given the fact it makes sense and would contribute to CBD vibrancy, what are the odds it will happen?
Here's a thought: The block on the Northbank bounded by Main, Church, Ocean, and Duval Streets. It's almost entirely surface parking, save for the "Volunteers in Medicine" building which seems to be for sale (https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/41-E-Duval-St-Jacksonville-FL/21956882/). Super central location, a block from City Hall (and therefore the JWJ Park Skyway station), also adjacent to the Main Street Pocket Park & Main Library, prime redevelopment opportunity.
If the new JEA building is any indication, a project scaled down to the 120k square feet they want should come in at around $50m, and if they skimp on the parking (because it's the Northbank, come on) it could be even less. That's reasonably within the "$12 million to $60 million cost range spread over 20 years".
While Jax is struggling to figure out which workforce to move out of the core next, Miami is planning on building a new middle school downtown which includes 493 workforce apartments and 10 teacher apartments on the same property.... DCPS and DIA should be taking notes.
https://www.thenextmiami.com/brickell-world-school-miamis-first-ever-school-with-housing-for-teachers-built-in-set-to-break-ground/
Quote from: vicupstate on December 07, 2021, 09:56:21 AM
I doubt the DCSB would be interested in leasing though, so Stein Mart, etc. might not be a good option.
Looking through the DCPS ITN, it appears that they are open to leasing. It appears they want a similar product and outcome as JEA's new offices that are being developed and leased by Ryan Companies. If that's the case, the Northbank and Southbank are full of potential sites. Basically, every site that JEA did not pick could be potential locations for consideration.
Any of these surface lots would do... great access to Central Station and would help cluster more businesses in the area.
(https://i.imgur.com/qHtzeqe.png)
I do think that a building adjacent to a Skyway Station would be really nice. You can have limited parking onsite (or none) which would make the building cheaper to build for sure.
I wonder if they could convince FSCJ or UNF to go in on a construction project with them?
The City should just 'take' the illegal lot on the site of the old Greyhound station as the penalty for building illegally. Yes, I know the chances of that happening are similar to the Jags going to the Super Bowl this year.
If relying on Skyway for parking, they would have to get an agreement with JTA to run the Skyway on nights when there are School Board meetings. [begin snark] With the super-duper autonomous vehicles, does it matter if they are near a station? "Where we're going, we don't need no stations." [end snark]
Is the DCSB committed to the urban core?
If not, I am thinking the 190 acre "tech park" that UNF just took over might be a candidate for a suburban location. Disadvantage is it is not centrally located within the county but I don't know how much that means to them.