A.G. Gancarski
On an otherwise light agenda for the Jacksonville City Council Wednesday evening, the panel unanimously approved Project Mountain, a package which brings capital investment and business expansion to one of the city’s most economically challenged areas.
The bill “authorizes execution of an economic development agreement between the City and Project Mountain (company name temporarily confidential)” but, reports the Jacksonville Daily Record, likely will be an expansion of the current UPS facility in Northwest Jacksonville.
A Recapture Enhanced Value grant of up to $4.3 million over five years was authorized by the bill.
That REV grant offers incentive for investment of $196 million in capital: $46 million in land; and $150 million in equipment, furniture, and fixtures.
Job creation is part of the deal, but is a secondary consideration to the capital investment: 10 jobs, with an average salary of just over $50,000, would be created by the end of 2020.
The company employs 965 people currently.
The Daily Record report notes UPS filed an administrative zoning deviation to expand its regional package distribution center by 264,000 square feet.
The zoning application indicated interest in 1,680 workers at the facility, including holiday workers.
