This article provides a summary of the Camden County Joint Development Authority’s monthly Board meeting.  The official meeting minutes will be posted after they are approved by the Board at its next monthly meeting.  All Camden County Joint Development Authority Board meetings are open to the public.

View Approved Official Meeting Minutes

JDA Board Reviews Commerce Park Development and Project Span

August 27, 2026

The Camden County Joint Development Authority Board of Directors met on August 27, 2026, to receive financial and staff updates and consider actions involving the Coastal Georgia Commerce Park and Project Span.

Board and Staff Updates

The Board unanimously approved a revised agenda after removing the executive session for real estate. Members also unanimously approved the minutes from the July 23 regular meeting.

Mr. Easterling presented the July year-to-date financial reports and noted that financial reporting was now only one month in arrears. The Board voted unanimously to accept the reports.

Mr. Coughlin and Mr. Harper also provided updates on staff activities, current initiatives, and ongoing projects. Their written reports were included in the Board’s meeting materials.

Coastal Georgia Commerce Park

Environmental studies at the Coastal Georgia Commerce Park identified state-protected gopher tortoises within the planned 160-acre development area. Mr. Coughlin explained that the tortoises must be relocated before development can proceed and presented a relocation quote of $83,700.

The Authority currently owns 50 acres and holds an option to purchase an additional 100 acres as companies locate within the park.

Following the discussion, the Board voted unanimously to approve the $83,700 quote for the required relocation of the gopher tortoises.

Project Span

The Board also discussed Project Span, a Canadian company considering a location in the Camden County Industrial Park. If the company selects Camden County, the project is expected to represent approximately $7.3 million in private capital investment and create about 36 full-time jobs.

Mr. Coughlin presented a proposed tax-abatement incentive under which the project’s taxes would increase by 20 percent annually until reaching the full tax rate. He noted that the property has not generated tax revenue since the 1990s. The company may also qualify for state incentives based on job creation.

The Board voted unanimously to authorize Mr. Coughlin to present the proposed tax-abatement incentive to Project Span.

The meeting began at 9:00 a.m. and adjourned at 9:57 a.m.

Disclaimer: This article is a summary of the meeting and is not the official meeting record. The Official Minutes are subject to Board approval and will be available following the next regular meeting of the Camden County Joint Development Authority.  Please use the link at the top of this page to access the Approved Official Meeting Minutes.

This article provides a summary of the Camden County Joint Development Authority’s monthly Board meeting.  The official meeting minutes will be posted after they are approved by the Board at its next monthly meeting.  All Camden County Joint Development Authority Board meetings are open to the public.

View Approved Official Meeting Minutes

JDA Board Reviews Waterfront Property and Monument Maintenance

July 23, 2026

The Camden County Joint Development Authority Board of Directors met on July 23, 2026, to receive financial and staff updates and consider matters involving monument maintenance and the St. Marys Waterfront property.

Financial and Staff Updates

The Board unanimously adopted the meeting agenda and approved the minutes from its June 11 regular meeting.

Mr. Easterling presented year-to-date financial reports for May and June. He noted that the May report was two months in arrears but that future financial reports would be presented only one month in arrears. The Board voted unanimously to accept both reports.

Mr. Coughlin and Mr. Harper also provided updates on staff activities, current initiatives, and ongoing projects. Written staff reports were included in the Board’s meeting materials.

VFW Monument Maintenance Agreement

The Board discussed a license agreement that would allow the Veterans of Foreign Wars to continue maintaining the lawn and monument on property now owned by the Authority. The VFW maintained the area before the Authority acquired the property and requested permission to continue doing so.

Under the agreement, the VFW must maintain liability insurance. The agreement may be revoked if the Authority sells the property. Following discussion, the Board voted unanimously to approve the license agreement.

St. Marys Waterfront Property

The Board entered executive session to discuss real estate matters. After returning to regular session, members considered two actions related to preparing and marketing the St. Marys Waterfront property for sale.

The Board unanimously approved clearing up to five acres and removing concrete from inside the fenced area. The work is intended to assist with marketing the property.

The Board also voted unanimously to enter into a commercial brokerage agreement with CBRE to market the St. Marys Waterfront property for sale.

The meeting began at 9:00 a.m. and adjourned at 10:51 a.m.

Disclaimer: This article is a summary of the meeting and is not the official meeting record. The Official Minutes are subject to Board approval and will be available following the next regular meeting of the Camden County Joint Development Authority.  Please use the link at the top of this page to access the Approved Official Meeting Minutes.

This article provides a summary of the Camden County Joint Development Authority’s monthly Board meeting.  The official meeting minutes will be posted after they are approved by the Board at its next monthly meeting.  All Camden County Joint Development Authority Board meetings are open to the public.

View Approved Official Meeting Minutes

JDA Board Approves Funding Reallocation and New Meeting Schedule

June 11, 2026

The Camden County Joint Development Authority Board of Directors met on June 11, 2026, to receive financial and staff updates, consider a funding reallocation, and discuss a change to the Board’s regular meeting schedule.

Financial and Staff Updates

The Board unanimously adopted the meeting agenda and approved the minutes from its May 14 regular meeting.

Mr. Easterling presented the April year-to-date financial reports and noted that financial reporting was two months in arrears. The Board voted unanimously to accept the reports.

Mr. Coughlin and Mr. Harper also provided verbal and written reports on staff activities, current initiatives, and ongoing projects.

Targeted Investment Program Funds

Mr. Coughlin provided an update on the Targeted Investment Program, which was launched in 2024 to provide low-interest loans to businesses located within a designated area of Camden County. He reported that the program had received only a few applications and had issued one approved loan.

The Authority’s fiscal year 2027 budget included a plan to move $75,000 from the Targeted Investment Program to the general fund. The funds will be used for expenses associated with the fiscal year 2027 Business Plan.

The Board voted unanimously to approve the $75,000 reallocation.

Board Meeting Schedule

The Board also considered changing its regular meeting schedule. Meetings were held on the second Thursday of each month, which resulted in financial reports being presented two months in arrears.

After consulting with the Authority’s certified public accountant, staff determined that moving the meetings to the fourth Thursday would allow financial reports to be presented only one month in arrears.

The Board approved moving its regular meetings to the fourth Thursday of each month beginning in July 2026. Mr. Kessler voted against the change, while all other participating Board members voted in favor.

Executive Session

The Board entered executive session to discuss real estate matters. No additional action was recorded after members returned to the regular session.

The meeting began at 9:00 a.m. and adjourned at 10:50 a.m.

Disclaimer: This article is a summary of the meeting and is not the official meeting record. The Official Minutes are subject to Board approval and will be available following the next regular meeting of the Camden County Joint Development Authority.  Please use the link at the top of this page to access the Approved Official Meeting Minutes.

The Camden County Joint Development Authority (JDA) is seeking proposals from qualified, well-capitalized, and visionary master developers or brokers to design, plan, and develop waterfront parcel of the ~730 acres available.

Master Developer & Broker RFP Questions and Answers

Updated RFP for Master Land Developer

Updated RFP for RFP for Real Estate Broker

The Authority was awarded the State Economic Infrastructure Development Grant by the Southern Crescent Regional Commission for $1 Million to assist with the provision of water/sewer infrastructure to the new Coastal Georgia Commerce Park.  Executive Director James Coughlin said, “This grant award allows us to deliver this critical infrastructure further into the park than we otherwise would be able to on our own.  We’re grateful to SCRC for recognizing the potential of this new park to bring jobs and investment to Camden County.”

This exciting new development, happening less than 2 miles west of I-95 at Exit 7, will offer over 1400 acres of land zoned for industrial projects. The Park will feature rail service from First Coast Railroad, Water/Sewer from the City of Kingsland, and a brand new access road that will allow easy access to US Highway 17 and the nearby ports of Jacksonville and Brunswick. The Coastal Georgia Commerce Park represents a new era of industrial development that encourages businesses to find a home amongst nature, enjoying the privacy and security offered by large tracts of protected wetlands and forest. This site is Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) Certified and will soon carry GRAD-Select status, placing it among the state’s most desirable and prepared sites for businesses valuing speed to market.

The JDA has created a loan program to help local businesses in Targeted areas of Camden County get the financing needed to give local businesses an uplift.  For more information about the Targeted Investment Program, click the link below!

Click here for more info.