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- June 20, 2017
- Our Company, Our People, Retail Real Estate
Durbin Park in northern St. Johns County, which is set to rival St. Johns Town Center in retail size and scope, will start “going vertical” with its first phase early next year.
Developer Frank Gatlin III said Monday that site work is underway at the 80-acre Pavilion at Durbin Park. Stores should open starting in the first quarter of 2019.
Jacksonville-based Gate Petroleum Co. is developing the 1,600-acre Durbin Park west of Interstate 95 and south of Race Track Road.
Gatlin Development Co., also based in Jacksonville, is working with Gate in a joint venture to develop the commercial space.
The Pavilion is south of Race Track Road and west of Florida 9B.
Gate expects to open a convenience store and gas station, as well as a Gate Express Carwash, at the site in late 2018 or early 2019.
Wal-Mart Supercenter and The Home Depot are confirmed for the Pavilion, which is a 700,000-square-foot project with an estimated investment of $150 million.
Gatlin, CEO of Gatlin Development, said negotiations could be completed soon for other tenants, including several junior anchor stores.
Gatlin said his group was in active negotiations to bring the first phase of the development to 90 percent occupancy.
The second phase is where the previously announced Bass Pro Shops will locate, pending negotiations, he said.
Gatlin said he also was talking with movie theaters “and a whole entertainment cluster” and other tenants for that phase.
He said he would be speaking with the iFLY indoor parachuting center for the second phase. The entertainment venue also is considering a site near Topgolf at St. Johns Town Center, but has not confirmed a Northeast Florida location.
A 150,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops is planned for the second phase. It announced in 2012 it would open a Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World there by mid-2014, but that was delayed.
The Shopping Center Group will be the leasing agent for the retail space.
Durbin Park is designed for about 2.4 million square feet of retail space, 2.8 million square feet of office space, 999 multifamily housing units and about 350 hotel rooms.
The total retail space is almost twice the size of St. Johns Town Center.
Of the 1,600 acres, about 600 could be developed for building sites. The remainder is lake, wetlands, road right-of-way and green space.
Original article appeared here.