A decades-long conversation surrounding the sale and relocation of the Duval County Public Schools administrative building may soon come to a close.
With the selection process currently down to one buyer to sell to and one property to buy, the DCPS Board held a workshop on Sept. 17 to ask questions
about its potential new home.
Last month, the Board voted to grant DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier the authority to negotiate contracts to sell its property at 1701 Prudential Drive and purchase a new administration building. The Board hired Trinity Commercial Group (TCG) last November to find both potential buyers for its property and a new facility to move to, and it provided Bernier with the top candidates.
The Offers
DCPS is in negotiations to sell its 1701 Prudential Drive property to Fleet Landing for $20 million. Fleet Landing was selected based on price and community benefit through a competitive bidding process managed by TCG.
Fleet Landing is a not-for-profit business that develops and operates luxury retirement communities in Jacksonville, with its flagship gated community located in Atlantic Beach. A second Fleet Landing community is under construction in Nocatee and, if this sale is approved, Fleet Landing will open its third community on the DCPS headquarters property.
Fleet Landing has released conceptual designs of the proposed Southbank retirement community. The initial phase would feature a 30-story residential tower encompassing approximately 557,000 gross square feet. The tower would include nearly 300 residences ranging from 1,000 to more than 3,500 square feet, and would be home to more than 500 residents.
“Residents of Fleet Landing bring so much value to the Jacksonville community. They are active volunteers, philanthropists, and engaged citizens invested in the success of our city,” said Josh Ashby, Fleet Landing CEO. “We are excited about this possibility and are certain that residents of this future community will serve as catalysts for additional redevelopment on the Southbank and beyond.”
DCPS is also in negotiations to acquire the 8928 Prominence Parkway property for a purchase price not to exceed $14 million from Dream Finders Homes. The property features a four-story building that is approximately 165,000 square feet. The building is the headquarters for Southeastern Grocers Inc., the parent company of Winn-Dixie Grocery Stores and Harvey’s Supermarkets.
The reasons behind selling its headquarters facility include:
- The sale could bring more money than a replacement facility would cost, and the surplus could benefit the DCPS budget and facilities.
- A newer facility would reduce maintenance costs.
- Parking is limited at the current administration building.
The Concerns
Accessibility has been a focal point as the process to find a new facility has evolved. DCPS Board Chair Charlotte Joyce, along with Board Members Reginald Blount, Melody Bolduc and Darryl Willie, wanted to make sure that parents, students, and employees would have access to the new building.
Bernier’s chief of staff, Michael Ramirez, informed the Board that DCPS has been in contact with JTA CEO Nathaniel Ford about the need for bus service to both the new site and The Schultz Center, which would host school board meetings if the sale of the current building is approved.
“I want to be clear that parents are welcome at any of our buildings, but our plan and where we did the cost estimates was surrounding moving the board meetings to the Schultz Center,” said Bernier. “Structurally changing the first floor of the new building [to create a space for school board meetings]would have additional impacts [to the cost of the new building].”
The Schultz Center is located on 4019 Boulevard Center Drive, off Beach Boulevard in St. Nicholas. It was chosen to keep the meetings centrally located. While the Board expressed concern that there is no bus stop at the center, there is a stop near it.
“There are two stops near the center, but both involve a bit of a walk to get there, and I don’t know how convenient that is,” said DCPS Board Member Cindy Pearson.
Ramirez assured the Board that, once plans are finalized, he would meet with JTA to discuss any issues with accessibility.
The closing dates for the property sales were also discussed. The closing for the purchase of the Prominence Parkway property is tentatively scheduled for Dec.31, and the DCPS property on Prudential Drive is expected to close by the third quarter of 2026.
This timeline would have DCPS owning two buildings for nine months, but that time will be used to prepare the new building for the needs of the DCPS staff, said Bernier.
The School Board is scheduled to vote on the two transactions at its Oct. 7 meeting.
