Posted on October 5, 2020
JaxPort is interested in purchasing all or part of the land where JEA demolished the St. Johns River Power Park on the Northside, bringing a new dimension to JEA’s quest for bringing “once-in-lifetime” development to about 1,200 acres.
The large tract of land off New Berlin Road is near the Blount Island terminal owned by JaxPort on the St. Johns River, so the location could mesh with the expansion of JaxPort’s cargo shipping operations.
How that would fit into JEA’s goal of creating a high-impact redevelopment on the site would be part of any discussions between JEA and JaxPort, each of which is run separately by their own boards.
JaxPort board chairman Jamie Shelton said in a Sept. 21 letter that while the port authority is interested in purchasing the land, JaxPort does not want to join with JEA in issuing a joint request for qualifications, which is a type of selection process for seeking an entity to oversee development of the property.
Shelton said the state charter for JaxPort gives it a mission of creating jobs and business activity for the Jacksonville area, whereas JEA’s “primary function” in its charter is to operate utility services.
“Given our separate missions, we do not see a clear nexus for participating in a joint RFQ [request for qualifications] or how it might advance the charge from our charter,” Shelton wrote.
JEA interim CEO Paul McElroy said the utility’s board and redevelopment team will review Shelton’s letter.
“JEA’s goal for the redevelopment of SJRPP is to work collaboratively while assessing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create the best solution for Jacksonville,” McElroy said in a statement.
JaxPort and JEA have scheduled an Oct. 9 meeting, port authority spokeswoman Chelsea Kavanagh said.
McElroy told the board last month that JEA wants to bring redevelopment to about 1,200 acres where the utility is clearing the rubble from the demolition of the St. Johns River Power Park’s coal-fired generating plant.
He said JEA will seek a partner “that has a global presence and is looking to invest a significant amount of money to help us grow this great opportunity for the highest and best use for Jacksonville.”
JEA does not have a target date for when it will issue that request for qualifications.
Shelton said in his letter that JaxPort “would eagerly respond” if JEA issues a request, just as it would be willing to discuss buying the property outright.
“Regardless of the mechanism selected by JEA, we hope you will agree it is in the best interest of residents in Northeast Florida that this property remain in local public ownership, an outcome JaxPort can provide,” Shelton wrote.
The St. Johns River Power Park was built in the early 1980s at a cost of $1.45 billion, which was the most expensive project in Jacksonville’s history at that time. JEA officials have said they want redevelopment to have the same kind of impact on Jacksonville as construction of the St. Johns River Power Park.
JEA and Florida Power & Light jointly owned the plant, but with its demolition, JEA became sole owner of the land, which is located near Heckscher Drive and Interstate 295.
JaxPort owns the Blount Island terminal on the other side of Heckscher Drive, next to the St. Johns River. Blount Island is JaxPort’s busiest terminal and is a hub for automobile exports and imports, Puerto Rico shipments, and international cargo that will be served by the deepening of the St. Johns River.
Source: jacksonville
