New JAXPORT dredging plan cuts +$200 million in cost

Jacksonville, FL — It would drop the price tag from around $700 million to $484 million.

JAXPORT is moving forward with plans to dredge 11 miles of the harbor- two miles fewer than their initial plan called for. The scaled back project was first floated about two years ago, but JAXPORT now confirms to WOKV that it is a done deal.

“We have made good on our promise to reduce the costs, reduce any potential impacts of this project, and increase the benefits,” says a statement from JAXPORT Spokeswoman Nancy Rubin.

There's still a lot of work to do to even come close to that $484 million tab, though. The federal government has so far committed $21.5 million, which is about half of the first contract, according to Rubin. The project is eligible for further federal funding as it progresses. She says Florida Governor Rick Scott has continually showed support for JAXPORT and this project, and they believe the state will contribute. Further, she says JAXPORT and the City of Jacksonville are in discussions for local funding.

“All talks are positive but the plan is still a work in progress,” she says.

JAXPORT has posted a petition on their website and social media platforms for people to sign as a show of support for the project and also to "insist that the Jacksonville City Council join the state and the nation in lending support to this transformational, unprecedented business opportunity".

The project is not without its critics, though. The St. Johns Riverkeeper has continually pushed back against dredging, and as recently as April the group filed a complaint saying the US Army Corps of Engineers didn't fully consider the environmental consequences.

Deepening the harbor from 40 feet to 47 feet is something JAXPORT maintains is vital in order for them to be competitive in the global shipping industry, which is seeing a rise in ships with deeper drafts.

JAXPORT says USACE timeline calls for construction to begin by the end of this year or early next year.