The owner of the historic Laura Street Trio of buildings in Downtown Jacksonville has found a potential new buyer for the long-vacant properties, Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico said Aug. 5.

Appearing on the WJCT-News talk show “First Coast Connect,” Carrico said he heard that Trio owner SouthEast Development Group was again trying to sell the buildings at Laura and Forsyth streets after several failed attempts to renovate them.

In text-message comments after the meeting, Carrico said the would-be buyer is from outside of Jacksonville and may have negotiated a purchase with SouthEast.

Asked about the new buyer, Steve Atkins, principal of SouthEast, said in a text message, “it’s a bit early for me to offer any comments on this matter.”

Carrico’s comments came as a laws

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