core that has experienced some growth in recent years because of its historic, urban neighborhood qualities.
That rail station would put commuters and tourists just blocks from downtown St. Augustine near hotels, restaurants and planned development. Other St. Johns County commuter rail stops with parking lots are possible along U.S. 1, including a site near County Road 210 in Saint Johns, as well as another near the Palencia community further south in the county. “Particularly in St. Johns County, you have got these four stations that are great, buildable spaces that will advance because of what commuter rail will bring to that community, particularly the west side,” Powell said, referring to the potential site on the west side of the U.S. 1 and Kings Street intersection. “We want the community to come out and really talk to us about what they would really like to see around the stations in St. Johns,” she said. “We will be providing examples of different types of developments that occur around (transit oriented developments) TODs — the residential, commercial and business piece, all of that mixed-use development.”
That said, building the line is still a long way off.
There’s a feasibility study, plus a preliminary engineering and environmental review, and a lot of components that don’t involve the public like connectivity analysis, forecasting and data assessments, Powell said. “We are really looking to get information right now, finish up all this behind-the-scenes stuff, then submit that to close out this particular grant,” Powell said. “After that, we will need to go for funding for other things.”
So there is no timeline yet for construction, or even cost estimate yet, Powell said.
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