S P O N S O R   S P O T L I G H T
Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership

Add ample recreational opportunities, proximity to the beach and short commute times and you have just some of the reasons why 1.4 million people have made the Jacksonville region their home.

Cecil Commerce Center, the largest industrial site in Florida, is one of the most sought after locations in the Southeastern United States for manufacturing, supply chain logistics and industrial end users. Representing more than three percent of the land area in Jacksonville, this industrial and commercial-zoned site offers mid- to large-size parcels for development. Its intermodal capabilities are unmatched, as the site is adjacent to I-10, served by CSX rail and home to the third longest airport runway in Florida.

Arguably the most important business announcement for the continued success of the region occurred in 2005 when Mitsui OSK Lines (M.O.L.), one of the world's largest multi-modal transportation companies, signed a 30-year land lease with the Jacksonville Port Authority. The agreement is giving birth to a new 158-acre cargo terminal, a $200-million project that will begin operations in early 2008 and expand container handling capacity by 800,000 TEUs annually by 2011.

Bridgestone Firestone announced its intent to build a 1-million-sq.-ft. distribution center at Cecil Commerce Center not long after Mitsui OSK Lines (M.O.L.) signed a 30-year land lease with the Jacksonville Port Authority, on whose property a new $200-million cargo terminal will launch operations in early 2008.

"The logistics chain reaction of this announcement is already being felt across Northeast Florida," said Jerry Mallot, executive director of the Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership. "Bridgestone Firestone announced plans to construct a one million square foot distribution facility at Cecil Commerce Center utilizing the intermodal capabilities for the site in conjunction with new Asian containership services by M.O.L."

Jacksonville recently received a mega-sized stamp of approval when a 1,500-acre portion of Cecil Commerce Center was designated a shovel-ready megasite by McCallum Sweeney Consulting. The evaluation took place as part of a larger search by Jacksonville-based CSX Transportation, Inc., which hired the firm to evaluate sites through its service area in search of the best sites for existing and potential high-impact industrial development. The Cecil site is the first to be certified by McCallum Sweeney in Florida.

Jacksonville boasts a fast-growing population of 1.4 million, and a corporate population that is growing at its own healthy clip.

"As part of growing our business and improving Florida's business climate, CSX Transportation, Inc. works to ensure that it has a complete and comprehensive inventory of sites ready for development on or near our railroad," said Charles McSwain, assistant vice president for CSX and immediate past chair of IAMC. "The Cecil designation is important as manufacturers look to site businesses that will spur economic development and jobs."

Cecil Commerce Center encompasses nearly 8,300 acres and is protected by 9,000 surrounding acres of greenspace. This former Naval Air Station Cecil Field was conveyed to the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Jacksonville Aviation Authority and other entities in 1999. Since that time, more than $100 million has been invested in new infrastructure. Current corporate tenants include Boeing, Flightstar Aircraft Services, Logistic Services International and Northrop Grumman.

For additional information about Cecil Commerce Center or other development opportunities in Northeast Florida, visit http://www.expandinjax.com or contact Jerry Mallot at (904) 366-6680 or bizrelo@jacksonvillechamber.org.