Philips Hwy./US1

[jason_contentdg]

Lake - From I-95 to Shad road looks pretty decent, with a movie theatre and some simple office buildings. South of I-95 its the makings of suburbia with light/light/light and car dealerships, then the interchange with 9A and office parks.

The only real blight I see is the Gator lodge and some mobile home parks between Emerson and University, but for the most part, the Wal-Mart and the BJs have all done great to clean up the area. The George Moore Chevy area is getting a cleanup in new development and this will take place up and down the corridor.

There is far less blight here than there was in the 80s.

Once blighted areas seem to have to fight that stigma for a long time here in Jax....

[thelakelander]

If getting a Walmart is the definition of cleaning a place up, then we're really in trouble.  With the assets of that corridor, I think we can do a lot better than Walmarts, a few strip malls and non pedestrian/transit friendly infill development.

[BridgeTroll]

JeffreyS, I like your line of thinking.  It sets up perfectly for a linear transit corridor.

A light rail or multiple streetcars would work perfectly running the length of Phillips... plenty of room in the median for double tracks and passenger stations...

[JeffreyS]

Blight might be strong but remember the people on River Oaks equate Philips with slums of Mogadishu. We could certainly add much to this corridor and help transit and trafic along the way.

BT I bet your right.

[jason_contentdg]

If getting a Walmart is the definition of cleaning a place up, then we're really in trouble.  With the assets of that corridor, I think we can do a lot better than Walmarts, a few strip malls and non pedestrian/transit friendly infill development.

We can, but we've got to educate quite a few people.

[Captain Zissou]

Blight might be strong but remember the people on River Oaks equate Philips with slums of Mogadishu. We could certainly add much to this corridor and help transit and trafic along the way.

BT I bet your right.

For all their arguing all they got was 5 acres of torn up pavement and some dirt mounds.  I hope they're happy.  Philips has decent traffic flow, but I agree that the area, not the road, could use significant improvement. Commuter Rail and infill and TODS at Baymeadows, JTB, San Marco, Avenues, and Old St Augustine would be an amazing start to a new direction of growth for Jax.

[mtraininjax]

Lake - The Wal-Mart and BJs are better than what was once there. Now I know you have millions sitting in your pocket and you were next in line to buy and develop these spaces. Did you know they had MILLIONS of removal costs of bad chemicals in both locations? I am sure Cat left a few more nasty suprises than the car yard did for Wal-Mart.

So we replaced the OLD GM Warehouse with a great mixed-use of space. What's not to like? There is development going on up and down US1, and people are removing the old junk structures with new ones. Prices of land is also rising. Soon the trailer parks will be priced out of the land and will sellout as well.

When there is enough density of mixed use, there will be discussions of the light rail, and I think its a great place for light rail down the median to the Skyway system. The key will be getting St. Johns County to buy-in down to St. Augustine Road.

[thelakelander]

Lake - The Wal-Mart and BJs are better than what was once there. Now I know you have millions sitting in your pocket and you were next in line to buy and develop these spaces. Did you know they had MILLIONS of removal costs of bad chemicals in both locations? I am sure Cat left a few more nasty suprises than the car yard did for Wal-Mart.

I never said it wasn't an improvement over what was there before.  I just said we can have more and better by taking advantage of the corridor's assets.  Why settle? Let's take it to the next level.

So we replaced the OLD GM Warehouse with a great mixed-use of space. What's not to like? There is development going on up and down US1, and people are removing the old junk structures with new ones. Prices of land is also rising. Soon the trailer parks will be priced out of the land and will sellout as well.

Sounds great.  Now add a commuter rail stop next to the old GM warehouse, fill in the parking lot with future development and you have a product that's 100% better than what exists today.

When there is enough density of mixed use, there will be discussions of the light rail, and I think its a great place for light rail down the median to the Skyway system. The key will be getting St. Johns County to buy-in down to St. Augustine Road.

At some point, you can't just "wait" on density.  You're going to have to make a commitment and invest in the system that will spur additional density.  Imo, we're at that point. There's already enough density for commuter rail on the FEC corridor, plus there are redevelopment opportunities that make the corridor perfect for potential for dense infill development and supportive land uses.

[mtraininjax]

commuter rail on the FEC corridor

Right there at the GM Warehouse is Bowden Yard, that is a major bottleneck. That won't be easy to add a rail station right there. FEC could bury it in their right of way issues.

It would be far easier to embrace Light Rail down the middle of US1.

Let's take it to the next level.

You have to start somewhere, and what we have now is MUCH better than what was there before. We have a ways to go, but if I could embrace light rail, this would be the corridor that would have the best shot. Plenty of land down near I-95 for parking to the rail, right into downtown.

[thelakelander]

commuter rail on the FEC corridor

Right there at the GM Warehouse is Bowden Yard, that is a major bottleneck. That won't be easy to add a rail station right there. FEC could bury it in their right of way issues.

Already checked it out physically a while back.  The GM Warehouse is south of Baymeadows.  The Bowden Yard is north.  There's room on the west side of the ROW and under the bridge itself.

It would be far easier to embrace Light Rail down the middle of US1.

It would be easier to work with FEC.  Especially since FEC is working with Amtrak to upgrade the track capacity for passenger rail.  LRT down Philips would be signficantly more expensive and with the existing track in place, why construct a parallel facility?  If Jax wants LRT, take it to areas away from existing rail corridors.

Let's take it to the next level.

You have to start somewhere, and what we have now is MUCH better than what was there before. We have a ways to go, but if I could embrace light rail, this would be the corridor that would have the best shot. Plenty of land down near I-95 for parking to the rail, right into downtown.

No doubt.  We've started.  Now lets take it one step further.

[BridgeTroll]

Here is a link to Google maps.  The intersection is Tasman and 1st Street in Santa Clara.  When I lived there it was similar to P.H.... mobile home parks, old strip malls, and alot of undeveloped land.  Silicon valley before it was Silicon valley.

My point is... the road.  Two lanes in each direction... with a large weed filled median.  They replace the median with light rail and high tech businesses filled in rapidly.  Hotels and restaurants filled the gaps.  Condos pooped up all over the place and density increased where there was once sprawl.

Check it out...  Zoom in and take a look at P.H. possible future...

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.409283,-121.94476&z=19&t=h&hl=en

[mtraininjax]

Has the FEC embraced a station next to their yard? Even for Amtrak? everywhere I have seen Tri-rail, it is away from a yard as a bottleneck.

Would the FEC have to add a 3rd rail up to/before University to bypass the yard traffic?

[jaxtrader]

Its a tough call...obviously having a tram system running the length of the median to St Augustine would be both convenient  and aesthetically pleasing. But what about the expense relative to utilizing the existing FEC line?

[thelakelander]

Has the FEC embraced a station next to their yard? Even for Amtrak? everywhere I have seen Tri-rail, it is away from a yard as a bottleneck.

Would the FEC have to add a 3rd rail up to/before University to bypass the yard traffic?

Yes, additional track would be needed to create capacity.  Luckily, some of that may be put in place by Amtrak.  Anyway, regarding the Bowden issue, the station in question would be the one at JTB. 

[thelakelander]

Its a tough call...obviously having a tram system running the length of the median to St Augustine would be both convenient  and aesthetically pleasing. But what about the expense relative to utilizing the existing FEC line?

LRT would really make sense between DT and the Avenues if the FEC corridor wasn't already there.  However, under no circumstances would it be the best idea to take LRT from DT to St. Augustine.