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Choose Baker outlines sites, two prospects including $750M 'Plant A' plan
Summary
Choose Baker gave an economic development briefing: three East Enterprise lots and a 140‑acre Plum Creek site are available; Project Island (due diligence, ~$10M/150 jobs) and the privately owned Woodstock site (planned 'Plant A' — cited as a $750M investment with 600+ jobs) were highlighted as active prospects.
Dylan Pullen, director of Choose Baker, briefed the commissioners on local economic development activity and available industrial sites.
Pullen said Choose Baker has been spun out as an independent 501(c)(3) to improve transparency and focus on recruitment and retention. He identified three developable lots at East Enterprise (6.54, 20.65 and 20.76 acres), and a 140‑acre Plum Creek site that the development commission recently rezoned for industrial use. "Project Island" is in due diligence and is anticipated to be a roughly $10 million investment with about 150 jobs if it proceeds, Pullen said. He also described a privately owned "Woodstock" site that is being pitched to host a very large manufacturer (referred to in the meeting as "Plant A") that Pullen and staff said could represent an approximately $750 million capital investment and more than 600 new jobs if it moves forward.
Pullen outlined the steps of business recruitment—lead generation, RFI response, site visits, due diligence and site selection—and said closing and implementation typically take far longer than early stages and require regional partners (JAXUSA, Northeast Florida Economic Development Partnership, Florida Power & Light, CareerSource). He said the county should expect staff to return with site plans if projects progress and that the county’s East Enterprise infrastructure improvements (a $3 million grant) position the county for future investment.
Commissioners thanked Pullen and asked for continued updates; Pullen said Choose Baker plans periodic briefings every three to four months and will return when site plans are filed.
