JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville city council members met Wednesday to discuss the next steps in acquiring the property for the new University of Florida graduate campus.
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While no decisions were made at the meeting, council members were given a chance to direct questions toward the Downtown Investment Authority and Gateway Jax CEO Bryan Moll.
Moll reiterated his goal to build a hotel on the property, which he says would lead to retail, food, and beverage businesses joining the fray.
He also added that the proposed land swap would include a buyout option for the city to buy back the property for over $6 million if the developer does not obtain an incentive proposal within 15 months.
Also, council members continued to mull over the ongoing debate weighing two main options for acquiring the property: a land swap or a direct purchase.
One option would green-light the land swap; meanwhile, the other option would allocate up to 8 million dollars for the building purchase, which would be replenished by JEA’s contribution.
“As a food and beverage business owner and as a property owner focusing on retail on the Northbank, I ask that you please approve this land swap deal,” said Hardwicks Bar owner Elias Hionides. “Nine months to you, Mr. Salem may not seem like a long time, but 9 months to a small business owner is a long time. I guarantee it will be much longer if this land swap does not go through.”
Council member Joe Carlucci said he likes the project, but doesn’t like the process, adding that officials have done enough legwork at this point to know what would work and what wouldn’t regarding an incentive package, but details surrounding the purchasing process still need to be hammered out.
“I think it would be worthwhile to hear the opposing viewpoints, Carlucci said. ”You think one thing is the best, and then you hear someone challenging you on a few things, and then you really have to dig in and get hard questions answered."
If the land swap does go through, the Moll said it could start construction on the riverfront project by the end of next year.
More meetings on the matter are set to take place in the weeks to come.
In a one-on-one interview with News4JAX, Bryan Moll, CEO of Gateway Jax, expressed his commitment to bringing the UF grad campus to Jacksonville.
“Getting UF here and getting UF into 801 Bay Street is the most important thing, and on their timeline,” Moll stated.
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Moll added that the overall goal of the land swap is about making this area of downtown a place for people to go.
“I think it’s just so important that we do something on that parcel, and that we help activate the waterfront,” Moll said. “This is meant to be an urban, world-class park, and we feel very strongly that in order for it to be world-class and activated, you need that use there. So, whether it’s us or anyone else, we will always be supporters of doing something on that site.”
Moll said one aspect that has already been agreed upon with the Downtown Investment Authority is a 2% surcharge on the hotel rooms, adding that it would generate, on average, $700,000 a year over the next 30 years.
He said that revenue would go toward things like events, programming, and maintenance in the park.
News4JAX also asked Moll what his plan B would be if officials decide to move forward with the building purchase.
“We’re always going to be supportive of something happening on that development pad, whether it’s us or others,” Moll said. “I think the time is now to make it happen, and that is one of the reasons why we are strong supporters of the swap...Having UF be able to get into 801 Bay Street as soon as they can is most important.”
The full conversation with Gateway Jax’s CEO can be watched in its entirety below.
