JEA considering three sites for new headquarters

Jacksonville, FL — JEA is moving closer to determining where their new headquarters will be.

Six proposals were submitted earlier this month, and JEA staff and their consultant CBRE has spent time since then getting clarification on the bids and evaluating them. Now, the list has been cut in half.

The "short list" includes proposals for Kings Avenue Station on the Southbank, Lot J development by TIAA Bank Field, and a currently empty lot at 325 West Adams Street.

The JEA Board of Directors is expected to vote on which proposal to move forward with on February 5th. That date falls within a protected window, where the details of the proposals that were put forward are not public. Despite that, JEA’s Board Chair said Tuesday that they are now asking each of the three short-listed developers for a version of their bid which can be released publicly ahead of the vote.

“With the goal of providing as much transparency and opportunity for public input as possible,” says Board Chair Alan Howard.

It is not yet clear when exactly those redacted bids will be released.

Howard says they have also decided to create a public comment window at the start of the February 5th meeting, so the Board can hear from the public about the three proposals. After the public comment, each development group will make a presentation, and then the Board is expected to vote. Howard did leave open the possibility that the vote gets pushed back, if the Board determines it wants more time.

JEA staff and CBRE will spend the coming weeks hearing presentations on the full bids, then receiving the “best and final” financial offers and refining the bid scores.

The Lot J development is in partnership with Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who is planning for entertainment space, retail, and more as part of an overall vision for redeveloping the Sports Complex and Shipyards. The Adams Street lot is something JEA had previously considered acquiring through a land swap agreement with the City, although those discussions were suspended in 2017.