BY DAN HILDEBRAN
The man who purchased the former site of Starke’s Baldwin Chevrolet said he has not yet decided what to do with the asset and may demolish or replace the property’s 61-year-old buildings.
Ron and Jo Ann Denmark, trustees of the Denmark Family Discretionary Income Trust, purchased the three-acre parcel in February from Starke Motorcars, LLC, a limited partnership controlled by Jacksonville’s Scott-McRae Automotive Group. Ron Denmark said he is now securing the property, erecting a fence, and installing other security measures while he and his family ponder its future. Denmark added that he had seen evidence of transients living in the buildings.
The land purchase also came with a cell phone tower ground lease, which the seller assigned to the trust.
Starke Motorcars took over the Chevrolet dealership from Palatka-based Beck Automotive Group in 2019. The Jacksonville company also purchased the three-acre car lot, office building, and repair shop at 1901 North Temple Avenue. It was initially built in 1963 and operated as Baldwin Chevrolet and several successors until it was rebranded as Duval Chevrolet. The Jacksonville-based company then leased Noegel’s Auto Sales, moved Duval Chevrolet one mile south, and subsequently exercised an option to purchase the parcel across Temple Avenue from Motel 6.
The Denmarks launched Pipeline Contractors in 1987, which now builds neighborhoods throughout northeast Florida. The company constructs roads, sidewalks, and water and sewer infrastructure for new residential developments in Flagler, St. Johns, Clay, Duval, and other counties. It also performs site prep and infrastructure construction for several apartment complexes across the same region.
The Denmarks also operate Denmark Mini Storage next to the Pipeline Contractors office near the intersection of Temple Avenue and Market Road.
Ron Denmark said the City of Starke and the Suwannee River Water Management District recently issued permits for him to add just under 100 additional storage units to the enterprise. His workers are now building the additional units.
