The Downtown Investment Authority is seeking permission from the mayor’s office to have the City Council vote on a $1.5 million tax rebate grant for the Fincantieri Marine Repair facility near the Hart Bridge.
The plan will be considered by the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee on Tuesday, a necessary step before it is forwarded to council. The Jacksonville facility will focus on repairing and maintaining the Freedom-class littoral combat ships that are based at Naval Station Mayport as well as working on commercial ships.
“We are investing millions of dollars in waterfront improvements, including bringing in a large dry dock, which will allow us to be a top-tier marine repair operation,” CEO Ryan Smith said in a statement in January. “The dry dock will be U.S. Navy-certified, which will enable us to repair and maintain Navy vessels in addition to our work on commercial and Coast Guard vessels.”