JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie is asking the city for $12 million in grant funding and tax incentives to keep its headquarters here in Jacksonville. The Mayor’s Budget Review Committee approved this funding during a meeting today.
According to Office of Economic Development Director Ed Randolph, Winn-Dixie is considering moving its headquarters to another Florida city, which would end an 80-year-long relationship with the city. The move would result in nearly 500 jobs lost.
The agreement brought before the committee today states that Winn-Dixie would receive a $6.5 million-dollar Headquarter Retention Grant paid out over five years. City property tax rebates totaling $5.5 are to be paid out over the next 20 years.
The agreement guarantees at least 13 Winn-Dixie locations in Duval County, some of which are located in disadvantaged neighborhoods. It would also retain 500 existing headquarters jobs and expects to bring in an additional 200, a factor Randolph says is important in the city’s decision to grant this funding.
“Good wage jobs, especially in the area in which they’re located, the headquarters there off of Beaver Street, is an area of town where we want more jobs,” Randolph said. “We’re just happy to keep Winn-Dixie in Jacksonville.”
A statement issued to Action News Jax from Winn-Dixie writes: “As Jacksonville’s hometown grocer, we are proud of our deep roots in this community and the role Winn-Dixie has played in serving families across Florida for generations. The Edgewood campus represents an exciting opportunity to establish a home for The Winn-Dixie Company’s Store Support Center, and we appreciate Mayor Deegan’s support.”
The next step in keeping Winn-Dixie’s headquarters here in Jacksonville is to present the agreement before the City Council.
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