By Will Robinson - Jacksonville Business Journal
Five parcels owned by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority are "primed" for transit-oriented development, JTA CEO Nat Ford announced Wednesday at the annual State of the Authority.
The transit-adjacent properties are meant to be used to densify areas along JTA routes, including bus rapid transit, the Skyway and eventually autonomous shuttles. Inspired by projects like Denver's Union Station, JTA is striving to use transit as an engine for development, especially around the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla.
The JTA is currently exploring sales or long-term leases of many of its properties as it works to implement the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C), a 10-mile autonomous shuttle system extending from the Skyway elevated infrastructure. Proceeds from property sales and leases will help fund the project, and transit-oriented development will help densify the area, thereby increasing transit ridership.
JTA will soon issue a request for proposals for development along the full U2C, but it is already prepared to review proposals on five parcels, Ford said. The properties include a Johnson Street location across from the JRTC, property near the Kings Avenue Skyway station on the Southbank, the Rosa Parks Skyway station at the northern end of downtown, on Golfair Boulevard near the Gateway Town Center and at the Avenues Walk Park-n-Ride across from the Avenues Mall.
More information can be found here, and JTA will host a developer's workshop in October. However, those interested can submit development proposals at any time through JTA's unsolicited bids process, Ford said.
"There is no need to wait," he said. "If you don't take anything else away from this presentation today, I want you to know that the JTA is open for business and we look forward to working with you."
Read the whole story from the JBJ here.