The Jacksonville Port Authority has turned down a proposal by an international shipping firm seeking to lease 100 acres at Blount Island for a cargo terminal that would have been one of the port’s biggest.

Gulftainer Co. Ltd. also said it would spend around $250 million in Jacksonville if it built a terminal here, according to state Rep. Mike Weinstein.

But JaxPort officials notified Gulftainer this week the company’s proposal does not fit into the authority’s plans.

The 754-acre Blount Island, east of the Dames Point bridge, is occupied by existing tenants. JaxPort officials said the authority is in the early stages of putting together a strategic plan for developing all the port authority’s property.

From the Florida Times-Union