Working to address rapid growth

Working to address rapid growth

2022-07-13T08:09:35-04:00February 18th, 2022|Economy, Jacksonville|

Writer: Caty Hirst

 St Johns County2 min read February 2022 — St. Johns County has been one of the fastest-growing communities in Florida — and in the United States — for years, even before the pandemic began driving migration to Florida. Now, in a post-COVID-19 world, the growth in St. Johns has continued, which has brought both opportunity and challenges to the county. 

The rapid growth — confirmed by the 2020 U.S. Census, which showed a 43% increase in population in the last decade — has created challenges for traffic, water management and environmental protection, critics argue. From roads and housing availability and affordability to a lack of teachers to meet demand in the school district, the cracks are starting to get wider. 

New housing developments can’t keep pace with the demand for housing, with single-family building permits hitting record highs, and houses available on the market hitting record lows, real estate reports and county documents show. According to Realtor.com, housing prices were up 37.1% year-over-year in January 2022, with more people looking for homes than there are homes available.  

Hunter Conrad, County Administrator of St. Johns County, said the area is committed to growing in a sustainable, responsible way. 

It is a challenge. The idea for any fast-growing community is to make sure you plan for the future and invest in infrastructure. We do want to see growth, and we want to see people investing in our community, but we want to make sure we’re prepared for it,” Conrad told Invest:. 

St. Johns County Commissions also voted Tuesday to draw up an official proposal on a possible increase in sales tax for the area. The proposal, with community discussion scheduled for March 1, includes a one-cent sales surtax that will help fund about $500 million in infrastructure needs, which includes $243 million for roads, bridges and other transportation requirements; $120 million for public safety investments; $88 million for parks and $49 million for libraries, according to News4Jax. 

Fueling the growth, at least in part, are new priorities for how people live in a remote work, post-pandemic life. 

“Businesses used to look at infrastructure as the No. 1 reason for targeting an area but that’s now shifted to where workforces can live,” said Isabelle Renault, president and CEO of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, in an interview with Invest:. “The crossroad of our tourism assets in St. Johns County and economic development is our ability to show visitors our unique quality of life. This is significant leverage we have to attract a talented workforce to our county. We consistently hear from new business owners who have visited St. Johns County and then decided to make it their home. We intend to capitalize on this asset. 

St. Johns County has a comprehensive plan for growth, which includes cooperation with the local school districts to ensure the next generation of talent meets the future economic growth of the county, Renault said. The local schools are another top factor influencing individuals and businesses to relocate to the area — the school district consistently ranks as one of the top public school systems in the country. 

“This accolade makes our area very appealing to families seeking top-quality education for their children and grandchildren. We repeatedly hear from local business owners that a highly-ranked public school system is one of the most critical factors in choosing a location to start a business,” said Conrad. 

Renault said the most in-demand jobs in the area are engineers, thanks to an aging population and a thriving advanced manufacturing sector; healthcare professionals, especially as two new hospitals enter the county; and teachers. 

“Our new residents will be sending their kids to school. With a new school opening here each year, we will need more educators to join what is already one of the top performing school districts in the country,” Renault said. 

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