FIRST COAST COMMUTER RAIL TOD STUDY | EXISTING CONDITIONS
FIRST COAST COMMUTER RAIL TOD STUDY | EXISTING CONDITIONS
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STATION AREA CHARACTER
LAND USE AND KEY PLACES
The JRTC Station Area is located in an area known as LaVilla, near Jacksonville convention center, surrounded by a collection of vacant and underutilized land. The LaVilla neighborhood had experienced a general decline since the 1950s due to infrastructure projects like I-95 splitting and binding the neighborhood to the west, and was known for its vacant buildings and empty lots since the early 1990’s. While empty and overgrown lots are still present and there are built constraints to connectivity and community ongoing created by construction of the interstate, the opening of the JRTC ushers in a new era for the once thriving African American neighborhood of LaVilla. With the opening of the JRTC, future U²C and commuter rail service, combined with the former Jacksonville Terminal and the new Greyhound Intercity Bus Terminal, the station area’s character is defined by both the legacy and the future of transportation in Jacksonville. There are plans to introduce new multifamily and workforce housing, and townhomes within the station area, signaling a return of residents and activity to LaVilla that leverage proximity to employment, retail and recreation offered throughout downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.
Under existing conditions, the station area adjacent to the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center and JRTC is underutilized or vacant land with some presence of Parks and Recreation areas like Brooklyn Park and Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park. Most of LaVilla's remaining, culturally significant places are north of the station area, but there are multiple institutions nearby including the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. There are planned and already completed transit-centric, multifamily residential developments like the Lofts at Jefferson Station and the Lofts at LaVilla west of the station, which provide workforce housing for the neighborhood. North of the station, office and light industrial land uses including Sally Industries Dark Ride and Animatronic Manufacturing company, are prevalent. Beyond the station area core and to the east of I-95, land uses are more mixed use and professionally oriented. An example of that is the Brooklyn Neighborhood, anchored by the Brooklyn Riverside Apartments and the Brooklyn Station Retail Center. Because of the station area’s proximity to downtown, there has been redevelopment interest of converting vacant or industrial land use sites into more commercial and mixed-use spaces. West of I-95, land uses are generally Light Industrial, Government-Owned, or Vacant.
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Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
Retention Pond and Park at Lee and Duval St.
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Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center
Figure 3-64: JRTC STATION AREA CHARACTER
Figure 3-65: JRTC STATION LAND USE
FCCR TOD
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