Dear Mayor Brown, TOD Flying High - but not here

[Ocklawaha]

As most of the readers here know, virtually everyone writing into the recent anti-streetcar articles in the TU conclude that "streetcars will make no difference in Jacksonville..." At this moment they are 100% correct, streetcars ARE making no difference in Jacksonville, but they sure as hell are in Tampa. Had we acted on this 30 years ago, we'd be about where Portland or San Diego are today, lightyears ahead of our current sputtering position. 

Keep in mind Tampa has already seen over a billion dollars in new TOD development since the little TECO streetcar went in, and even in this economy it shows no signs of stopping.

Here in the First Coast we 'know' all about it.  "The people hate rail, they want buses," according to JTA which would blow a billion dollars on more pavement so we can have the exact same ride from downtown to the Avenues that we have today. "To be a REAL regional transportation authority we'll need $100 million for an office building, understand we can't afford bus shelters." "We have the money to start BRT and it will be built directly below the Skyway so we can compete with ourselves." "We're going to build a 'Greyhound station', you have to understand that it's a very complex piece of property (IE: a cleared, flat, square, city block!) and we'll build the transportation center 4 blocks to the south." We are developing TOD ourselves, JTA will build those (empty) buildings around a bus system. 

Who needs private enterprise? Is this the Jacksonville way?

TAMPA, FL-Another Florida market is readying for new construction. Trammell Crow has started the rezoning process to support new development in Tampa's Central Business District.

The entire project includes a 20-story, 450,000-square-foot office building, a 1,200-car parking garage, and a 350-room, four-star-plus business class hotel. A transit-oriented development with near-direct access via primary north/south arterials, the Crosstown Expressway, Marion Transit Center and the TECO Line Streetcar System.

Bob Abberger, Florida senior managing director for Trammell Crow, says the office building will set a new standard for the market in Tampa's CBD. He tells GlobeSt.com that the company had tenant inquiries as soon as the word was out, a sign he believes underscores that the right product and location wins.
http://www.globest.com/news/1982_1982/tampa/313275-1.html

One has to wonder just how many tenant inquiries JTA has had for all of their bus and JRTC plans?

OCKLAWAHA