Duval school board votes no on lease options for new administration building

[thelakelander]

Despite pressure by city leaders, including the mayor, the Duval County school board decided on Tuesday that it was staying put on the banks of the St. Johns River.

The school board agreed that the public school administration building needed to move but was split on the urgency of vacating the building and signing a new lease, with the majority rejecting a move over financial concerns.

Board members decided against two proposals to move the school offices. One was to lease space from Florida Blue Cross Blue Shield in an existing building, and the other was to lease space on Jacksonville Transit Authority property for a building with an option to purchase.

The Florida Blue proposal was rejected 4-3, and the JTA proposal was rejected unanimously.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2024/03/12/duval-schools-votes-no-on-new-buildings-leases.html?cx_testId=178&cx_testVariant=cx_24&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

[marcuscnelson]

Interesting that the Florida Blue option was so close. But wow, all this time spent to end up staying put.

[jaxlongtimer]

This was the correct decision based on insiders I have spoken with.  There is not an urgent need to move and none of the options made financial sense. 

They can stay there for at least another 10 years and look around again when the land they are on might yield much better returns than today when we have "excess" riverfront to develop.  Maybe then the numbers make more sense.  If the building was demolished today it would likely be just be another empty lot sitting around for a long time.

The only reason for this exercise now was for the political optics of getting a government building "off the riverfront."  Kudos to the board for agreeing to stay put after all such pressure.  With the meddling of the legislature leading to more funds going to charter schools, the board needs to keep all the dollars it has for schools, not new administrative digs.

[Charles Hunter]

Aren't negotiations underway with the Sheriff's Office for much of the BCBS Brooklyn building? How is it still an option for DCPS? Or turn it around, if DCPS exercised their option, would that shut out JSO?

[jaxlongtimer]

^ I would guess the BCBS complex is large enough to hold both entities.  It's two adjoining towers so pretty big.

[Charles Hunter]

From a January Times-Union article about the potential move of JSO to Florida Blue

The Sheriff's Office already has a foothold in the Florida Blue building. City Council agreed in September to authorize a lease between the city and the Jacksonville-based insurance corporation to lease space spread over three floors of the 20-story building. The Sheriff's Office will move some of its workforce into the tower after buildout of office space finishes.

If the Sheriff's Office moved out of the Police Memorial Building, it would take about 80% of the building.

Would 20% of the building, less whatever the current tenants are using, be enough for DCPS?

[acme54321]

I guessed I missed it, but there is a for sale sign out in front of the school board building.

[Joey Mackey]

I saw the same sign, and here it is listed on the real estate broker's website: https://trinitycre.com/property/southbank-riverwalk-redevelopment-site/

[Charles Hunter]

Looks like a great place for a ground-floor riverfront restaurant.

[jcjohnpaint]

I thought they were not moving.

[Skybox111]

Doesn't look like they can sell that building because of a new state law prohibiting sale of school property. Duval County schools are generally not for sale, meaning the state law prevents the district from selling school property unless it's deemed surplus and used for specific purposes. Senate Bill 140, which pertains to charter schools, requires districts to approve a five-year plan before acquiring or selling property. Additionally, the state law requires the district to maintain a minimum level of reserves, and it's near that minimum  And more of that seems also tangle with the school board building. School board was selling the property but with this new law it may hinder that.  they're looking into it.

[acme54321]

I read the listing last night and that commercial real estate group mentions working with DCSB in selling the building as part of their 5 year plan.

[jaxlongtimer]

^ Maybe they are just testing the market waters to see what interest there might be.  Anyone buying this property for redevelopment may want a lock on it for a year or more to do proper due diligence and that's after writing a contract which could take awhile too.  So, start now for something maybe 5 years away, if ever.

I am still not convinced, having spoken to some DCPS employees, that moving off this property makes economic sense... unless they can get a blow away offer for it, something that hasn't happened so far.

[jcjohnpaint]

Also, seems like Rivers Edge is happening. You really can't assume anything will ever happen here after all the fanfare.