r/JacksonvilleFla • u/Expert-Low-6872 • 23h ago
A Closer Look at the Chamblin Bookmine Succession Plan: Examining the FCN Video and What Now Property Details Look for yourself.
I bet from the First Coast News video link that the figures showing which employees would take over the Bookmine compared to the 31 total employees must have ticked off the other workers who aren't getting a slice of the bookstore pie. In that October 6th interview, Ron says he is only considering a handpicked group of 10 to 15 long-term workers for a minority 30 percent trust stake.
But look at how the story changes just five days later in the October 11th What Now report, which suddenly claims the transition goes to approximately 30 employees just to make it look like a fair collective.
The real kicker is the legal layout of the commercial real estate. Ron is moving his five commercial properties into a completely separate real estate trust, meaning the bookstore trust will be locked into paying monthly commercial rent out of its profits straight into Ron's pocket just to use his buildings.
These properties include the Downtown store on Laura St and the Roosevelt Blvd flagship setup, which actually spans multiple parcels including the main Roosevelt store, the old kindergarten building on Walter Ave, and the dirt lot on Lakeside Dr under Chamblin Bookmine LLC.
Let’s also not forget the 2050 Forest St address in Jacksonville, Florida. If you look at the county property appraiser website under Ron Chamblin's name with his Laura St mailing address, it explicitly locks down 2050 Forest St under the Official Record Book. This is the warehouse he uses to keep a massive amount of high-value overstock and special books hidden from public view.
The chosen workers are running a debt-free cash machine just to pay commercial rent right back to their landlord while Ron cuts his week down to three days and takes vacation time.
If you don't believe me, watch the video timestamps and read the article paragraphs to look for yourself.
