Jacksonville economic development officials had several reasons to tout Amazon’s plans to build an 800,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center, starting with the 1,500 jobs it expects to bring — “the single largest jobs announcement in Jacksonville’s history,” says Jerry Mallot, president of JAXUSA Partnership.

The Amazon facility also is significant because in a city that touts itself as a logistics center, most of the big job announcements over the past two decades in Jacksonville have focused on back-office functions for major financial services firms, including Citigroup, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank. Walmart added 600 logistics jobs at its Northeast Florida distribution center in 2007.

Also noteworthy is Amazon’s location in north Jacksonville, because most of the city’s major job expansions have come in office parks on the Southside. While the Jacksonville area’s unemployment rate has dropped below 5%, documents filed with the city for the Amazon project show some neighborhoods near the site have unemployment exceeding 15%.

Amazon expects to open the facility in time for the 2017 holiday season.

Growth Indicators

Cushman & Wakefield’s analysis of Jacksonville area’s population growth and economic impact in the past year:

1.48 million Population, up 1. 8% over the previous year

$243,000 Average home value, up 18.4%

$24.4 billion Annual retail sales, up 4.1%

Business Briefs

GAINESVILLE — Construction of a 10-screen Regal Cinemas began at Celebration Pointe, a 125-acre mixed-use development off I-75 at Archer Road. The project also includes a Bass Pro Shops store, a 137-room Hotel Indigo and headquarters for software firm InfoTech. » The Alachua County Commission approved a $24,500 tax refund under the Qualified Targeted Industry program for NeXtGen Biologics to add 35 jobs, each paying more than $73,882 a year, over the next three years.

JACKSONVILLE — Financial services firm TIAA is buying EverBank for $2.5 billion. TIAA will merge its bank subsidiary into EverBank, with the combined bank maintaining its headquarters in Jacksonville. The company has not settled on a name for the new bank, leaving in doubt the name of the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium as EverBank Field. » As Deutsche Bank opened its expanded operations center, CEO John Cryan said the German-based bank could eventually add 1,000 more jobs to the 1,800 it has in Jacksonville. The bank’s Jacksonville operations center, which opened in 2008, is the company’s second-largest facility in the U.S. » Law enforcement products company Safariland is seeking city incentives to add 152 jobs to its north Jacksonville facility. The company, which employs 350, was formerly part of Armor Holdings but was sold in 2012 after BAE Systems bought Armor. » NAC Global Technologies is moving its headquarters from Jacksonville to Houston following its acquisition of Swiss Heights Engineering. » World of Beer has left the Jacksonville market. A franchisee closed its Southside bar and restaurant after three years. Another store in Jacksonville Beach closed in 2015.

OCALA — AutoZone is building a $50-million distribution facility that will create 240 jobs. The facility is scheduled to open in 2018. » The Wild Waters park in Silver Springs State Park closed after 38 years.

Players

Kent Fuchs

» President Barack Obama has appointed UF President Kent Fuchs to the National Science Board, the body that oversees the National Science Foundation. Fuchs will be the only Floridian on the board.

» Brian Hutchison is retiring as president and CEO of RTI Surgical after running the Alachuabased surgical implant company since 2001.

» Nicole Thomas was named president of Baptist Medical Center South in Jacksonville, becoming the first female hospital president in the Baptist Health system. Thomas joined Baptist Health in 2011.

» Timothy Johnson was named executive director of the Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund. Johnson had been executive director of the Allegheny County Employee’s Retirement System in Pittsburgh.