FLORIDA SPOTLIGHT
Roads are a
'Cornerstone' in Duval
'Cornerstone' in Duval
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| Highwoods Preserve, home to the forthcoming DTCC complex, comprises 824,373 sq. ft. (76,584 sq. m.) in five buildings, with a sixth slated to add 185,000 more sq. ft. (17,187 sq. m.) to the 200-acre (81-hectare) corporate campus. |
The Space Coast (Brevard County) is one of several regional economic development partnerships on Florida's eastern shore. Others include the Research Coast (Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties) and the Internet Coast (Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties).
The largest partnership on the East Coast is the Cornerstone group in Jacksonville. Bolstered by a Super Bowl set for Jacksonville in January 2005, the River City is experiencing booming growth.
With a population of 1.16 million (expected to grow to 1.25 million by 2007), the Jacksonville MSA is drawing large employers like a magnet.
Cleveland-based XLO Group, a tier-one automotive supplier, is making a $2-million facility investment in Jacksonville by taking 30,000 sq. ft. (2,787 sq. m.) in the CenterPoint Business Park. About 85 jobs will be created.
Wallace Jones, chairman of XLO, said the metro area's transportation infrastructure swung the deal. "We believe Jacksonville will be an excellent location based upon its availability to the Interstate highway system and deepwater ports," he said. "XLO Jacksonville will be able to offer improved logistics, service and quality support to our customers in the South, Mexico and selected overseas customers."
Cornerstone uses the area's transportation network as recruiting leverage. According to a report just released by The Road Information Program (TRIP), Jacksonville is one of only three urban areas in the nation of one million people or more where at least 75 percent of the local road surfaces are in good condition.
TRIP's study, "Bumpy Roads Ahead: Cities with the Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make Our Road Smoother," found that one out of four of the nation's major metropolitan roads have pavements in poor condition and cost the average urban motorist $400 annually in added vehicle maintenance.
Only Jacksonville, Orlando and Atlanta have 75 percent or more of their roads in good condition, determined by a uniform pavement rating index. In addition, Jacksonville's total annual added vehicle maintenance is only $120 per motorist, or 70 percent below the national average.
One reason for Jacksonville's ranking is that the region invests heavily in road work. The Better Jacksonville Plan includes $1.5 billion for road improvements throughout Duval County, including widening major city arteries and resurfacing 2,000 miles (3,206 km.) of neighborhood streets.
The Port of Jacksonville is seeing its own logistics infrastructure grow as a result of an August 2004 expansion announcement by ICS Logistics. The firm is building a $21-million warehouse to serve the needs of client UPM-Kymmene, a Finnish paper manufacturer that is also occupying a new facility in Baltimore, Md. (See story on p. 699 of this issue.)
In neighboring St. Johns County, expedited permitting and incentives helped the county land BFE Inc., a manufacturer of aircraft interior structures, wall panels and galleys. BFE plans to build a 28,000-sq.-ft. (2,601-sq.-m.) facility on 4.25 acres (1.72 hectares) at St. Johns Place in the World Golf Village area at Interstate 95 and International Golf Parkway.
Eric Nord, owner of BFE, said the crucial factor in the deal was speed to market.
"BFE has to move by Oct. 1 [2004], and to design, permit and then build a facility in such a short amount of time is a monumental task," he said. "An estimate of the site permitting process alone took us out to May 20, but because all of the departments of St. Johns County have coordinated their responsibilities, we finished with the permitting nearly two months ahead of schedule." BFE plans to employ 20 people initially at wages above the county average.
The largest partnership on the East Coast is the Cornerstone group in Jacksonville. Bolstered by a Super Bowl set for Jacksonville in January 2005, the River City is experiencing booming growth.
With a population of 1.16 million (expected to grow to 1.25 million by 2007), the Jacksonville MSA is drawing large employers like a magnet.
Cleveland-based XLO Group, a tier-one automotive supplier, is making a $2-million facility investment in Jacksonville by taking 30,000 sq. ft. (2,787 sq. m.) in the CenterPoint Business Park. About 85 jobs will be created.
Wallace Jones, chairman of XLO, said the metro area's transportation infrastructure swung the deal. "We believe Jacksonville will be an excellent location based upon its availability to the Interstate highway system and deepwater ports," he said. "XLO Jacksonville will be able to offer improved logistics, service and quality support to our customers in the South, Mexico and selected overseas customers."
Cornerstone uses the area's transportation network as recruiting leverage. According to a report just released by The Road Information Program (TRIP), Jacksonville is one of only three urban areas in the nation of one million people or more where at least 75 percent of the local road surfaces are in good condition.
TRIP's study, "Bumpy Roads Ahead: Cities with the Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make Our Road Smoother," found that one out of four of the nation's major metropolitan roads have pavements in poor condition and cost the average urban motorist $400 annually in added vehicle maintenance.
Only Jacksonville, Orlando and Atlanta have 75 percent or more of their roads in good condition, determined by a uniform pavement rating index. In addition, Jacksonville's total annual added vehicle maintenance is only $120 per motorist, or 70 percent below the national average.
One reason for Jacksonville's ranking is that the region invests heavily in road work. The Better Jacksonville Plan includes $1.5 billion for road improvements throughout Duval County, including widening major city arteries and resurfacing 2,000 miles (3,206 km.) of neighborhood streets.
The Port of Jacksonville is seeing its own logistics infrastructure grow as a result of an August 2004 expansion announcement by ICS Logistics. The firm is building a $21-million warehouse to serve the needs of client UPM-Kymmene, a Finnish paper manufacturer that is also occupying a new facility in Baltimore, Md. (See story on p. 699 of this issue.)
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| Already the largest container port in Florida, the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami-Dade is in the midst of a capital improvement program valued at more than $250 million. In FY 2003, the port's leading import trading region was Europe, and its leading export trading region was the Caribbean. |
In neighboring St. Johns County, expedited permitting and incentives helped the county land BFE Inc., a manufacturer of aircraft interior structures, wall panels and galleys. BFE plans to build a 28,000-sq.-ft. (2,601-sq.-m.) facility on 4.25 acres (1.72 hectares) at St. Johns Place in the World Golf Village area at Interstate 95 and International Golf Parkway.
Eric Nord, owner of BFE, said the crucial factor in the deal was speed to market.
"BFE has to move by Oct. 1 [2004], and to design, permit and then build a facility in such a short amount of time is a monumental task," he said. "An estimate of the site permitting process alone took us out to May 20, but because all of the departments of St. Johns County have coordinated their responsibilities, we finished with the permitting nearly two months ahead of schedule." BFE plans to employ 20 people initially at wages above the county average.
