Duval board workshop: staff to issue ITN, pursue sale and relocation of district administrative building

District leaders used Wednesday’s workshop to outline a new, more transactional approach to handling the Duval County School District’s administrative property, saying they intend to put out an invitation to negotiate (ITN) to hire a commercial real‑estate firm and a retained building inspector.

Staff said the ITN process would be a minimum of 60 days, with procurement and legal review built in; if the timeline holds, staff could award the professional contracts this fall and move into purchase‑price valuation and listing steps that would position the district to negotiate a sale and to plan for relocation in January. Procurement staff told the board they will use sample ITNs from other districts to speed drafting and asked for patience while procurement completes the required public process.

Board members repeatedly pressed staff for guardrails. Several said the district’s prior sale effort felt flawed and questioned how the new approach would limit outsized broker commissions, ensure an independent inspection and protect district employees who would have to move if the office is sold. Staff answered that the ITN will specify acceptable commission bands and require transparency about fees; the district will also retain a building inspector and may hire outside real‑estate counsel for complex deals.

Officials framed the change as a business decision intended to protect public funds. Staff asked the board to treat sale and relocation as two related but separate activities: secure fair value for any property sold while also identifying suitable options for a replacement office that keep staff centrally located. That, they said, will shape negotiation strategy and the ITN requirements.

Next steps: staff will finalize the ITN language, publish it publicly and report back to the board with recommended short‑listed firms and draft contract terms. The district also committed to using sale proceeds toward capital priorities in the master facilities plan rather than to ongoing operating costs.

No final sale or relocation decision was made at the workshop; board members asked for follow‑up briefings on commission caps, procurement schedule and a reappraisal of specific district parcels before any listing or contract award.

The superintendent emphasized that the ITN process will be run to ensure fairness and that any board member inquiries from outside parties be referred to staff during the cone‑of‑silence period.