Cost to study JEA's crumbling downtown headquarters could reach $3 million

[thelakelander]

JEA is asking its board of directors for up to $3 million to study how to best address its neglected and crumbling downtown Jacksonville headquarters.
The utility is considering whether it should build a completely new tower or renovate its existing building — a dated Mid-Century Modern high rise topped by a Jetsons-style conference room — and the neighboring customer-service center. Either way, costs have been estimated to cost between $40-50 million.

JEA's audit and finance committee Monday unanimously approved the staff study, which could cost up to $3 million and will last about six months. The full JEA board must sign off on the expense.

JEA bought the downtown campus — which includes the tower, the neighboring customer-service center and a parking garage across the street — in 1989. Today, they house about 750 employees.

The buildings, constructed in 1962, have never undergone major capital improvements, and JEA staff now says the buildings, particularly the tower, face costly problems.

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/2015-08-10/story/cost-study-jeas-crumbling-downtown-headquarters-could-reach-3-million

[thelakelander]

LOL, so the building is "crumbling" now because they don't have enough parking spaces and some systems need to be replaced after 50 years of neglect?

■ Several critical systems, like the plumbing, are at the end-of-life stage.

■ Elevators frequently fail and their parts so old they cannot be easily replaced.

■ Fire protection systems have to be updated to meet compliance standards.

■ The parking garage, servicing the customer-service center and main tower, has only 513 parking spaces — far short of the 758 employees assigned to those buildings.

http://jacksonville.com/news/2015-08-10/story/cost-study-jeas-crumbling-downtown-headquarters-could-reach-3-million

Give me $50 in one dollar bills and I can expand on the solution mentioned below!

Build a new tower and sell the existing "crumbling" one.

[Jason]

^ That "common sense" style of thinking will certainly land you in trouble, Mr. Lakelander, and is not welcome in Jacksonville.

[jaxjaguar]

There's plenty of land near the courthouse that could be developed...

[Captain Zissou]

There's plenty of land near the courthouse that could be developed...

There's plenty of land near the "transportation hub" that could be developed...

[CCMjax]

LOL, so the building is "crumbling" now because they don't have enough parking spaces and some systems need to be replaced after 50 years of neglect?

■ Several critical systems, like the plumbing, are at the end-of-life stage.

■ Elevators frequently fail and their parts so old they cannot be easily replaced.

■ Fire protection systems have to be updated to meet compliance standards.

■ The parking garage, servicing the customer-service center and main tower, has only 513 parking spaces — far short of the 758 employees assigned to those buildings.

http://jacksonville.com/news/2015-08-10/story/cost-study-jeas-crumbling-downtown-headquarters-could-reach-3-million

Give me $50 in one dollar bills and I can expand on the solution mentioned below!

Build a new tower and sell the existing "crumbling" one.

Ha ha!  God forbid the lazy asses have to walk a block from the next parking garage down the street.  We wonder why we are all fat asses, lol!

[marksjax]

$3 million to spend on consultants to tell them what's wrong???
Aren't there any mechanical engineers (by education) employed there already? You can't get free estimates from different contractors to fix each problem area?
The JEA board should resign/be fired for rubber stamping this type of nonsense.
And you wonder why the general public has lost all confidence in government and its agencies.
They lost their big bet on coal as well.
This is just flat out waste.

As I said earlier in the thread that discussed this a while ago (remember it was the 'chance of flooding' that they used as a trial balloon to judge public sentiment about building a new headquarters)? Just go ahead and build the new building instead of wasting another $3 million for an 'official' excuse.
JEA used to be the shining success in this town. Not any longer.

[brainstormer]

I agree with most on this forum that $3 million for a study to determine a problem that has already been identified is a ridiculous waste of money. The board members should be ashamed of themselves if they approve this. They clearly want a new building, so save the $3 million, select a lot, put out the project to bid including the building design, and just move forward. I just saved them $3 million.

Perhaps if they weren't fighting the solar energy state amendment, people might actually think twice about how much JEA is despised. They bet on coal which was idiotic, but clearly aren't interested in finding alternative solutions. If they were smart, they would go all in on solar, convince a solar company to move to Jacksonville, and jump start a new Duval County industry. I bet GE would have considered covering the roof of their gigantic new facility with solar panels, if they knew they could sell the unused energy back into the system. We live in FLORIDA! Every roof should be plastered with solar panels. But no, our brilliant JEA bet on coal. Idiots!

I'm sorry...I digress.

[CCMjax]

whoa!  people get paid $3 million for this?  That's like a million dollars a second because it seems like 3 seconds is how long it's going to take them to come to a conclusion.  I'm getting into that business!

[simms3]

Very very fishy.  $3M would be an immense commission to sell a class A office tower in a major city.  And brokers, along with landlords/sellers, basically put together well thought out "studies" for value-add propositions, recaps, etc for deals of this size for a weeeee fraction of this price.

Basically, a study on what to do with this building does not cost $3M and something fishy is going on/pockets are being greased and the men at the board of directors are discreetly jacking each other off through their pants while they chat around a board room table.

This should really be looked into.  Small building.  Doesn't actually seem like that complex of a problem (relative to what I've seen at least).  JEA known for fishiness.

And as mentioned, they could literally sell their "crumbling" tower for a fraction of the price (i,e commission) as this study on what to do with it.  Between commission, transfer taxes, legal fees, buyer DD costs, etc, every party involved in such a transaction would have an impossible time even coming close to wracking up the fees we are talking here, and the brokers/buyers will have developed a fully baked idea on what to do with the building once under new ownership.  In fact, it could then be a sale lease-back where JEA pockets change upfront and has carry over 10-15 years.  JEA's credit, Jacksonville's shitty market, and it wouldn't be much at all.

And this thing is crumbling?  Let's fix the Barnett first.  $3M would go decently far there.

[Todd_Parker]

whoa!  people get paid $3 million for this?  That's like a million dollars a second because it seems like 3 seconds is how long it's going to take them to come to a conclusion.  I'm getting into that business!

Deciding on which font to use for the final report will require more effort than deciding what to do with the "crumbling" building.

[marksjax]

If you look at the Board Members of these local entities (which are either appointed by the Mayor's office or by the Governor) you start seeing the same names pop up again and again. Political paybacks for the most part I am guessing. They have no accountability as they really won't be fired so they just say yes to whatever is presented to them. Not naming names but most of these folks are really, really rich and have no clue how hard it is for normal working people to pay their bills.
If these boards were better represented by a more diverse group (read that as working folks) instead of millionaire Republican donors or their offspring I would think someone would raise an eyebrow and at least question this type of money grab.
Let us not forget the FSCJ Board dealing with it's former President which comes to mind as an example of a board that lost it's way.
Looks Like JEA is in the same boat. But they are not alone of course.
On the JTA side of things the road contracts almost always go to the same road builder even if they are not the lowest bid.
Time for a change...

[vicupstate]

Well fortunately, since there is now a fiscally conservative Governor and a fiscally conservative Mayor, this excessive wasteful nonsense will be stopped..... or will it?

[heights unknown]

There's plenty of vacant land all over downtown Jacksonville; and I agree, hiring a consultant and paying them 3 million to tell you what you already know and/or is apparent is a waste of money. JEA should really give that money to members of this group and forum who told them what to do just this morning, the same thing that the consultants will tell you.

[Captain Zissou]

For $3M wouldn't it be possible to fix the plumbing, evelvators, and the fire systems and then pay for the use of 200 parking spaces for years in a separate garage?  Then they could receive accolades for being responsible stewards of all of our money.  However, it seems like they're heading as fast as possible in the opposite direction.