Big Regional Projects: Duval County advances $270 million factory
Posted by Eder Bonilla on
By: Karen Brune Mathis & Monty Zickuhr | Editors
From: Jaxdailyrecord
Cosentino Group plans to break ground in January 2025 on the $270 million first phase of a project to build a manufacturing facility at the Cecil Commerce Center megasite in West Jacksonville, south of Interstate 10.
The Spanish sustainable surfaces company intends to complete the first phase at the end of 2028. The multiphase project could grow to a $440 million manufacturing facility.
After the $270 million first phase, a second phase would be a capital investment of $70 million. Cosentino will have the option to buy another 150 acres to build a minimum $100 million addition to the project.
In May, Jacksonville City Council approved a 330-acre land sale and incentives package for Cosentino Group, previously code-named Project Raptor Stone. The legislation approved the $20.5 million land sale, a $12 million property tax incentive and $5.5 million in debt spending to pay for a $3 million road extension at Cecil and pay $2.5 million for JEA to make sewer and water infrastructure improvements at the site.
Another bill appropriated $5.5 million awarded by the state in November to put toward a CSX Corp. rail line extension at the business park.
The legislation appropriates $2.5 million from the city’s general fund for the city’s portion of the rail extension to support Cosentino’s operation.
The incentives agreement says Cosentino will create 180 jobs by the end of 2028.
The city said that it would have about 120 acres left of the 745-acre megasite southwest of Interstate 10 and Cecil Commerce Parkway. About 600 acres of the megasite can be developed.
The city owns the industrial park property and Dallas-based Hillwood is the master developer of what is AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center.
The city’s summary of the Cosentino project says the initial phase of the project would be a 408,000-square-foot facility with another 734,00 square feet for adjacent support areas and two production lines.
The city would sell the future 150-acre option parcel to the company at 75% of the appraised value at the date of the purchase.