Above Jacksonville's Southside
Given the opportunity to participate in a recent missionary trip flight out of Craig Airport, Metro Jacksonville's Ennis Davis shares views of Jacksonville's Southside and a few other places from 3,000 feet above.
1.
2.
Looking towards downtown Jacksonville, shortly after taking off from Craig Field on a trip to Orlando Apopka Airport. Regency Square Mall dominates the right side of this image.
3.
On this particular day, the results of our road dominated transportation system can be seen in the air
4.
5.
Overlooking the Southside's Tinseltown.
6.
Blue Cross Blue Shield's Deerwood campus near the Butler Boulevard/Southside Boulevard interchange.
7.
Tinseltown with downtown Jacksonville in the distant background.
8.
Southside Boulevard in the vicinity of Baymeadows Boulevard. Dominated by multifamily residential developments, this area is one of the densest in Jacksonville with a population density of 9,410.3 people per square mile according to the 2010 Census. For comparison's sake, the City of Miami has an overall population density of 10,160.9 people per square mile. Unfortunately, the Baymeadows area is highly pedestrian hostile. As of this year, many roadways still don't have sidewalks on both sides of the street and bicycle facilities are an afterthought.
9.
Over Timberlin Parc neighborhood near Avenues Mall.
10.
I-95/I-295 interchange with Julington Creek in the distance.
11.
I-95/Southside Boulevard flyover looking north towards downtown Jacksonville.
12.
I-95 heading north into downtown Jacksonville. Southpoint dominates the image's lower right corner.
13.
Interstate 295 with Mandarin in the background, is a continuous 60 mile expressway loop around Jacksonville. In 1992, a series of sniper shootings and concrete block and brick throwing attacks occurred on Interstate 295 (currently the West Beltway), resulting in the death of one motorist. The incidents spurred then-governor Lawton Chiles to dispatch the Florida National Guard to patrol the roadway and the American Automobile Association (AAA) to issue a rare travel warning for the interstate and direct its customers to avoid its use.
14.
The Avenues Mall with downtown Jacksonville in the background.
15.
St. Johns County's Julington Creek.
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Sprawling Northern St. Johns County. Known for having good public schools, Northern St. Johns County is the fastest growing section of the Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
17.
thelakelander's seat, 6,500 feet above sea level.
18.
Preparing to land in Apopka, Florida.
19.
Lake Apopka is the third largest lake in Florida. Fed by a natural spring, rainfall and stormwater runoff, water from Lake Apopka flows through the Apopka-Beauclair Canal and into Lakes Beauclair and Dora. From Lake Dora, water flows into Lake Eustis, then into Lake Griffin and then northward into the Ocklawaha River, which flows into the St. Johns River.
20.
In Apopka, construction is underway on the extension of the John Land Apopka Expressway and the Daniel Webster Western Beltway. This project will tie into the controversial Wekiva Parkway project, forming a beltway around Orlando.
21.
Landing at Orlando Apopka Airport.
22.
St. Augustine in the distance.
23.
World Golf Village.
24.
Midway between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, World Golf Village is a 6,300 acre community envisioned to eventually have 18,000 residents. It is also home to the World Golf Hall of Fame, which is intended to be the ultimate golf destination for players and fans of the game.
25.
Flying near Nocatee. In 2011, Nocatee ranked 14th nationwide among master planned communities for home sales. $200 million has been invested in the community's roadway network in order to facilitate its long term growth. Today, nearly 1,000 people call Nocatee home.
26.
Butler Boulevard is a 13 mile expressway that has been completed in sections between 1979 and 1997. It is named for James Turner Bulter, a well-known Jacksonville attorney and Florida legislator who was instrumental in the establishment of the Jacksonville Expressway Authority. Originally described as "the road to nowhere", the highway was a toll road until 1988.
27.
Butler Boulevard at Kernan Boulevard.
28.
Flying over University of North Florida's Adam W. Herbert University Center. The University Center is a 95,000 square foot conference and meeting facility.
29.
University of North Florida's Osprey Fountains rises above the swamps of Sawmill Slough. Osprey Fountains is a five-story dormitory complex housing 1,000 students. The $86 million complex was completed in 2009.
30.
Looking towards Jacksonville Beach.
31.
The Beach/Kernan Boulevard overpass was constructed in 2009 for $43 million. By comparison, recent commuter rail start up costs have ranged from $1.3 million per mile for Nashville's Music City Star (a line which is mostly single-tracked) to a high of $26 million per mile for the Seattle Sounder.
32.
33.
Flying over the proposed Tamaya development site near Beach Boulevard with Jacksonville Beach skyline in the distant background. Proposed by Daytona Beach-based ICI Homes, the 780-acre project would include 2,400 residential units. As a part of the project's 2005 approval, the developer was required to construct a four-lane boulevard connecting Kernan and Hodges Boulevards along the JEA utility easement shown in the image. In September, the developer requested an end to the roadway requirement based on an argument that constructing the roadway would make the development cost-prohibitive. Instead, ICI seeks to direct traffic generated by its 2,400 residential units onto Beach and Kernan Boulevards.
34.
Kensington Lakes subdivision.
35.
The Atlantic/Kernan Boulevard overpass was completed in 2010 at a cost of $47 million. Both the Atlantic/Kernan and Beach /Kernan overpasses were funded through the Better Jacksonville Plan. By comparison, Milwaukee's proposed 2-mile modern streetcar is expected to cost $65 million and generate $3.35 billion in new tax base over a 20 year period.
36.
Preparing to land at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport. The airport covers an area of 1,342 acres at the intersection of St. Johns Bluff Road and Atlantic Boulevard. Owned by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, it is named after James Craig. Craig was a Jacksonville native who lost his life at the Pearl Harbor attack. Of interesting note, the Navy's Blue Angels performed their first airshow at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport on June 15, 1946.
37.
Article by Ennis Davis
2.
Looking towards downtown Jacksonville, shortly after taking off from Craig Field on a trip to Orlando Apopka Airport. Regency Square Mall dominates the right side of this image.
3.
On this particular day, the results of our road dominated transportation system can be seen in the air
4.
5.
Overlooking the Southside's Tinseltown.
6.
Blue Cross Blue Shield's Deerwood campus near the Butler Boulevard/Southside Boulevard interchange.
7.
Tinseltown with downtown Jacksonville in the distant background.
8.
Southside Boulevard in the vicinity of Baymeadows Boulevard. Dominated by multifamily residential developments, this area is one of the densest in Jacksonville with a population density of 9,410.3 people per square mile according to the 2010 Census. For comparison's sake, the City of Miami has an overall population density of 10,160.9 people per square mile. Unfortunately, the Baymeadows area is highly pedestrian hostile. As of this year, many roadways still don't have sidewalks on both sides of the street and bicycle facilities are an afterthought.
9.
Over Timberlin Parc neighborhood near Avenues Mall.
10.
I-95/I-295 interchange with Julington Creek in the distance.
11.
I-95/Southside Boulevard flyover looking north towards downtown Jacksonville.
12.
I-95 heading north into downtown Jacksonville. Southpoint dominates the image's lower right corner.
13.
Interstate 295 with Mandarin in the background, is a continuous 60 mile expressway loop around Jacksonville. In 1992, a series of sniper shootings and concrete block and brick throwing attacks occurred on Interstate 295 (currently the West Beltway), resulting in the death of one motorist. The incidents spurred then-governor Lawton Chiles to dispatch the Florida National Guard to patrol the roadway and the American Automobile Association (AAA) to issue a rare travel warning for the interstate and direct its customers to avoid its use.
14.
The Avenues Mall with downtown Jacksonville in the background.
15.
St. Johns County's Julington Creek.
16.
Sprawling Northern St. Johns County. Known for having good public schools, Northern St. Johns County is the fastest growing section of the Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
17.
thelakelander's seat, 6,500 feet above sea level.
18.
Preparing to land in Apopka, Florida.
19.
Lake Apopka is the third largest lake in Florida. Fed by a natural spring, rainfall and stormwater runoff, water from Lake Apopka flows through the Apopka-Beauclair Canal and into Lakes Beauclair and Dora. From Lake Dora, water flows into Lake Eustis, then into Lake Griffin and then northward into the Ocklawaha River, which flows into the St. Johns River.
20.
In Apopka, construction is underway on the extension of the John Land Apopka Expressway and the Daniel Webster Western Beltway. This project will tie into the controversial Wekiva Parkway project, forming a beltway around Orlando.
21.
Landing at Orlando Apopka Airport.
22.
St. Augustine in the distance.
23.
World Golf Village.
24.
Midway between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, World Golf Village is a 6,300 acre community envisioned to eventually have 18,000 residents. It is also home to the World Golf Hall of Fame, which is intended to be the ultimate golf destination for players and fans of the game.
25.
Flying near Nocatee. In 2011, Nocatee ranked 14th nationwide among master planned communities for home sales. $200 million has been invested in the community's roadway network in order to facilitate its long term growth. Today, nearly 1,000 people call Nocatee home.
26.
Butler Boulevard is a 13 mile expressway that has been completed in sections between 1979 and 1997. It is named for James Turner Bulter, a well-known Jacksonville attorney and Florida legislator who was instrumental in the establishment of the Jacksonville Expressway Authority. Originally described as "the road to nowhere", the highway was a toll road until 1988.
27.
Butler Boulevard at Kernan Boulevard.
28.
Flying over University of North Florida's Adam W. Herbert University Center. The University Center is a 95,000 square foot conference and meeting facility.
29.
University of North Florida's Osprey Fountains rises above the swamps of Sawmill Slough. Osprey Fountains is a five-story dormitory complex housing 1,000 students. The $86 million complex was completed in 2009.
30.
Looking towards Jacksonville Beach.
31.
The Beach/Kernan Boulevard overpass was constructed in 2009 for $43 million. By comparison, recent commuter rail start up costs have ranged from $1.3 million per mile for Nashville's Music City Star (a line which is mostly single-tracked) to a high of $26 million per mile for the Seattle Sounder.
32.
33.
Flying over the proposed Tamaya development site near Beach Boulevard with Jacksonville Beach skyline in the distant background. Proposed by Daytona Beach-based ICI Homes, the 780-acre project would include 2,400 residential units. As a part of the project's 2005 approval, the developer was required to construct a four-lane boulevard connecting Kernan and Hodges Boulevards along the JEA utility easement shown in the image. In September, the developer requested an end to the roadway requirement based on an argument that constructing the roadway would make the development cost-prohibitive. Instead, ICI seeks to direct traffic generated by its 2,400 residential units onto Beach and Kernan Boulevards.
34.
Kensington Lakes subdivision.
35.
The Atlantic/Kernan Boulevard overpass was completed in 2010 at a cost of $47 million. Both the Atlantic/Kernan and Beach /Kernan overpasses were funded through the Better Jacksonville Plan. By comparison, Milwaukee's proposed 2-mile modern streetcar is expected to cost $65 million and generate $3.35 billion in new tax base over a 20 year period.
36.
Preparing to land at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport. The airport covers an area of 1,342 acres at the intersection of St. Johns Bluff Road and Atlantic Boulevard. Owned by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, it is named after James Craig. Craig was a Jacksonville native who lost his life at the Pearl Harbor attack. Of interesting note, the Navy's Blue Angels performed their first airshow at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport on June 15, 1946.
37.
Article by Ennis Davis