Murray Hill Wawa construction site
While a follow up meeting to reveal the conceptual renderings for a controversial mixed-use self storage project dominates the development conversation in Murray Hill, two national chains are quietly moving forward with plans to serve the revitalizing neighborhood. Now with 160 stores in Florida, two years after opening its first location in Jacksonville, Wawa is preparing to establish its first urban core location in Murray Hill. Interested in sites located at signalized intersections with robust traffic, Wawa will redevelop the northwest corner of Normandy Boulevard and Cassat Avenue. To prepare the property at 970 Cassat Avenue for Wawa, a combination of six parcels, including buildings currently occupied by Jax Jewelry & Pawn and Mr. Snapper’s Fish and Chicken, will be razed. When complete, the new Wawa will feature a 5,943 square foot store with outdoor seating, 12 pumps, 55 parking spaces and 5 bike rack spaces on the 1.503 acre site.
Proposed Wawa site plan (St. Johns River Water Management District)
On the east side of the neighborhood, Plymouth Street could soon have a self storage center and Dollar General serving as its anchor bookends at intersections with Murray Hill’s Edgewood Avenue and Post Street. In early 2019, the Goodlettsville, TN-based chain announced that it would invest up to $825 million to open 975 new stores, remodel 1,000 existing stores and relocate another 100 stores.
Proposed Murray Hill Dollar General site
Recently, a developer for the chain which already operates over 15,000 stores across 44 states, was issued a mobility fee calculation by the City of Jacksonville for the development of a 7,512 square foot Dollar General at the northwest corner of Post Street, Plymouth Street and McDuff Avenue South. As for the controversial self storage development, backers of that project are expected to unveil conceptual renderings of the proposal in early June.
(Dollar General Facebook)
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com