In a stark reversal of its unanimous vote against relocation a month earlier, the Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) Board has voted 4-3 to sell the district’s current headquarters on the Southbank and relocate to Baymeadows.
In two separate votes at its Nov. 4 meeting, the board voted to sell the administrative headquarters property at 1701 Prudential Drive and purchase a new facility at 8928 Prominence Parkway in Baymeadows. For both votes, DCPS Board Chair Charlotte Joyce, Vice Chair April Carney, and Board Members Melody Bolduc and Reginald Blount voted in favor, while Board Members Cindy Pearson, Darryl Willie, and Anthony Ricardo voted against.
Under the approved contract, there is a 455-day closing period on the Prudential property with a possible six-month extension.
“This move allows us to give more back to our schools without taking anything away from students,” said DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier. “By relocating only our administrative offices, we’re reducing overhead costs and generating revenue that will be reinvested directly into the capital budget to support classrooms, educators and student resources.”
The buyer is Jacksonville-based Chase Properties, which will purchase the 4.87-acre Prudential Drive property for $17.2 million. That’s $2.8 million less than developer Fleet Landing’s offer, which the board rejected unanimously in October. Chase Properties plans to demolish the DCPS building and construct a mixed-use development featuring residential units – apartments and condos – plus 200,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.
Chase Properties Owner and CEO Mike Balanky says the development on the school board property will be “synergistic” with the nearby 53-unit TrailView Townhomes – also being developed by Chase Properties – and the RiversEdge developments. He hopes to break ground in the next year and complete the project within three years.
“This is the last best piece of property on the river in our city, and it’s exciting to see it all finally coming together,” said Balanky.
During public comment, District 5 City Councilman Joe Carlucci expressed his support for the sale to Chase Properties, although he specified that he was not present to speak on the purchase of the new building.
“This will continue to amplify the progress we’ve already made Downtown, and it coincides with plans we have for the future,” said Carlucci, who called the move a “generational opportunity for Jacksonville.”
At their October meeting, board members raised concerns about Fleet Landing’s plan for a retirement community on prime Downtown riverfront property and the deal’s structure, which deferred $7.5 million in payments for up to three years without interest. By contrast, the approved sale to Chase Properties requires full payment of $17.2 million at closing.
While Pearson, who represents the Southbank, said the new deal was an improvement, it did not yet address all of her concerns. She cited the Prominence Parkway property’s decentralized location, high cost and $42,000 annual property owners’ association fee as reasons for her opposition to the sale.
“I do believe there is a better option for the Duval County School Board admin building, we just haven’t found it yet, but I do believe it is out there,” Pearson said.
Board member Reginald Blount said he did not “feel 100% comfortable” with the purchase of Prominence Parkway, but ultimately voted in favor of both the sale and the purchase. In remarks to Resident News, he explained that he changed his vote from a month earlier because the financial structure of the Chase Properties deal was superior to that of the Fleet Landing deal.
“They’ve been dealing with this for years and years, and I don’t think we need to be regurgitating it all over again,” said Blount.
Bernier stated that the district had received and vetted additional offers as late as the day before the board meeting, but had decided to stick with Chase Properties’ offer. Carney explained that some potential buyers planned only to renovate the building rather than demolish it, which she argued would not sufficiently increase the city’s tax base.
