International Golf Parkway to become shopping mall mecca?

[thelakelander]

Here are the shopping plazas coming soon to the International Golf Parkway and Interstate 95 intersection:

Southwest Corner: Lion's Gate, expected to open as early as 2009, will include three anchor stores as well as junior anchor stores, restaurants and other shops.

Northeast Corner: Esplanade, expected to open in 2010, will include four department stores, a 16-screen movie theater and about 80 boutiques and shops.

Southeast Corner: Lakeside Promenade, expected to open late this year or early next year, will feature various specialty shops, a restaurant and a day spa.

[thelakelander]

Esplanade at St. Johns



The Esplanade will located on the northeast corner of the Interstate 95/International Golf Parkway interchange.  It will contain 1.5 million square feet of retail space on 580 acres.  In addition, there will be 4,300 jobs, 847,000 square feet of office space, 1,400 residential units, a school and a 110 room hotel.  Before construction starts, International Golf Parkway must be expanded from two to six lanes all the way east to US 1.  The developer is Ben Carter Properties.  The project is anticipated to open by 2010, two years after construction starts in mid 2008.

http://staugustine.com/stories/041807/news_4540167.shtml


Lion's Gate

This 100 acre, 1 million square foot complex will be located on the southwest corner of International Golf Parkway and Interstate 95.  It's expected to bring in $400 million in annual revenue and employ up to 1,500.  Lions Gate will include three anchor stores, junior anchors, restaurants and shops.  It will be built around a large lake, featuring outdoor dining and a wide promenade for shoppers.  Construction could start as early as January 2008 and is expected to be complete within a year of ground breaking.  The developers are Weingarten Realty Investors and Steinmann & Co. Real Estate.

Lakeside Promenade





Lakeside is currently under construction on the southeast corner of the interchange.  When complete, it will offer 119,000 square feet of shopping space

http://staugustine.com/stories/041407/news_4532324.shtml

[thelakelander]

Lakeside Promenade site plan

[Jason]

Esplanade 'in limbo'

By PETER GUINTA   |   More by this reporter  |  peter.guinta@staugustine.com   |   Posted: Sunday, October 5, 2008 ; Updated: 1:06 AM on Sunday, October 5, 2008

Esplanade, the proposed high-end retail shopping complex planned for the intersection of Interstate 95 and International Golf Parkway, is sitting unbuilt and dormant, waiting for the financial climate to change.

A year ago, the St. Johns County Commission worked out a $28 million transportation deal with the owners of the planned new residential, office and shopping complex.

Commission Chair Tom Manuel said Friday that a lot has changed in a year.

"There is no doubt that we are in a period of great economic uncertainty," he said. "If there is no consumer confidence, risk capital doesn't want to take risk."

The initial deal was for St. Johns County to expand the I-95-IGP cloverleaf with that $28 million and in return approve The Devlin Group and Ben Carter's plan to build 1,400 homes, 1.4 million square feet of retail space, 850,000 square feet of office space and a 110-room hotel on property northeast of the intersection.

But nothing happened after that agreement was hammered out. No applications were filed, no money changed hands.

County planners now say, "The project is in limbo."

The Devlin Group did not return phone calls Friday asking why the project stopped moving forward.

Manuel said they "are still committed to getting it done. I've heard nothing about them withdrawing."

Planners said the county and the developers had hoped to create a taxing district in that area to pay for local transportation improvements. But that idea died when the state Supreme Court ruled that such a taxing district required that a referendum be held first.

Growth Management Services Director Teresa Bishop said that, after the ruling, "Everything got put on hold."

The court reversed itself a few weeks ago, meaning that the taxing district can now be created without a referendum.

Manuel said he hopes the Wall Street rescue bill that President Bush signed into law Friday would "feed into the economy and filter down to Main Street," because that will increase consumer certainty and encourage new businesses to open.

"I'm hopeful these retail centers will be built and are successful, not only because of the property taxes and sales taxes (the county would collect), but because we won't have to go as far to go shopping," he said.

He said two other retail centers Lion's Gate in World Golf Village and another along State Road 210 are also biding their time.

"Right now it's tread water time," Manuel said. "It will be better after the election. The financial market is very difficult for any project now. Businesses expect the economy to go up and down. But (this time) they didn't expect it to fall off a cliff."

Source: http://staugustine.com/stories/100508/news_1005_025.shtml

[jacksonvilleconfidential]

I cannot wait. I, literally, work right next to the site at the StarPointe business park here at the WGV.

[reednavy]

we'll be waiting a while on this one i'm sure.

[Jason]

Yup, quite a while.  With all of the potential competition from the newly expanded outlet mall one exit to the south plus the St Johns Town Center and Avenues walk to the north, the development may be a few years off.

[reednavy]

Yup, quite a while.  With all of the potential competition from the newly expanded outlet mall one exit to the south plus the St Johns Town Center and Avenues walk to the north, the development may be a few years off.

yes, those need to be fully built out, with no more room for expansion before another competition is built, in a rather benign location.

SJTC has plenty of room on the backside that backs up to 9A/295. You also have more space where dept. stores may go in at some point. It just makes sense.

[chipwich]

It all depends on rooftops.  These centers need at least 50,000 roofs in the immediate surroundings (within a 3 mile radius) to even think about breaking dirt.  Retailers will not even look twice until they see some more residents in the area.

Basically WGV projects are dependent on the housing cycle coming back again.  Fortunately for them (developers), WGV is a desirable place to live and Jacksonville is still going to experience strong population growth in the coming years. 

[Jason]

Strong growth definitely, but not at the explosive rates these developers were banking on.  At the rate the WGV area is still growing, I'd say we won't see any construction on the Esplande (or any evolution thereof) for at least 5 years.  Could be a good thing for that area to stop and rethink the growth patterns and catch up on the infrastructure upgrades.  A bit more density could easily be supported at that intersection and should be encouraged, IMO.

[jacksonvilleconfidential]

Well, hopefully I will not be working out here in 5 years. Wanting but not actively seeking employment in the Urban Core so i can have a smaller carbon footprint.

[Ocklawaha]

Just as long as they re-activate the Navy Blimp field, NLTA FRANCIS FIELD. It would be so cool to have met-life or another offering blimp rides from WGV.

OCKLAWAHA

[The Compound]

Well, hopefully I will not be working out here in 5 years. Wanting but not actively seeking employment in the Urban Core so i can have a smaller carbon footprint.

Haha, carbon footprint, you just want to go to lunch with the cool people.

[jacksonvilleconfidential]

That too.

[British Shoe Company]

These projects will hurt the outlets @ state road 16, and I95.  Much needed tax dollars for the county will come from the Esplanade, and Lions Gate projects!