A legal battle has broken out over the former Regency Square mall, with the owner of most of the Arlington property accused of diverting a deal away from a Jacksonville church on the mall grounds to acquire it instead.
Impact Church of Jacksonville Inc., owner of one of three independently owned buildings on the former mall grounds, filed two complaints since late 2025 in the 4th Judicial Circuit Court against Blackwater Regency LLC, Blackwater Regency Acquisition LLC, Blackwater principal Rurmell McGee, real estate developer Ramzy Bakkar, Xera Realty Inc. and Mustard Tree LLC.
The church alleges that after making an unsuccessful attempt to buy the mall in partnership with McGee in 2021, it reached an agreement with him in 2024 to provide licensed real estate sales services.
Eric Lawson, corporate counsel for Impact, said the church wanted to buy the mall property at 9501 Arlington Expressway and began working with McGee in his capacity as a real estate broker for the purchase to earn a commission on the $19.1 million sale…