Bass Pro Shops opening in St. Johns County

[thelakelander]

^This one appears to go one step further. The "feeder" road to connect the new interchange with Race Track Road is Peyton Parkway. This one is getting an interstate highway, interchange and an interior circulation road. Perhaps the Davis family didn't push hard enough on SR 9B's phase one. They have to pay for their roadway.....nevermind, the mobility fee was modified to help with that cost.

[pierre]

Could the thread title be updated to reflect the new date?

[southsider1015]

I'll bite.

The alignment was set based on three large property owners.  If you're familiar with the ROW acquisition or eminent domain process, you'd appreciate why the corridor is set to be in their properties.

FCE isn't being financed or driven by these three landowners.  They were heavily involved with the corridor studies for obvious reasons. They had a financial incentive to develop their properties with the highest and best value which is dependant upon FCE.  FDOT has a financial incentive to purchase ROW for the cheapest price possible.  Therefore, it's no surprise that the corridor is where it is.  In fact, many Clay County residents are quite happy that the corridor isnt mowing down their houses, and instead is on undeveloped, vacant, and old dairy farms.

Don't be so paranoid.  The big, bad, rich property owners arent nearly in bed with our local and state officials as so many are quick to point fingers at. 

[thelakelander]

There's always the "no build" alternative. That's the cheapest option Seriously, would the world end if FCE was never built? We've survived just well without extending the Hart Bridge ramps as an elevated expressway along the entire Northbank riverfront.

[southsider1015]

"We" as in who?  The Urban Core?  What about Clay County?  The largest county Florida without an Interstate system.  The very definition of a "bedroom" community where 60% of its work force heads to Duval and St. Johns. 

Not to steal another thread for FCE, but has this group ever thought about anyone other than the Urban Core? 

Kudos to St. Johns County for embracing growth and development, and the transportation infrastructure necessary to support it. 

[thelakelander]

Nobody has died from Clay County not having an interstate. After FCE is constructed, it still won't have one.

[Gators312]

"We" as in who?  The Urban Core?  What about Clay County?  The largest county Florida without an Interstate system.  The very definition of a "bedroom" community where 60% of its work force heads to Duval and St. Johns. 

Not to steal another thread for FCE, but has this group ever thought about anyone other than the Urban Core? 

Kudos to St. Johns County for embracing growth and development, and the transportation infrastructure necessary to support it.

"We" as in the residents of Clay County that have paid attention to the meetings over the past 30 yrs, who knows the landowners, County commissioners, and their relationships, and most of all the actual needs of Clay County residents.  There are PLENTY of Clay County residents who think a No Build is better option than the FCE as it's planned.

Your comments suggest that this is a project where your bread is buttered, you are one of the landowners who benefits from the FCE, or you're just a naive do as your superiors tell you in the FDOT.   

A more northern river crossing was what most Clay County residents have wanted for over 25 yrs which is now impossible. 

The FCE does very little to address the bedroom community commuters needs, all it does is open up land for developers.  If the DRIs such as Saratoga Springs were going to be so successful why do they need to wait for the FDOT to build them a road? 

[southsider1015]

Sorry Lake, I meant Expressway, not Interstate.  The point is that it's the largest county in population without a high speed, limited acess expressway system.

Green Cove Springs and South Clay County residents are generally happy with the alignment.  The ones against the alignment are typically those directly impacted, understandably.  But obviously, you would have that with any alignment. Even more of a reason to lessen impacts to the number of properties by putting the alignment on the largest tracts.

FCE will help support large commercial and industrial development that is lacking due to transportation infrastructure.  I suggest you get involved with the Clay Chamber, there's a lot of economic development support from community business leaders.  Theres a real opportunity to increase the standard of living for ALL Clay County residents, and it starts with FCE. 

[tufsu1]

The point is that it's the largest county in population without a high speed, limited acess expressway system.

what the heck does total population have to do with anything?  Population density and location of activity centers matters far more.  And guess what, I-295 is less than 1/2 mile from the county line.

Often I hear that traffic congestion will choke an area's economic vitality.  So how are the economies of metro areas like DC, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston doing?

[FlaBoy]

Evidently, the plan is to develop twice as much new retail square footage as what's in and around SJTC. If they're successful, this area probably becomes the suburban retail district that eventually replaces SJTC as the dominant retail cluster in the region.

SJTC will be fine. The Avenues is what I would be far more worried about. Likewise, the population center will not shift to much more south. There will be a lot of additional people in North St. Johns and eventually Southside which will hopefully allow both areas to thrive. Also, they have big and grand plans but often the plans for mixed use just end up being a bedroom community with a shopping center.

I think you also have to be worried about business leaving Jacksonville and heading there in the near future with a business park and incentives from SJC.

[tufsu1]

^ all thanks to the awesome genius of Duval County lobbying for the construction of SR 9B

anyone see parallels with the First Coast Expressway?  how about it southsider1015?

[southsider1015]

The point is that it's the largest county in population without a high speed, limited acess expressway system.

what the heck does total population have to do with anything?  Population density and location of activity centers matters far more.  And guess what, I-295 is less than 1/2 mile from the county line.

Often I hear that traffic congestion will choke an area's economic vitality.  So how are the economies of metro areas like DC, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston doing?

Hmmm, what does total population have to do with the need for high speed movement of goods and people?   Come on man, really?

All of these metros are served by high speed expressways. So yeah, they have that in common.  The reason why you hear that traffic congestion chokes the economy is because it's been well-studied and proven about the negative impacts caused.  What, you think everyone is just making it up? 

Honestly, there really hasn't been much development in the conversations on FCE on MJ.  Meanwhile, the discussions occurring in business conference rooms, kitchen tables, and government offices are much more in-depth and insightful.  I merely come here to offer the opinions and views of the development world outside of the MJ area, and quite frankly, the responses to my posts are sad. 

[southsider1015]

^ all thanks to the awesome genius of Duval County lobbying for the construction of SR 9B

anyone see parallels with the First Coast Expressway?  how about it southsider1015?

Not quite sure what you're trying to prove here.  Maybe if Duval County got serious about growth and development, we'd see it happen.  Meanwhile, St. Johns is staying competitive as THE county for top schools, low crime, affordable housing, and soon, great shopping, and later, high paying jobs.

Meanwhile, COJ is struggling financially with the pension issue and can't pinch two pennies together to maintain sidewalks.  Sad, really.  About the only financial success stories these days is the SJTC, and now with the investment in I-295 Express Lanes, that area should continue to grow.

[Tacachale]

^ all thanks to the awesome genius of Duval County lobbying for the construction of SR 9B

anyone see parallels with the First Coast Expressway?  how about it southsider1015?

Not quite sure what you're trying to prove here.  Maybe if Duval County got serious about growth and development, we'd see it happen.  Meanwhile, St. Johns is staying competitive as THE county for top schools, low crime, affordable housing, and soon, great shopping, and later, high paying jobs.

Meanwhile, COJ is struggling financially with the pension issue and can't pinch two pennies together to maintain sidewalks.  Sad, really.  About the only financial success stories these days is the SJTC, and now with the investment in I-295 Express Lanes, that area should continue to grow.

You're giving St. Johns County way too much credit. The county had far less to do with this project than state entities (FDOT building 9B), regional entities (JAXUSA), and property owners (who encouraged the state to spend millions on roads through their area, and are now positioned to build whatever this ends up being).

So far, all St. Johns County has been good at is residential development for commuters who work in Jacksonville, and services allied to that. It does have good schools. It has the same low crime as any demographically similar (affluent, suburban, largely white) area of the metro area or state. It certainly doesn't have affordable housing. Perhaps this will add "great shopping", but currently the county probably has less than other comparable bedroom suburbs; the county's bigger than Clay County but the only substantial retail centers are down in St. Augustine. And nothing I've seen suggests the county knows how to attract high-paying jobs, except possibly making plays to siphon off companies who are already in the metro area and want out of their leases. That's not really job growth so much as robbing Peter to pay Paul.

[FlaBoy]

^ all thanks to the awesome genius of Duval County lobbying for the construction of SR 9B

anyone see parallels with the First Coast Expressway?  how about it southsider1015?

Not quite sure what you're trying to prove here.  Maybe if Duval County got serious about growth and development, we'd see it happen.  Meanwhile, St. Johns is staying competitive as THE county for top schools, low crime, affordable housing, and soon, great shopping, and later, high paying jobs.

Meanwhile, COJ is struggling financially with the pension issue and can't pinch two pennies together to maintain sidewalks.  Sad, really.  About the only financial success stories these days is the SJTC, and now with the investment in I-295 Express Lanes, that area should continue to grow.

LOL. This is stupid. So the city that has been around for almost 200 years has more problems than some untouched dirt in St. John's County? Success stories? Have you been to Riverside/Avondale, Brooklyn or San Marco recently? The Beaches? St. John's is not going to replace those neighborhoods...just your neighborhood in the Southside as a desirable suburbia. The rest of your points don't make much sense so I won't address them.