JaxPort has support from Florida governor

Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown told a Transportation Club of Jacksonville luncheon today that the city’s port was “the economic engine” of the area’s economy; and, he met this afternoon with someone who agrees — Florida Governor Rick Scott.

Scott made a whirlwind tour of northeast Florida today that started with breakfast at Flagler County’s Chamber of Commerce.

While Brown was addressing the Jacksonville group, the Governor was addressing another group of St. Johns County business executives that included manufacturers and suppliers; one who said he needed to go to Charleston, SC or Norfolk, VA to get their products to the middle east and now that they have operations here — they would prefer to use JaxPort.

Both Scott and Brown say that our ports have a top priority in their administrations.

The Jacksonville port could bring 100,000 jobs to the area, with 3,500 to 4,000 jobs potentially created by fixing Mile Point, Brown said. Mile Point is where the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway meet, and heavy currents there prevent large ships from calling on the port nearly two-thirds of the day; a proposed project would let ships pass by 24 hours a day.

The Governor told economic development executives the Florida’s port of Miami is already approved for the first shipping vessels through the expanded Panama Canal in 2014.

The mayor said he would create an advisory council on the port as well as one focused on military affairs. The Governor says that he has made progress in securing 20 different military bases for Florida — another priority for the chief executive.

This afternoon Brown met with Scott to discuss Enterprise Florida’s upcoming trade mission to Sao Paulo to expand trade and investment between Florida and Brazil; the state’s top export market.

Enterprise Florida, the state’s main economic development agency, is coordinating the mission, which Scott will lead.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer