JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A developer looking to purchase JEA’s old headquarters cleared a major milestone this week, with city council authorizing the property to be sold for $1 million.
21 W. Church Street and the three buildings on the property have been vacant since JEA moved its headquarters in 2023.
Despite the $1 million approved sale price, the land and three buildings are valued at $23 million according to the property appraiser.
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“I’m convinced that this is the best JEA is gonna do,” said Councilmember Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large).
Salem explained the seemingly low price tag was the best offer on the table.
According to JEA, the utility received only two bids for the property after spending five months seeking a potential buyer.
The first offered zero dollars, while Live Oak Contracting offered a million.
“They’re spending a million dollars a year just maintaining the building security-wise. And they just need to get out of all that,” Salem said.
Live Oak’s long-term plans for the property include converting the buildings into 180 apartments with additional retail and office space, which is expected to cost millions of dollars.
“The property requires significant planning, environmental abatement, vertical retrofitting, infrastructure enhancements, and code compliance upgrades to support a new mix of residential, hospitality, retail, office, wellness, and public gathering spaces,” said a spokesperson with Live Oak Contracting in a statement.
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Live Oak now has at least a year to assess the property and determine the viability of its plans before moving forward with the purchase.
Salem said he hopes the sale comes to fruition, especially given the other developments planned just around the corner.
“If the Publix is built, it will be within a block of the Publix. So, that’s another positive thing,” Salem said.
According to Live Oak Contracting, if it does move forward with purchasing the property, the hope is to begin construction on the new development in 2028.
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