Three flex-office buildings tucked inside a Southside business park could soon house a billiards lounge, full-service restaurants and a bar if Jacksonville officials sign off on a rezoning request from local pool cue manufacturer the Predator Group. The company has filed Ordinance 2026-0557, asking the city to convert three of the ten buildings inside Liberty Business Park at 7020–7026 AC Skinner Parkway from industrial use into a mixed-use entertainment and dining destination called “On Cue.”
The Jacksonville Planning Commission voted 8-0 on August 20 to recommend approval of the request, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. Commissioner Ali Marar was absent from that vote, the paper reported. The rezoning would shift the property's designation from Industrial Business Park to Planned Unit Development, a custom zoning category that, per Legigram, is required under city land development rules whenever a light industrial park wants to add retail assembly uses and alcohol sales that standard industrial zoning does not permit.
What the PUD Application Actually Allows
The Predator Group's PUD application would permit integrated billiard lounges, full-service restaurants, mixed-use dining and entertainment, and retail sales of all types of merchandise, the Daily Record's reporting shows. It would also allow retail sale and service of alcoholic beverages for consumption either on premises or off premises. The proposed development includes retail space, a bar, full-service restaurants and billiard lounges, all built around the company's core business of selling pool cues, billiard tables, billiard cases and billiards accessories.
Public legal notices tied to the ordinance specify that no new building construction or exterior structural changes to the property are proposed, according to Legigram, which reviewed the notices published by the Daily Record. The plan is strictly an interior retrofit at 7026 AC Skinner Parkway, converting existing flex office space into entertainment and dining facilities rather than adding new square footage to the site.
A Business Park With Recent Investment Already Underway
The building targeted for conversion has seen other recent capital activity. Jacksonville building records cited by the Daily Record show an April 2026 commercial permit for a $508,808 speculative office renovation across 14,496 square feet in Suite 200, filed by Tenant Contractors Inc. Legigram notes that Liberty Business Park has seen steady interior build-out investment over the past year, and that the property is owned by Plymouth Liberty Business Park LLC, an entity managed by Boston-based Plymouth Industrial REIT Inc.
The parcel sits within Jacksonville City Council District 11, represented by Council Member Raul Arias Jr., according to Legigram. That district covers key southeast Jacksonville commercial corridors including Baymeadows and the Southside. A Predator Group representative did not respond to questions about the AC Skinner Parkway project, the Daily Record reported.
Next Steps for the Rezoning Request
The rezoning still faces two more legislative checkpoints. It is scheduled to appear before the Jacksonville City Council Land Use and Zoning Committee on September 1, followed by a full City Council vote set for September 8. A planned unit development, unlike standard zoning categories, allows uses, regulations and standards tailored specifically to a property, which is why the Predator Group needed the custom overlay rather than a simple use variance.
Predator's Push to Turn Jacksonville Into a Billiards Capital
The Jacksonville-headquartered company, which sells pool cues, tables and accessories worldwide, has been building out its presence in the city well beyond manufacturing. In June 2025, Predator Group entered a four-year commitment with Visit Jacksonville and the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront to bring the global Predator Pro Billiard Series season finale to downtown Jacksonville annually through 2028, a deal spearheaded by company CEO Karim Belhaj, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. That December, the 2025 season finale brought three major international competitions to the Hyatt Regency, including the Kamui WPA Women's 9-Ball World Championship, the Jax Men's Open and the Jax Mixed Doubles Open, drawing top athletes from five continents, per 104.5 WOKV.
Founded in 1994 after introducing its low-deflection 314 pool cue shaft, Predator has grown from a cue design startup into a manufacturer of tables, accessories and broadcast events, according to Predator Cues. Belhaj joined the company as an intern in 1997 before eventually acquiring ownership. Just weeks ago, Predator extended its global reach further by signing a long-term agreement with the World Pool Association to remain an official global tournament partner through 2036, cementing its role in sanctioning professional world championships.
The company's Jacksonville ties even extend into aerospace. Earlier this month, NASA announced that University of North Florida alumnus Luke Delaney would pilot the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, and his engineering background included an internship researching pool cue physics at Predator Group, as Hoodline reported in its story on the UNF grad's NASA mission. Should the On Cue rezoning clear its remaining council hurdles next month, it would mark Predator's most visible step yet toward becoming a hospitality operator in the city where it has spent three decades building cues.
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