Governor and mayor cautious about paying for Jacksonville ship dredging

[thelakelander]

How is JAXPORT's "Plan B" coming along?

The idea of picking up part of the $733 million cost of deepening Jacksonville’s ship channel to 47 feet is getting a guarded reception from city and state officials.

The Jacksonville Port Authority’s share of the bill would be $388 million, and the federal government would pay the rest. JaxPort officials have said they would turn mainly to the state for assistance in picking up its tab, but also would seek city support.

At this point, there is no plan for how to do that â€" even conceptually.

“The numbers, in my opinion, are staggering for that project,” City Council Finance Chairman John Crescimbeni said.
“That’s going to be a tough nut.”

full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-06-15/story/governor-and-mayor-cautious-about-paying-jacksonville-ship-dredging#ixzz2WTAaFusy

[Noone]

"Plan C"
The Jaxport people don't even bother going to the Jacksonville Waterways Commission meetings anymore.
Fix Mile Point. Number one priority.
Tony Nelson still in Federal Prison?
Rick Ferrin,
Paul Anderson
14 ports in the state of Florida.
There is pause for concern on behalf of Mayor Brown and Gov. Scott.
Visit Jacksonville- Our Port is OK.

[mbwright]

So we wait around while the other ports get their money, and move forward, while we sit around and wonder what to do?

[urbaknight]

^ Hey this is Jacksonville, should we really expect any different.

[Cheshire Cat]

From my view the funds should not be the first consideration when discussing dredging the river.  There is another thread currently on this forum that speaks about a "forum" being held that is at it's core part of an ongoing effort to raise the conscience of political figures and the public about the importance of our waterways.  There have been many challenges put before us regarding our river and springs and how it impacts our environment. What some fail to realize is that this is not just about saving habitat and environment but is really about saving ourselves in the process.  We need good and clean waterways and springs to insure the health of Florida and the humans living here. That is the bottom line. 

There are some very serious dangers in this dredging that would have to be mitigated, not the least of which is salt water intrusion.  The issue of whether or not to spend the money should be the "secondary" concern.  We have a responsibility to be good and thoughtful caretakers of Jacksonville and our environment as that is the legacy we will leave our children, their children and beyond.  The first order of business should be understanding any and all the environmental issues dredging presents.  We have fallen short in Jacksonville when it comes to foresight, our poisoned ash issue is just one example.

[JayBird]

Just mentioned on news radio that JaxPort is in talks with JEA to do a land swap to build a cruise port, and mentioned the dredging for 47 foot channel, do cruise ships require that deep water too now?  I guess Mayport won, they get to keep their shantytown. 

[thelakelander]

Cruise ships don't need 47 feet. They need the Dames Point Bridge to be a little higher, unless the site is east of it.  So where is the site of this proposed land swap?  As for Mayport, there's not much left on the core waterfront outside of Safe Harbor and Singleton's.  It may be that way for a long time.

[tufsu1]

one of the few times I'm with Gov. Scott (for now)

[thelakelander]

A little more info about the cruise ship stuff:

Jaxport back in the hunt for a new cruise ship terminal site

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/06/17/jaxports-cruise-business-could-see.html

[Charles Hunter]

OK, where does JEA own land east of the bridge?  The power plant?  Will the Marines on Blount Island let cruise ships go back there?

[spuwho]

KeyWest hasn't lost one ounce of its charm and historical value with cruise ships making port calls there.

Mayport could have kept its local charm and be a cruise terminal, and I bet the ferry service would jump in traffic too.

Their loss.

There is vacant land on Blount Island east of the cargo docks. JEA has a coal transloading dock and their power lines on the west end of the parcel.

[JayBird]

KeyWest hasn't lost one ounce of its charm and historical value with cruise ships making port calls there.

Mayport could have kept its local charm and be a cruise terminal, and I bet the ferry service would jump in traffic too.

Their loss.

There is vacant land on Blount Island east of the cargo docks. JEA has a coal transloading dock and their power lines on the west end of the parcel.

I guess that would make for a slightly easier trip from JIA, just a shame because Mayport not only would've been rejuvenated but I think it would've been a boon for all the beaches as a lot of cruisers either arrive day before or leave day after cruise.

[thelakelander]

Blount Island is a sucky location for a cruise ship terminal, IMO.  I also fall in the camp of believing Mayport was ideal, especially if you want the ferry around long term. Oh well....

[spuwho]

Having transited in and out of Miami's cruise terminal several times, at least they are making a focused effort to turn what was a huge cargo pier into something resembling a transportation center.

However, I can't see the same happening at Blount Island.  I am still turned off by the river cruise I took in Savannah and they showed us the Port of Savannah! Great, lots of mountains of cement blocks, shipping containers and grain bins.  Not what I want to see when coming in for a cruise.

[JayBird]

So I would assume this means JTA will be putting that riverfront property up for sale, wonder what could be done there that would make it a destination.