Should Jax invest in a new convention center?

[904Scars]

Ocklawaha you make a great point about connecting to Gainesville and Tallahassee, just think of all the students that could make the commute home for the weekends. But that alone is just a small point in creating a more appealing station. The old station is simply gorgeous! I honestly have never had reason to use the rail system but if I knew I could get off in Jacksonville at a place like that it would truly make me more prone to using the rail.

I guess the real question is wether to rid of a convention center all together, merge it with a new (old) station or rebuild. I think for the time being a merge of the two could work, it may even help draw the out of town crowds to the convention center.

[CS Foltz]

It makes sense to me to merge the two from a dollar viewpoint! Both venues could enhance both entities, but it is a matter of having the will and the direction of City Hall! Yea..............like that could happen! City Hall can not direct themselves out of the financial hole it is currently in so what makes us think they have that planning and vision also? Makes sense to me like I said but with the current convention center booked to the years end with all of the planned activities (whopee!) vision, imagination and some hard core planning will be needed!

[thelakelander]

Merging the two in the long run would be a disaster for both. A merge does nothing to fix the need for a convention center hotel or nearby retail, entertainment and dining. A merge also results in a sprawled out non-user friendly transportation center.  If you're going to invest millions for either option, you might as well make sure get the most out of your investment.

[Jaxson]

I agree with Ock about restoring Amtrak service to Tallahassee and for implementing direct access to Gainesville. 

Amtrak would be an improvement for those who want to visit the state's capital city.  I know folks who were coming back home from FSU and enjoyed the affordable price.  It sure beats driving down one of the most boring stretches of highway that I have ever seen...

As for Gainesville, since there is no direct interstate access to Hogtown, it would help to find a direct route.  I recall that Waldo was the nearest Amtrak station, but is not feasible for those who need a better connection into Gainesville...

[Captain Zissou]

Merging the two in the long run would be a disaster for both. A merge does nothing to fix the need for a convention center hotel or nearby retail, entertainment and dining. A merge also results in a sprawled out non-user friendly transportation center.  If you're going to invest millions for either option, you might as well make sure get the most out of your investment.

I was about to say this as well.  Merging the two only limits the potential of both.  I know you hate spending money CS, but this is one of those pay for it now or pay for it for the rest of our lives type scenarios.

[Ocklawaha]

I agree with Ock about restoring Amtrak service to Tallahassee and for implementing direct access to Gainesville. 

Amtrak would be an improvement for those who want to visit the state's capital city.  I know folks who were coming back home from FSU and enjoyed the affordable price.  It sure beats driving down one of the most boring stretches of highway that I have ever seen...

As for Gainesville, since there is no direct interstate access to Hogtown, it would help to find a direct route.  I recall that Waldo was the nearest Amtrak station, but is not feasible for those who need a better connection into Gainesville...

There is still an all rail route into the heart of Gainesville. It runs Jacksonville - Baldwin - Lawtey - Starke - Brooker - Alachua (South edge known as Burnetts Lake) - Gainesville.  No reason why it couldn't be used.

OCKLAWAHA

[Timkin]

Is this rail UNUSED at this point ?

[Jaxson]

I had always assumed that the rail line to Gainesville was done away with.  I wonder what politician was able to finagle a station to Waldo at the expense of Gainesville.  Hmmm...

[Ocklawaha]

I had always assumed that the rail line to Gainesville was done away with.  I wonder what politician was able to finagle a station to Waldo at the expense of Gainesville.  Hmmm...

None, Waldo was the Seaboards "Gainesville" station ever since the Great Depression took out the balance of the line from Archer to Cedar Key.  A local motor (something like a modern DMU) train made a LONG run from Waldo to Tampa via -Gainesville-Archer-Early Bird-Dunnellon-Inverness-Brooksville-Sulfur Springs- for some time after but it never amounted to much. The pre-Amtrak railroad had arranged a bus to meet the trains for the balance of the trip into town. By the time Amtrak came into being 1971, this route was toast except for the Waldo station.

The Atlantic Coast Line had a route that ran south from Baldwin (the current bike trail) through Lake Butler to Alachua and into Gainesville on it's way to Ocala-Leesburg-Trilby-St. Petersburg. This line was also cut up after the Seaboard merger. The new railroad took part of another Seaboard branchline from Starke westward to Bell, and tied it into the old North-South Coast Line route. This created the current Starke-Alachua-Gainesville route.

Because of a power plant over at Crystal River, (the current end of the line) this branch is in excellent shape from Starke to Alachua. At Alachua it picks up the former Coast Line into Gainesville (a branch of a branch) which is kept in fair shape into town. The whole thing could be brought up to speed with little money or effort, in fact the station at 6Th and University is currently a health department, and the platform is still in place, the track cut back to about 23Rd.


Right of Way south of University today


Right of Way north of Gainesville Station @ 18 blocks


Current end of track, track conditions to Alachua


Current track condition Alachua-Starke

OCKLAWAHA

[acme54321]

There are tons of old right of ways in gville, a lot are now rail trails but there are still plenty unimproved ones.  We used lots of them on urban MTB rides.

[Timkin]

They don't look bad to not be in use ! wow.

[If_I_Loved_you]

Amtrak can be accommodated at the old terminal regardless of the convention center's situation.  Jax just needs to find a way to come up with the money to pay for the train station's relocation.

Amtrak is NEVER coming back to the old terminal! But Amtrak would be better served if it wasn't on the Northside of Jax. So how about moving it to this area of Jax. Across the street from the Metro bar, get that pest control business to move. There would be a lot of room for the new Amtrak Terminal and parking. Along with the new side tracks for the Amtrak trains. And it would be easier to get onto I 95 north and south and Interstate 10.

[Ocklawaha]

Amtrak can be accommodated at the old terminal regardless of the convention center's situation.  Jax just needs to find a way to come up with the money to pay for the train station's relocation.

Amtrak is NEVER coming back to the old terminal! But Amtrak would be better served if it wasn't on the Northside of Jax. So how about moving it to this area of Jax. Across the street from the Metro bar, get that pest control business to move. There would be a lot of room for the new Amtrak Terminal and parking. Along with the new side tracks for the Amtrak trains. And it would be easier to get onto I 95 north and south and Interstate 10.

Sorry, but Amtrak is most certainly planning on the old terminal. The ball is in our court, and according to the VP of passenger services, they may also consider stops in South Jacksonville and/or Yukon and Baldwin in the future. We must get the station up and in shape to handle this plus Commuter Rail which is also coming at us fast.

OCKLAWAHA

[heights unknown]

Yes! Invest in a new convention center and return the train station back to it's original purpose of being a transportation hub or point of destination for Jax!

"HU"

[Timkin]

It says Jacksonville Terminal on the front of the Building.  Terminal it should be