Developers seeking tax break want Jacksonville forest land designated as blight

[thelakelander]

A Miami-based development firm plans to transform a large swath of pine forest, swamp and cow pasture into a mixed-used complex it says will breathe new life into Jacksonville's rural Northside, but some officials and residents aren't buying its unique proposal to use millions of dollars in public money through a program designed to revive struggling urban areas.

The company, Transworld Investment Corp., wants its 1,080 acres of vacant, undeveloped land near the airport to be officially declared blighted by the Jacksonville City Council so it can become part of a special redevelopment district that covers a large part of the city's Northside.

If the land is included in that district, the city could later decide to give property tax money generated from the land's future growth to the developers to cover the estimated $8 million cost to build roads and install utilities instead of using it to help pay for basic city services, like police and fire protection.

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-01-02/story/developers-seeking-tax-break-want-jacksonville-forest-land-designated?utm_source=eyepiece&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=cxense&cx_navSource=eyepiece#cxrecs_s

[CCMjax]

This is absurd and is not the kind of development that was intended for this tax break.  I agree with Boyer . . . "The language is all about redevelopment, not not so much new development."  Sneaky suburban developers.

[spuwho]

The fact that the developer even has the gall to propose it gives you an idea of just how pliable our council and zoning regs are.

Just as cows attract flies, so our council attracts this silliness.

And we wonder why we cant stick to a plan.

[brainstormer]

The last thing Jacksonville needs is more urban sprawl. Completely agree with spuwho's point. I hope our new council has a bit more common sense than past city councils.

[UNFurbanist]

This is definitely one of the top 5 dumb things I've heard this week. And these days that's not an easy list to widdle down. How the hell can rural or natural lands be labeled as blight?! So the fact that there aren't sewer lines and roads occuring naturally amongst the trees means it's an area in dire need of good old fashioned development? This is maddening and exactly why sprawl is the only thing that people know in FL. It's true that this presedent would truly be scary to set around here because by that logic not a square foot of Duval county should be undeveloped but I guess that's kinda the idea. 

[thelakelander]

Sounds like the precedent has already been set. I believe the airport and new development around it are apart of an area that has benefited from the same exact thing.  I guess they'll be applying for mobility fee credits next!

[spuwho]

https://www.youtube.com/v/tleSnj4OD0g

[tufsu1]

Sounds like the precedent has already been set. I believe the airport and new development around it are apart of an area that has benefited from the same exact thing. 

that is correct.  As the article mentions, there is already a Community Redevelopment Area for the airport district.

[spuwho]

Sounds like the precedent has already been set. I believe the airport and new development around it are apart of an area that has benefited from the same exact thing. 

that is correct.  As the article mentions, there is already a Community Redevelopment Area for the airport district.

I dont doubt you, but why in this earth would we want to be encouraging the building of houses in and around a noise zone like an airport?

This seems non-sensical. Some cities are buying land to tear down the houses, we are building them.

Non sequitor.

[thelakelander]

Unfortunately, we do a lot of things that don't make sense and go completely opposite of why certain regulations and programs were established in the first place.  Personally, I think it's pretty crazy. However, the precedence has already been established. So it would not surprise me if they get what they want.

[Charles Hunter]

Aren't the rules different for a CRA and a "blighted area" different? I don't see the CRA as a precedent for the current request for blighted designation.

[thelakelander]

They want their land included in the adjacent CRA. The adjacent CRA does include undeveloped forest land.

[Noone]

Aren't the rules different for a CRA and a "blighted area" different? I don't see the CRA as a precedent for the current request for blighted designation.

+1

[vicupstate]

The last thing Jacksonville needs is more urban sprawl. Completely agree with spuwho's point. I hope our new council has a bit more common sense than past city councils.

You might want to research the most recent round of campaign contributions before you get your hopes up.

The property contains five of those factors, according to the report created by local consulting firm Infinity Global Solutions. The mayor's chief of staff, Kerri Stewart, worked for the firm prior to her hiring but never lobbied on behalf of the developers, according to city records.

Another reason not to get your hopes up.

But it also unanimously recommended the City Council approve the developers' request. The plan was introduced in June to the City Council by former Councilwoman E. Denise Lee — she's now Mayor Lenny Curry's blight czar — during her last month in office.

yet another reason

To meet that definition, government statistics or a study must show that at least one of 14 factors of blight are present on the land.

There is not a listing of all 14 factors, but just by the ones that are listed, it is quite clear that ANY parcel of land that isn't Ponte Verde would be eligible for the blighted designation. 

The market value for the land is listed at $13.1 million, although the taxable value is just $256,000 because the property has a greenbelt exemption reserved for agricultural land.

Translation: this property pays very little in taxes to begin with, so any development will have immediate revenue generation that the developers can tap. They won't have to wait long for reimbursement. 

[Know Growth]

And the Transworld legal team,Planner & Consultant?..........