Stockton Street Town Center

[Dog Walker]

We were there for the groundbreaking and it is my understanding from talking to the City people there that it will extend all the way to the railroad tracks on the north side of I-10.  The Firefighters Union and Gateway Rehab have agreed to maintain the two landscaped medians that are going in on each side of I-10.

Getting the power lines underground along that stretch is going to be a big improvement all by itself.

Power lines unfortunately are not going underground.  JEA claimed that just the one block between College and Myra would cost $500,000.  The project actually extends only to Phyliiss St. and not beyond the overpass.  There will be a median there and between Gilmore and Ernest.  The Firefighters have agreed to maintain them as the City will not and requires an org. who will. 

Well darn!  Must have been my wishful thinking about underground powerlines.  Thanks for the more accurate information. And thanks for your work on making this project happen.

[Charles Hunter]

The underground power lines were probably in the community vision for the town center, but budget realities intruded. I think several of the town center visions ask for this - and get the same answer.

[A-Finnius]

My future father in law who is originally from East Brunswick was in town last night for the first time.  He was very impressed with Riverside.  He said he didn't realize Jacksonville had a neighborhood like this and kept remarking about how much it reminded him of the neighborhoods in the northeast.  Good Job Riverside! Keeping me in good standing with the in laws.  

He also thoroughly enjoyed Bold City Brewery.

[johnnyroadglide]

Has anyone been on Stockton St very recently? Like this week? I live right off Stockton and theer is a red line painted down the middle of Stockton right around Gilmore St to just about Dellwood. I swear it looks like they are going to add a median right in the middle of Stockton and plant some palm trees. Now while that would be cool looking, its going to create some real traffic issues, especially in the morning and afternoon rush hours. They need to get the traffic light at Gilmore fixed so it doesn't stay red against Stockton St for so long. I have seen traffic backed up nearly to Post St in the afternoons because that dumb light stays red way, way too long. I did complain to the city about it and was told the timing system needed to be upgraded but the city didn't have the budget for it.

[Kay]

There will be a median between Gilmore and Ernest with a break for the alley.  It doesn not extend past Ernest.  The other median will be between Phylliss and Roselle.  There will be Live Oaks planted in the medians.

[fsujax]

I noticed today on the San Marco project they are installing the illuminated street signs on the mast arm poles, I wonder if the same will be done on this project?

[Kay]

Don't think so.

[johnnyroadglide]

There will be a median between Gilmore and Ernest with a break for the alley.  It doesn not extend past Ernest.  The other median will be between Phylliss and Roselle.  There will be Live Oaks planted in the medians.

Live oaks??? Aren't those like, really big trees with lots of branches that would hang down over both lanes of travel?

[floridaforester]

I don't think the live oaks will be a problem.  Go to Savannah sometime and imagine what Riverside Avondale would look like if we had planted more live oaks than water or laurel oaks 100 years ago.  The water & laurel oaks are falling apart and have to be taken down at great expense leaving large holes in our tree canopy.

I've never seen them affect the lanes of travel.  If properly maintained they can live hundreds of years.  It beats those useless palm trees everyone likes to plant around Florida.

[johnnyroadglide]

Well I'm not a tree expert so i will yield to those who do know. Anxious to see what the whole thing will look like when its done..

[fsujax]

the live oaks are great until JEA comes to butcher them!

[ChriswUfGator]

Hasn't COJ learned yet that medians run completely counter to natural traffic movement and cause more problems than they solve? Wow...they ruined Springfield with those now they're coming over here I guess.

[Kay]

They shouldn't butcher the ones in the median as no power lines there.  We're also planting more live oaks on the west side where only phone lines are and they never trim.  There will be 3 blocks of the project with live oaks on the west and drake elms on the east and 3 blocks with multi-stemmed crepes (Natchez) that will grow pretty tall.  The medians are 16 feet wide so will have a substantial presence.

[Kay]

Hasn't COJ learned yet that medians run completely counter to natural traffic movement and cause more problems than they solve? Wow...they ruined Springfield with those now they're coming over here I guess.

The medians will not interfere with interesections or alleys, so traffic movement should not be affected.

[cline]

We were there for the groundbreaking and it is my understanding from talking to the City people there that it will extend all the way to the railroad tracks on the north side of I-10.  The Firefighters Union and Gateway Rehab have agreed to maintain the two landscaped medians that are going in on each side of I-10.

Getting the power lines underground along that stretch is going to be a big improvement all by itself.

Power lines unfortunately are not going underground.  JEA claimed that just the one block between College and Myra would cost $500,000.  The project actually extends only to Phyliiss St. and not beyond the overpass.  There will be a median there and between Gilmore and Ernest.  The Firefighters have agreed to maintain them as the City will not and requires an org. who will.  

JEA has money, they simply choose to continually butcher the trees in the neighborhood every few years rather than solve the problem once on for all.