Newsmakers of the Year

There was a lot of news from the Northeast Florida new-home industry in 2010 – and some of it was pretty painful, at least for builders. But there were some notable successes and feel-good stories, too. Here, then, are the people, achievements and events that Florida Homebuyer Jacksonville’s editors have deemed as the Newsmakers of the Year.

Daniel Davis
Davis, executive director of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, appears on the list for the second consecutive year. Last year, it was because of his professional achievements. This year, it’s because of his political ones. The Westside resident, who was elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 2003 and re-elected in 2007, is now a Republican member of the Florida Legislature representing District 13, which encompasses portions of Clay and Duval counties. He’ll replace state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, who was picked to be the running mate of Governor-Elect Rick Scott. There was no election; state law allowed party officials in the two counties to appoint a candidate, and Davis was the unanimous choice.
“My goal is to erase county lines,” Davis says. “No one will outwork me. It will take some time, but it can be done.”

The Nassau County Commission
In the summer of 2008, Nassau County became the first county in the state to suspend impact fees on new construction. Then, as the economy worsened, the Nassau County Commission voted 4-1 to extend the moratorium by six months. The result wasn’t a boom in new housing, but it clearly took at least one major financial burden off builders— and buyers, who ultimately pay the fees anyway— during the worst economic downturn since the 1930s. Recognizing economic realities, the commission has extended the moratorium several times, most recently in December. Clay County, which took a cue from Nassau County and suspended impact fees two years ago, has also repeatedly extended its suspension policy in an effort to boost home construction and help the economy recover. In our region, only St. Johns County continues to assess impact fees on new-home construction.

Forest Hammock
If you need a strong signal that the housing industry is ready to make a comeback, look no further than Forest Hammock, which was launched this year at OakLeaf Plantation. There’ll be 699 single- family homesites featuring such builders as Standard Pacific, Richmond American, Pulte, Mercedes, Drees and Mattamy. Forest Hammock is adjacent OakLeaf Plantation and is easily accessible to nearby I-10 and I-495. It’s been a while since such a major new project was launched in this market, so consider it a harbinger of good things to come.

ICI Homes
One of Northeast Florida’s last privately owned, large-volume custom and semi-custom builders, ICI reacted quickly and creatively to the real-estate downturn. The company, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, aggressively revamped and retooled. It continued to build its signature high-end homes, but added to its lineup by introducing new, more affordable models. In addition, ICI took the lead in touting the bargains available in the new-home market. Consequently, ICI is likely to emerge from the economic collapse stronger than ever. Its response to tough times is a lesson for all businesses.

Amendment 4
An unlikely coalition of business, government, civic and real estate groups found something they could agree upon: Amendment 4, otherwise known as Hometown Democracy, was a terrible idea that could have a devastating effect on the state’s fragile economy. So they united in opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment, which would have required that any changes to a city or county’s land use plan had to be voted on by the public. The best anyone hoped for was that the proposal would fall short of the 60 percent threshold required for ratification. But as it turned out, voters statewide resoundingly rejected this wrong headed approach to growth management. Kudos, in particular, to NEFBA and the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) for their leadership in this effort.