The first vertical construction project Downtown since the Duval County Courthouse is scheduled to break ground in January.
Nat Ford, CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, said Tuesday the $33 million Regional Transportation Center in LaVilla near the Prime Osborn Convention Center will begin with the new Greyhound station and be complete in 2019.
He presented the project details at a meeting for stakeholders hosted by Downtown Vision Inc.
In addition to Greyhound, the facility will include a Skyway station, a new terminal for JTA’s fixed bus routes and a hub for the First Coast Flyer rapid transit bus system.
Facilities for Megabus service between Jacksonville and Orlando, the Uber ride-sharing service and administrative offices for the authority also are on the site plan.
“It will be our version of Grand Central Station, but on a little smaller scale,” Ford said.
Balfour Beatty Construction Co. has guaranteed the price for the project and will be responsible for cost overruns, if any, said Ford.
Future phases — not yet funded — could include a terminal for commuter rail service and moving the Amtrak terminal from North Jacksonville to the convention center, formerly Union Terminal.
“This project has been on again, off again for 25 years,” said Ford. “We have waited long enough.”
First Coast Flyer, which began service in December on its first phase between Downtown and a park-and-ride lot near Lem Turner Road, is running 90 percent on time and ridership has increased 15 percent since it began, Ford said.
The second phase, the rapid transit route between Downtown and a terminal along Philips Highway near Avenues Walk, is under construction and scheduled be in operation in December.
The third phase will connect Downtown and the Beaches.
“When the system is complete, we’ll have 57 miles of bus rapid transit with compressed natural gas buses with Wi-Fi,” said Ford.
In another matter, Downtown Vision CEO Jake Gordon said he and his staff are working with city departments to develop policies and permitting procedures for the parklet program.
With the first parklet scheduled to debut Sept. 15, the program will allow businesses to sponsor conversion of metered parking spaces into pedestrian zones or outdoor seating areas.
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