Jacksonville CRA outlines $12 million plan for New Kings Road complete-streets improvements

The Kings Suttell Crossing Community Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday presented a phased plan to redesign New Kings Road, a 2.2-mile stretch of U.S. 1 from Suttell Drive to Trout River Boulevard, with sidewalks, landscaped medians, bus shelters, access-management changes and several proposed roundabouts intended to improve safety and spur redevelopment.

The proposal, presented by Karen Nasralla of the Office of Economic Development, calls for using tax-increment financing already allocated to the CRA and anticipates raising the project fund from a current balance of "just over $8,000,000" by adding a projected $3,000,000 in TIF at year-end cleanup, potentially bringing the total to about $12,000,000.

The plan matters because the redevelopment plan directs the CRA to work with the Florida Department of Transportation to incorporate complete-streets and context-sensitive design along this corridor, which the agency described as a gateway into Jacksonville and home to six of the CRA's 10 opportunity sites. Agency and consultant presenters said the work is intended to improve safety, walkability and attractiveness to developers.

Karen Nasralla, OED staff, told the agency board the project stems from a board resolution that created the New Kings Road Capital Improvement Project and directed staff to procure a consultant to develop a complete-streets project. "This project comes straight out of our redevelopment plan," Nasralla said. "The…