JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Citizens Property Insurance Board of Governors is set to meet Wednesday to discuss the future of its office in downtown Jacksonville.
According to a meeting agenda, the board will potentially vote on the Jacksonville office space lease.
This comes after the agency said it has selected a property in South Jacksonville for its new headquarters.
In a statement sent to News4JAX, Citizens spokesman, Michael Peltier, said:
“Citizens conducted a competitive, sealed-bid solicitation for new office space in Jacksonville. That process resulted in the selection of a new office building within the City of Jacksonville, 8787 BayPine Road. This new office building is the best fit for the needs of Citizens, applying the factors set out in the solicitation.”
Peltier went on to say the location aligns with the company’s goals, including:
• To provide a safe and secure work environment for Citizens’ employees and visitors.
• To prioritize the overall impact of the office location on Citizens’ employees.
• To obtain an office facility that supports team collaboration, professional development, operational efficiency, and policyholder service.
• To the extent practical, expedite the relocation of Citizens’ operations to a space that meets Citizens’ overall needs.
• To ensure the overall cost of the selected lease is reasonable and appropriate for the property that is determined to best meet Citizens’ overall needs.
The selection puts Citizens on a path to leave its Downtown offices in the 30-story high-rise at 301 W. Bay St.
The possible move comes amid safety concerns downtown, according to sources. Monday morning, a CPI employee spoke to News4JAX on condition of anonymity, saying several colleagues had been worried about their safety near the building for years. In fact, the source said a man who appeared to be unhoused was spotted behaving aggressively earlier in the morning.
Mayor Donna Deegan released the following statement regarding the Citizens Property Insurance office downtown, saying she has spoken to JSO about possibly adding more security to the area.
“The City of Jacksonville remains committed to making every reasonable effort to retain this anchor employer. I have spoken to Sheriff Waters, and we will work together to place a JSO stop station in the building for extra security.
There is a window still open for Citizens Property Insurance to remain downtown. We are hopeful their Board of Directors will reevaluate this decision given the progress that’s been made, not only in terms of safety, but also the many exciting projects that are coming out of the ground.”
Mayor Donna Deegan
A JSO spokesperson confirmed the conversation between the mayor and sheriff, but said as of now, plans for a stop station had not been finalized and there is no current timetable.
“We hope Citizens will stay regardless,” Deegan said. “We’re going to continue to create an environment that’s going to be really helpful. To have people come and move downtown and live, work and play, as we say, in this beautiful area. And pretty soon, it’s going to be hard for people to get down here, because you can see all the cranes in the air. You can see everything that’s happening. It’s going to be a place where everybody wants to be, and I hope they’ll be among those people.”
The spokesperson said historically, stop stations are small spaces offered by private businesses for the purpose of giving patrol officers a quiet indoor location to complete reports and/or use the restroom. Given enough space, these locations could also be used to hold Rollcalls or impromptu meetings within a specific District or sub-sector. Between the six districts, the spokesperson said there are currently 46 stop stations across the city.
Mayor Deegan is among several urging Citizens Property Insurance to reconsider its plans to leave downtown. News4JAX obtained a letter from the Jacksonville Civic Council and JAX Chamber, which said such a move “would be a devastating blow for Downtown Jacksonville at a time when public and private investment is sparking long-term, sustainable growth.”
The letter, signed by key Jacksonville players including Daniel Davis and Aundra Wallace, went on to say in part:
“The City of Jacksonville is investing billions of dollars in public spaces and incentivizing catalytic projects downtown. The Jaguars are investing more than a billion dollars in the Stadium of the Future, the Four Seasons and other developments around the Sports Complex. The University of Florida is planning on investing hundreds of millions of dollars in its graduate campus in Downtown Jacksonville. We ask you to please rescind the initial Invitation to Negotiate for Citizens offices in Jacksonville and start the process over to include the possibility of staying downtown.”
The board meeting starts at 1 p.m. and this story will be updated following the meeting. The Florida Department of Management Services must also give a final approval.
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