Developer proposes 13-story Southbank apartment tower

[JBTripper]

You wanna see traffic, I lived in ATL for 8 years, that's traffic, I was in New York and drove to Niagara Falls, that's traffic,

I grew up and learned to drive in Atlanta. Lived in DC for a year. Jacksonville does not have traffic, and won't until another 4-5 million people move here.

[Kerry]

LA, New York, DC, Atlanta, Jax...doesn't matter.  Traffic is only a problem for those that choose to drive in it.  It is a self-inflicted inconvenience.  People living in this building and working near-by don't care about traffic because it doesn't apply to them.

[Adam White]

In any event, Jacksonville most certainly has traffic. It might not be as bad as Atlanta, etc, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't a problem for some.

[fsquid]

I still don't get why traffic is so bad when it rains in LA. 

[jcjohnpaint]

405 is pretty crappy.

The thing I do like about Jacksonville traffic is that is moves, but at the end of the day, sitting in traffic is sitting in traffic.  Not to mention that Florida has the most terrible drivers. 

[FlaBoy]

In any event, Jacksonville most certainly has traffic. It might not be as bad as Atlanta, etc, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't a problem for some.

I think recent traffic studies have had Jacksonville around the 40th worst, which would evenly match our market size. Jax traffic is bad during rush hour. Other than that, Jax traffic is not bad.

[pierre]

In any event, Jacksonville most certainly has traffic. It might not be as bad as Atlanta, etc, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't a problem for some.

I think recent traffic studies have had Jacksonville around the 40th worst, which would evenly match our market size. Jax traffic is bad during rush hour. Other than that, Jax traffic is not bad.

I would agree with this. And I think one of the worst spots right now (9B/295/Baymeadows) will be somewhat relieved once the road is widened. The main point of congestion there is having two lanes ending within a mile of each other.

[Kerry]

All this talk about traffic is the exact reason many people are now deciding to live in or adjacent to employment centers; so we don't have to drive.  I worked in Philadelphia for 2 months.  Some people would say Philly traffic was bad.  I wouldn't know, I walked to work.

[Kerry]

In any event, Jacksonville most certainly has traffic. It might not be as bad as Atlanta, etc, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't a problem for some.

I think recent traffic studies have had Jacksonville around the 40th worst, which would evenly match our market size. Jax traffic is bad during rush hour. Other than that, Jax traffic is not bad.

I would agree with this. And I think one of the worst spots right now (9B/295/Baymeadows) will be somewhat relieved once the road is widened. The main point of congestion there is having two lanes ending within a mile of each other.

They aren't widening it - they are adding toll lanes.  Also, multiple studies have shown that increased capacity doesn't reduce congestion and in many cases makes it worst because of induced demand.  A Caltrans study found that increased capacity on California freeways was completely used up in less than 4 years, returning roads to their original congestion.  The question quickly becomes, how many lanes of congestion do you want?

[Tacachale]

Lol, the question isn't whether Jax has bad traffic in general (it doesn't), but whether traffic at this location is bad (it is). On the other hand, as a likely large percentage of the residents will be Baptist employees and downtown workers, the backups will probably be better for them than what they currently deal with.

My cousin is a nurse at Baptist downtown. She says a number of the doctors have primary or second residences in the area to be convenient for work. Some specialties even require the person to be accessible within 20 or 30 minutes if they're called in. All that meshes with what we've seen recently in north San Marco as more doctors and Baptist employees have settled in the area. I imagine this tower would be seen as perfect for a lot of people.

[JaxJersey-licious]

aaaauuuugggggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/southbank-tower-developer-fighting-neighbors-appeal

[Jim]

Honestly, this was to be expected.  But it seems to have a lot of support by the various boards involved so I'm not sure we'll have any more delays after Jan 15.

[thelakelander]

Hmmm. If Baptist wanted to add a 300 bed medical tower to its complex, would the same opposition be there?

[remc86007]

I don't know why this is worth paying the attorneys to complain about? With 300 units I would guess at most an additional 300 cars would be on the roads during rush hour (assuming some don't commute, some commute during off-peak hours and some families have multiple cars). It's not like a venue; not all 300 cars are going to hit the road at the same time. The parking situation seems like more of a problem for the company trying to lease the apartments than the surrounding area. At some point hopefully people will be able to live here without a car (or one car per family rather than one per person), but we aren't there yet.

[Tacachale]

I don't understand the parking complaint. First, there are still more cars than units, and a lot of these are going to be single people living there. There are also plenty more spaces on the Baptist campus nearby that would be available for a fee. Second, if really doesn't have enough parking, it'll be the building that suffers, not the neighborhood, as people just won't move there if it doesn't have enough spaces. The traffic issue also seems pretty silly considering how much Baptist has exploded in recent years. 337 cars - most of which will probably be owned by people who work at Baptist - is just a blip compared to the impact of the rest of the campus.