Unnamed prospect looking for 1-million-square-foot distribution center at Cecil

[thelakelander]

Unnamed prospect looking for 1-million-square-foot distribution center at AllianceFlorida

By Karen Brune Mathis, Managing Editor

Hillwood Investment Properties reported Monday the city is interested in identifying a site at AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center for a 1-million-square-foot distribution center from an undisclosed prospect.
In its third-quarter report to the city, Hillwood said the submittal was related to a regional search, but that's all the information it offered about the prospect.

A 1-million-square-foot distribution center compares with the sizes sought by major retailers or e-commerce companies, such as Amazon.com.

Amazon.com opened two 1-million-square-foot fulfillment centers in Lakeland and near Tampa in 2014. Jacksonville was interested in landing one of those.

The two centers together employ 2,000 people as of August were adding 2,000 more jobs.

Kirk Wendland, executive director of the city Office of Economic Development, said Monday he could not disclose the name of the prospect, saying only "we are one of many sites that they are looking at."

Full article: http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=546749

[RattlerGator]

Come on down, Amazon, come on down.

[FlaBoy]

Great location for an Amazon Warehouse. They can get flights in and out of there for shipping. Only an hour and fifteen minutes to Gainesville or Lake City, and positioned on the Outer Beltway for easy access in the future to St. Augustine, St. Johns County overall, Clay County, and Bradford County. I think Hillsborough provided incentives to get them there. Polk did not.

[acme54321]

Amazon already has a huge distribution centers down in C FL and in Atlanta.  Doubt they'll be building one here but you never know.

[thelakelander]

Yeah, I can't imagine this being Amazon.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Yeah, I can't imagine this being Amazon.

Books-A-Million?

[KenFSU]

The Amazon ship has sailed, at least for now.

Toys R' Us, maybe?

Dollar General seems to be building out a lot of ~million s.f. distribution centers in the last few years as well.

[jaxlongtimer]

I recall that Home Depot was once considering something big here.  Now that the economy is serving HD well (their stock is at an all-time record high to prove it ) and with their purchase of Interline Brands here, it seems they would be a candidate worthy of speculation.

[thelakelander]

I'll be happy if Home Depot finally does something with their long vacant site at I-95 and University.

[Gators312]

While I give Amazon less than 1% chance, it is an interesting thought.  Recently there is talk of Amazon acquiring a fleet of 767 freighters.  VQQ would be a nice fit for this type of cargo operation.

[Steve]

Could be Amazon - they're rapidly expanding Same Day Delivery. Hard to do that without a facility in the metro area.

[thelakelander]

BMW matches specs of Project X

By Karen Brune Mathis, Managing Editor

History and logistics raise the question whether the anticipated unidentified Project X could be BMW.
Project X is described as a 450,000-square-foot distribution center, expanding to 600,000 square feet. It was courted by Hillwood Investment Properties for the AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center industrial park in West Jacksonville.

However, Hillwood reported to the city in late December the prospect had chosen another Jacksonville site, but as of Sept. 30 had not made an announcement. No announcement has been made since then.

BMW of North America LLC, which already leases a smaller facility in Westside Industrial Park, appears to fit the parameters for Project X.

Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=546893

[Tacachale]

Whoever it is, it's got to be something big, because that's a ton of space. Cars would make sense.

[Jimmy]

Apple has two data centers in Maiden, North Carolina.  I think they add up to about 1M square feet.

One can dream...

[thelakelander]

It's the second Amazon warehouse:

Amazon.com seeks permit for Cecil Commerce Center fulfillment center
Four months after Amazon.com announced its first fulfillment center in Jacksonville, plans were filed Friday for a second one in Cecil Commerce Center.
That will boost its Northeast Florida job base to at least 2,700 employees.

Plans were filed for the city to review a proposed 1,016,041-square-foot warehouse fulfillment center on 86 acres at 13333 103rd St.

Macgregor Associates Architects of Atlanta is the architect.

The site already is being cleared. The Conlan Co. is the contractor for that and also is building the first center.

The Cecil Commerce Center warehouse is expected to pick, pack and ship larger consumer items, such as kayaks and TVs, while the first center will handle smaller consumer goods.

Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=548761