Apartments planned for Deerwood Park area

First Coast News Video: Karen Brune Mathis First Business Report

Almost 700 apartments are on track for development in the Deerwood Park area at Butler and Southside boulevards.

Early next year, The Vestcor Companies of Jacksonville plans to break ground on the $25 million, 400-unit Tivoli at Deerwood Apartments, and Wood Partners of Atlanta intends to start construction on the $20.5 million, 282-unit Woods at Deerwood Park.

Both developers say the spot is a hot one for job growth, making the Butler and Southside boulevard location a prime candidate for luxury apartments.

"It's right near all your employment," said Vestcor President Mark Ferrell, noting the Deerwood Park and Butler Boulevard office developments, the nearby University of North Florida and its First Coast Technology Park and the potential regional shopping villages under design for the area.

The Tivoli at Deerwood Apartments now is under Jacksonville Planning and Development Department review. Plans show the 30-building, 400-unit project is designed on 26.5 acres along Gate Parkway North, on land owned by the Skinner family. Those plans show the apartment buildings, a community center with an indoor athletic area, and mail kiosks and maintenance building. The development ownership name is VCP-Tivoli Ltd.

Farrell said said Vestcor wanted to break ground in February and be completed in about 22 months. The project will comprise one-, two- and three-bedroom units, and half of them will have direct access to garages.

Monthly rents will range from an average $750 for the one-bedroom units to $930 for the two-bedroom apartments and $1,150 for the three-bedroom units. Sizes will run from about 900 square feet for the one-bedrooms to 1,550 for the three-bedroom units, he said.

"We're real excited about that market," said John Rood, Vestcor chairman.

The Tivoli will go up next to another Vestcor multi-family complex, the 320-unit Portofino Apartments.

Meanwhile, developers of The Woods at Deerwood Park, which probably will carry the "Alta" brand name, intend to start construction early next year on a 282-unit complex that will include 10 apartment buildings along with 10 garage structures.

Wood Partners, based in Atlanta, expects to complete the project in about 15 months, said partner Igal Knobler, who works at Wood Partners' Orlando office. The 16.15-acre site sits along Touchton Road between Gate Parkway and Southside Boulevard.

The project now is under review by the St. Johns River Water Management District.

The one-, two- and three-bedroom units will range from about 640 and 1,500 square feet in size, Knobler said earlier this year. Monthly rents could range from about $660 for the smallest one-bedroom units to $1,230 for the three-bedroom, two-bath apartments, he said in May.

Knobler said his information shows that occupancy rates are "very strong" in the Deerwood Park area. Wood Partners' target market will be the "young professionals working in the Deerwood Park area, people working in the JTB [Butler Boulevard] corridor who don't want to commute to the office."

The daily scoop

The Wavve Data Center has been OK'd to take shape in Southside. The city approved about $16.8 million in interior construction for the project, which will occupy a 65,300-square-foot building at the Salisbury Business Park. That park, a Liberty Property Trust development, is at 7251 Salisbury Road. Turner Construction Co. of Miami is handling the Wavve build-out. Wavve Telecommunications Inc. of Sacramento, Calif., said this summer that it would invest $26 million into the project, its first East Coast data center, and hire up to 100 workers. The space comprises about 45,000 square feet for a co-location data center and the remainder will be used for administrative and other space. Spokeswoman Lynne Wall said in August that operations should start in early 2001. The project will comprise a network operations center as well as a customer service center. Wavve is a third-party provider and manager of Internet communications for other companies.

Renovations were approved for Clear Channel Communications Inc. at 11700 Central Parkway. The Tower Group Inc. is contractor on the $3.1 million job, which is part of Clear Channel Jacksonville plans to invest up to $9 million to combine the staff and operations of two television stations, 10 radio stations and an outdoor media company under one roof. We reported in July that Clear Channel wants to develop a 120,000-square-foot complex in the EastPark Office & Industrial Park in Southside, where it now operates the television stations. Clear Channel Jacksonville President Josh McGraw said during the summer that the company would redevelop its existing 60,000-square-foot building into a 90,000-square-foot structure with the addition of internal walls and floors to convert warehouse space into office use. The entire job was expected to be completed early next year. EastPark is at Beach Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff Road.