Two options to repair the St. Johns River Ferry docks were submitted to Jacksonville City Council last week showing that replacing the entire system would cost nearly $7 million now or more than $11 million over 10 years.
The Jacksonville Port Authority had promised that it would conduct a study to present to the next operator of the St. Johns River Ferry to provide options for repairs to continue operating the service.
The ferry connects Florida A1A at Mayport. The port board of directors voted in February to stop operating the ferry at the end of the current fiscal year, Sept. 30.
The study was presented to Council President Stephen Joost Wednesday.
The Council’s St. Johns River Ferry Ad Hoc Committee did not have time to review it, but it did discuss developments in searching for both an operator and funding for the ferry Thursday.
“(The committee) received a letter from the mayor, and while he recognized that general fund monies are very tight with respect to funding the ferry, he did recognize the importance of it and did pledge to assist us. He has already done that,” said committee Chairman Bill Gulliford.
That help came in the form of connecting the committee with grant writers to help find funding to operate and maintain the ferry. The committee plans an extensive search for funds.
The committee also is communicating with U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw’s office to discuss the possibility of receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Defense because of the military’s use of the ferry.
Naval Station Mayport is not far from the ferry crossing.
The committee didn’t discuss the port’s report because it hadn’t had time to review it, but the report is available for public review.
The two options presented were listed as A and B.
Option A would initially cost about $5 million for repairs designated as priority one, or immediate need.
The project would be followed by priority two, about $4.5 million, in 2017, and priority three, $2.2 million in 2022, for a total of nearly $12 million.
The option came with a warning that costs could rise because structural conditions of the 60-year-old system could be worse than expected.
Option B would cost $6.7 million and involves replacing the current system completely.
“Based on the age of the existing structure, the history of repair requirements to the existing structure, and the long-term cost savings, Shaw recommends proceeding with option B,” stated Al Curtis, project manager, in a letter.
Shaw GBB was contracted by the port to design the repair options for $224,000.
The committee also heard from the Save the St. Johns River Ferry Task Force represented by former Council President Elaine Brown.
While she was upbeat about the volunteer group’s efforts to educate the public on the importance of the ferry to Northeast Florida, she said she was still worried that the public wasn’t taking the group’s cause seriously.
“When we are out in public we do get some feeling that people don’t really believe that the ferry service will be halted when the port discontinues its involvement,” said Brown.
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