While AAF builds, Tampa gets obsessive

[spuwho]

Tampa continued its obsessive response to All Aboard Florida as the press continues to seek blame for lack of action.

The cover of this weeks TBJ says "On Track to be Left Behind" with another called "All Aboard or Out of the Loop"



They dragged Hussein Cumber of AAF over to town to give more details, though he said he had no information on any future plans in any location.

Tampa Bay Business Journal:
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/morning-edition/2013/11/all-aboard-florida-project-update.html?page=all

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/morning-edition/2013/11/qa-with-eco-devo-leaders-on-all.html?page=all

[thelakelander]

Hmm, why aren't we taking a similar position to Tampa's?

[spuwho]

Ignorance, smugness or apathy?

[Jdog]

A ton of jobs move to Florida and that I-4 corridor takes a big share.  You'd think getting out in front of Tampa in terms of some rail development would be a monstrous assist to Jacksonville. I guess I don't understand.     

[JeffreyS]

I wish this story was in the T.U., Jacksonville Business Journal, Daily Record or even the Folio here locally.

[thelakelander]

I just emailed a few at the business journal about this. It's very puzzling to me. These guys are putting up 4 million square feet of mixed-use development at their Miami (4 million sf), Fort Lauderdale (500,000sf) and West Palm Beach (500,000sf) stations.  Their affiliate's (FEC) track already runs through our town and adjacent to our old downtown station. 

That station also happens to be surrounded by blocks and blocks of dirt with a skyway stop that connects it to the rest of the North and Southbanks.  We have what Tampa can never bring to the table.  Existing infrastructure, Daytona and St. Augustine on the same route, a historic union station and a butt load of developable land surrounding it.

Despite these AAF only focusing on Orlando and Miami right now, we should be every bit as aggressive as Tampa, IMO.

[spuwho]

I just emailed a few at the business journal about this. It's very puzzling to me. These guys are putting up 4 million square feet of mixed-use development at their Miami (4 million sf), Fort Lauderdale (500,000sf) and West Palm Beach (500,000sf) stations.  Their affiliate's (FEC) track already runs through our town and adjacent to our old downtown station. 

That station also happens to be surrounded by blocks and blocks of dirt with a skyway stop that connects it to the rest of the North and Southbanks.  We have what Tampa can never bring to the table.  Existing infrastructure, Daytona and St. Augustine on the same route, a historic union station and a butt load of developable land surrounding it.

Despite these AAF only focusing on Orlando and Miami right now, we should be every bit as aggressive as Tampa, IMO.

If you recall from my older post on AAF and Tampa, they feel they are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to investment in transit or rail.  This behavior all started when some local business leaders caught wind that Jacksonville would be ahead of Tampa for AAF even though AAF has said all along "it has to work first".

As far as Jax getting better reporting on it, I dont think its on the collective radar right now. More "obsession" with the port, dredging, getting back a carrier group.  BTW, did you see that our former port director had a confab of auto makers and a Jax based auto dock handler about getting import capacity at Port of Tampa built out? Interesting state we live in.

[Ocklawaha]

Lake, I think another key to us getting their interest is that Norfolk Southern mainline to Valdosta - Tifton - Macon - Atlanta. FEC already has operating rights over the NS line and that puts Jacksonville to within a mile or so of the exact center.

Our industrial development people should be fired for not offering up Jacksonville as THE place with experience to maintain their trains but apparently they plan to build shops south of OIA.

[ProjectMaximus]

Ignorance, smugness or apathy?

Smugness and Jacksonville transit can't possibly be in the same sentence. Ignorance and apathy seem much more appropriate.

[tufsu1]

Hmm, why aren't we taking a similar position to Tampa's?

because the folks in Tampa have pretty much been told Jax is next

[thelakelander]

Do you believe if we were told Tampa was next, our apathy would change? For some reason, I believe our position would be the same.

[icarus]

I was at a KB Homes Development on Collins Road and I-95 this past week.  The development's advertising showed a photo of an amazing highway interchange and bragged about the community's proximity to transit .. lol .. I wish I had taken a photo.

What I am saying ... is Jacksonville doesn't even begin to understand transit it seems.