BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
GREEN COVE SPRINGS— The president of the Clay County Economic Development Corporation told county commissioners that Clay County’s unemployment rate of three percent is lower than the area’s 3.3%, Florida’s 3.5% and the country’s 4.4%
“Three percent is a robust unemployment rate,” Crawford Powell told commissioners during their April 26 meeting. “That means a vast majority of people that want jobs and looking for jobs, are in the process of having a job.”
Powell said six economic development projects are now under construction in the county:
—Niagara Bottling Phase 2 in Orange Park with around 200 jobs;
—Mobro Marine Phase 1 in Green Cove Springs with 12 jobs;
—Chemours in Camp Blanding with 50 jobs;
—Orange Park Medical Tower buildout with 50 jobs;
—Borland Groover in Orange Park with 50 jobs and
—Two Florida Power and Light projects with 255 temporary jobs and 12 permanent jobs.
Powell said that in the second quarter, the county missed out on over 1,300 job opportunities because it did not have sites, buildings or office space for employers looking to locate in the area.
“That’s one of the main reasons I am ecstatic about the possibility of some developers building spec buildings,” he said.
Powell said Clay County housing prices continued to climb with Orange Park and Oakleaf home increasing by 42% over the previous year. Middleburg and Green Cove Springs saw a 25% increase in housing prices over the previous year while Fleming Island and Keystone Heights homes increased by 10% and 15% respectively.
