JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville is considering a project that could inject hundreds of millions of dollars into Cecil Airport.
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The proposal involves a company currently searching for a location for its airplane manufacturing and production, with Jacksonville emerging as a contender.
The initiative, dubbed “Project Bluebird,” is under review as the company evaluates several cities for its manufacturing operations. Cecil Airport is being considered.
According to city documents, the company plans to invest over $400 million in capital improvements, all “within the fence” of Cecil Airport.
The project summary indicates that the company can begin operations in an existing hangar and, over the next 15 years, create 1,200 jobs with an average salary of $90,000.
The project rationale said, “It begins to attract even more aviation companies to investigate Jacksonville as a destination for highly skilled manufacturers while demonstrating that Jacksonville is on the cutting edge of aviation advancements.”
The plan anticipates that 400 of those jobs could be established by the end of 2031.
While the initial phase involves utilizing an existing hangar, the Office of Economic Development (OED) indicates that within five years, the company plans to construct a manufacturing facility on 80 acres. The OED noted that this development would include over $150 million in equipment and finishings, which the city could tax.
The background sent to the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee said that the company has indicated “incentives are a material factor to locate in Jacksonville.”
To support the project, the OED is recommending a Recapture Enhanced Value Grant. This incentive aims to attract the company to Jacksonville by offering 75% of the incremental property taxes over the next 20 years, capped at $20 million.
The Mayor’s Budget Review Committee is set to discuss the proposal on Monday at 2 p.m.
If approved, the Office of Economic Development would introduce legislation to the City Council to formalize an agreement between the company and the city, allowing the department to monitor the project’s progress.
