You Asked For It: What’s the status of the St. Nicholas Vision Plan?

From time to time, readers ask for help in getting answers to issues of interest or concern. 

On Sept. 18, The Resident received a letter from Eric Johnson, a business owner in St. Nicholas, requesting information about the status of the St. Nicholas Vision Plan published in 2004. Johnson also copied other residents and business owners in the St. Nicholas area, many of whom participated in the vision plan’s creation and several follow-on charrette discussions.

Johnson wrote: “As we continue to see the improvements of the I-95 corridor with the newly opened off ramp onto Atlantic Boulevard East, we are beginning to see additional traffic. I have noticed that speeds in front of Bishop Kenny have been reduced. I believe that to be because of the newly installed stop lights at the end of the off ramp and on the ramp coming from I-95 South. The problem is that these new lights become the starting gun for the next part of Atlantic and Beach Boulevards as motorists travel eastbound.

“The plan to change the area around Curry Thomas Hardware to be a large round-a-bout was, I believe, widely seen as a positive for our community and I specifically ask that we get feedback on this proposal.

“The benefits include:

  • Reduced speed around the central hub of St. Nicholas (similar to the San Marco area)
  • Revitalization of consumer activity in St. Nicholas
  • Reduce three-road mergers (Spring Park, Beach Boulevard, and Atlantic Boulevard) to a two-road merger (Atlantic Boulevard, Spring Park) by merging Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard at Linden Street.
  • By doing No. 3, traffic can be re-routed back to the Hart Bridge or allowed to turn onto Atlantic Boulevard based upon traffic volume. (Currently to change directions you must drive through residential neighborhoods after the Spring Park intersection.)
  • By doing No. 3, it would be feasible to remove the flyover on Beach Boulevard eastbound and thereby remove all bridge maintenance and expense forever.”

In response to Johnson’s query, The Resident contacted Tia Ford, public information officer for the City of Jacksonville, and Sara Pleasants, public information officer for the Florida Department of Transportation. Their responses are as follows:

Ford wrote: “Per the City Planning Department, the JTA Mobility Works project more recently identified Complete Streets improvements for Beach Boulevard and made recommendations for a “Squareabout” for the St. Nicholas area based on a concept from the 2004 St. Nicholas Vision Plan. The concepts from the Mobility Works Project for this area have not been approved by FDOT (the Florida Department of Transportation), nor have any of the concepts received any type of funding at this time.”

Meanwhile, in speaking for FDOT, Pleasants said FDOT has no plans to do any more roadwork in the St. Nicholas area at this time. She wrote: 

“There are currently no plans to install a roundabout or make any other changes to Beach Boulevard or Atlantic Boulevard in this area. Citizens are encouraged to share their input regarding future improvements with the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO), which plays a major role in planning long-term transportation improvements throughout the region. North Florida TPO has a citizens’ advisory committee that meets on the first Wednesday of each month to provide citizens with an avenue for participating in the transportation planning process. Additionally, the TPO is currently conducting a long-range transportation plan survey to solicit citizen input on programs and projects to meet the mobility needs of the region’s residents through 2045.”

Marci Larsen, public affairs manager for the NFTPO, said the Town Center Vision Plan for St. Nicholas was a City of Jacksonville Planning and Development Department initiative and not designed by the NFTPO. It is something that her agency has had no direct involvement with, she said, referring to the City website for Town Center Programs.

According to the City website, Town Center Programs, such as the St. Nicholas Vision Plan, are intended to revitalize older neighborhoods by providing planning design and infrastructure improvements to public spaces along key business areas and corridors. The goal of the program is to 1) enhance both visual appeal and physical infrastructure in older neighborhoods’ commercial areas and corridors; 2) feature community visioning and planning; 3) encourage public and private partnerships; 4) leverage public dollars by coordination with the Better Jacksonville Plan improvements in the areas; 5) encourage renewal of old commercial areas that in turn will aid and serve the residential areas.

The Town Center Program provides funding for improvements to commercial areas of neighborhoods that are 30 years or older, experiencing decline, and classified as a collector or higher roadway, and the program is administered in three phases – Visioning, Design and Engineering, and Implementation, according to the City website. 

There currently are a total of 17 projects listed in the Town Center Program, of which the St. Nicholas Vision Plan is one. Total funding for each project through the program is up to $1 million, and so far, all Phase 1 – Visioning – funding has been awarded and no new applications are being accepted, according to the website. 

For more information about the visioning programs, contact Kristen Reed, chief of the Community Planning Division, at (904) 255-7888.


By Marcia Hodgson
Resident Community News

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