St. Johns Town Center wins First Coast APA Distinguished Project Award

St. Johns Town Center wins First Coast APA Distinguished Project Award

JACKSONVILLE, FL - St. Johns Town Center was recently honored at the 2008 First Coast APA Awards luncheon, which recognizes people and projects that have significantly contributed to the field of planning and growth management in the First Coast region.

At this year's luncheon, Simon Property Group and Ben Carter Properties received the Distinguished Project Award for the development of Phase II at St. Johns Town Center. The honor recognizes an outstanding project or development completed in the last two years that greatly contributes to the field of planning.

The First Coast APA Awards Committee reviewed all nominations and submitted recommendations to the First Coast APA Board, whose members confirmed the 2008 winners.

"The Awards Committee felt that, in planning terms, St. Johns Town Center represented a significant step forward for the First Coast Region," commented First Coast APA Chair Mark David Major, AICP. "The evidence of design tweaking in Phase II demonstrated that developers and designers took on board the lessons learned from Phase I in order to create a better development in Phase II."

Tom Schneider, executive vice president of development, accepted the award on behalf of Simon Property Group, and Ben Carter accepted on behalf of Ben Carter Properties.

 

First Coast APA serves its membership of over 200 professional planners, and those associated with the field of planning, in Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns Counties. The purpose of the First Coast Section, Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association is the study and advancement of the art and science of local, regional, state, and national planning; the furtherance of the interests of the profession; the promotion of fellowship among members of the Section; Chapter and Association, all in the particular sphere of planning of the unified development of urban communities and their environs and of states, regions and the nation; and, such other purposes as the Association may time to time declare.

St. Johns Town Center is a 1.26 million-square-foot, open-air lifestyle center offering innovative new retail, residential, hotel, and dining choices for Jacksonville shoppers. With more than 100 retailers in the first phase, 40 of which are exclusive to the market, St. Johns Town Center provides an exciting mix of stores targeting the upscale shopper as well as the bargain hunter. Anchor tenants include Barnes & Noble, Dillard's, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Target. The second phase of St. Johns Town Center opened in late October with an additional 180,000 square feet of dining and retail extending the main street environment of the center southward. Among the new offerings are a number of upscale retailers and restaurants opening their first Jacksonville-area doors.

 

St. Johns Town Center, a joint venture between Simon Property Group and Ben Carter Properties, is located conveniently off the Gate Parkway exit from J. Turner Butler Boulevard in the heart of Jacksonville. For a map and store listings, as well as directions, events and job listings, visit www.simon.com or call 904.642.8339.