The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC) is giving us the scoop on the latest happenings in the city, including new signs of job growth, national kudos for Jacksonville and the hottest news in film, sports and entertainment.

Here are some of the highlights:

Sports and Entertainment

• News from the JEDC Sports & Entertainment Office includes a reminder that the 88th annual Georgia vs. Florida Football Classic is right around the corner. The four-day event will take place Oct. 27-30. Also, the 15th annual Outback Steakhouse Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is on Friday, Oct. 29, at noon.
• News from the JEDC Film & Television Office includes an announcement that the 2010 Jacksonville Film Festival is scheduled for October 14-17. Confirmed screenings for this year include an African American Spotlight, Viva Cinema, and Indie USA. Visit www.jacksonvillefilmfestival.com for a complete line up.
• In other news, JEDC’s Film and Television Office has permitted and assisted 36 productions since the first quarter of 2010, which created 417 jobs and had an economic impact of $767,030. Recent productions include: a Perry Ellis fall catalogue photo shoot, HGTV’s “Bang for Your Buck” and “Community Crusaders,” the Discovery Channel’s “Hoarding: Buried Alive,” MTV Network’s “MADE with Kylee Spence” and a Community First Credit Union commercial.

Jobs

• A groundbreaking for new State Road 9B was held in July. Upon completion, 9B will run from State Road 9A south of Baymeadows Road to U.S. Highway 1 in St. Johns County. The project has created or maintained 200 jobs. Construction is expected to be complete by the summer of 2012.
• Digital Risk, a local company providing business consulting services to the residential mortgage industry, will create 300 jobs in Jacksonville.
• Mercedes-Benz USA recently opened a 415,000-square-foot facility at 13470 International Parkway, near the Jacksonville International Airport. It will employ 160 people in the distribution, marketing and customer service fields.
• Signature Offset Inc., a Colorado-based printing company, recently opened a 34,000-square-foot facility at PortJax Trade Center on Jacksonville’s Northside. The company invested $3 million in the facility and will create 30 jobs.
• AvMax Group Inc. announced the opening of a repairs and maintenance facility for regional jets and turboprop planes at Jacksonville International Airport. The facility will employ approximately 120 licensed aircraft mechanics.

Other News

• In June, Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved a 25-year agreement with Hillwood to be master developer of approximately 4,475 acres of city-owned property at Cecil Commerce Center. The development will be named AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center in alignment with two other successful, large-scale Hillwood projects in Texas and California. JEDC is working with Hillwood on outfitting an office at Cecil and installing monument signage.
• According to a yearly study by Newsweek, Jacksonville is home to two of America’s Top 10 High Schools – Stanton College Prep ranked No. 3 and Paxon School for Advanced Studies ranked No. 8.
• A recent study by Parenting Magazine ranks Jacksonville No. 1 on the list of Ten Best Cities for Recreation.

This is all great news for Jacksonville! Do you have an interesting update or positive story to share? Let us know in the comments section below!