Whether it's for rockets or warehouses, St. Johns River Power Park heads to new era

David Bauerlein, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
Updated ·3 min read

The weather-beaten "St. Johns River Power Park" sign still stands at the entrance, but JEA is making moves this year to turn the former electric generating site into "Gateway Commerce Center" with ideas ranging from space rocket recovery to warehouses in the mix.

JEA might get a $500,000 assist from the state Legislature for doing a transportation study on building a new road road from Heckscher Drive into the site.

The request for the state funding says the potential 3,500 foot long road would provide better access "with an eye toward space rocket recovery/transport and other Florida target industry usage."

An implosion brought down the cooling towers at the St. Johns River Power Park on June 16, 2018 on the Northside of Jacksonville. JEA is revving up plans to redevelop the site that's largely vacant now.
An implosion brought down the cooling towers at the St. Johns River Power Park on June 16, 2018 on the Northside of Jacksonville. JEA is revving up plans to redevelop the site that's largely vacant now.

While rocket recovery would put the "power" back into the park, JEA also is considering more traditional industrial development such as distribution centers and warehouses on the 1,000 acres of developable land. JEA CEO Jay Stowe said the property is well-situated near the port and Interstate 295 and has a rail line running through it.

"It's something that has a lot of possibilities," Stowe said. "By moving forward the way we're moving, it will give us flexibility to make sure we make the best decisions in different sections of the park."

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He said JEA plans to issue a request for proposals from developers for how they would use some of the outparcels. He said that request could go out in the next couple of months. Meanwhile, JEA will be putting together a separate request for development of the larger tract on the site.

"The first round would probably be a sale of those outparcels and the second one is something that we're trying to get the best alternatives for and be sure we have the best partners to move forward with," Stowe said.

The four outparcels total 118 acres. The big parcel covers 887 acres, according to information provided to the JEA board.

Railroad tracks run through the property where JEA demolished the St. Johns River Power Park's electric generating plant and plans to seek proposals for redevelopment.[Will Dickey/Florida Times-Union]
Railroad tracks run through the property where JEA demolished the St. Johns River Power Park's electric generating plant and plans to seek proposals for redevelopment.[Will Dickey/Florida Times-Union]

JEA has been looking at ways to redevelop the site ever since an implosion brought down the two huge cooling towers for the electric generating complex on June 16, 2018. The spectacle attracted crowds who stood along Heckscher Drive and watched the towers collapse on a Saturday morning.

JEA sought proposals in November 2020 from developers about building a "world-class facility" at the site. JEA rescinded that invitation in January 2021 before the deadline for submissions, however, to do more evaluation of the site.

The entrance to the St. Johns River Power Park site is from New Berlin Road. A map for redeveloping the site shows a new entry road from Heckscher Drive. That new road would be called Blount Island Boulevard entering Gateway Commerce Center directly across Heckscher Drive from the entry gates to JaxPort's Blount Island Terminal to the south. That road would create a straight shot between the port terminal and the commerce center.

State Rep. Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville, and state Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, each submitted requests for $500,000 in state funding for a $1 million preliminary engineering study evaluating the addition of that new road.

"The new roadway will provide more efficient access to Blount Island and the St. Johns River Power Park, making it more attractive for businesses to set up, expand or invest in the area," the request filed by Duggan said.

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Yarborough's request said the power park "represents a unique opportunity to transform a remediated industrial site into a regional economic engine."

The House put $250,000 into its budget for the road study but the Senate did not include in its version of the budget. House and Senate leaders then met in conference committee talks to resolve differences and decided Thursday to recommend $500,000 for the study.

The full Legislature will approve next year's budget before the session ends on Friday.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: JEA renews work on redeveloping St. Johns River Power Park