August 1 marks a two-year closure for the St. Johns Marina Boat Ramp at Museum Circle, adjacent to the ongoing construction at the neighboring Southbank Residences project.
During that time, the City of Jacksonville, through its Public Works Department, will oversee significant upgrades to the boat ramp, including rerouting vehicular access, dredging the approach area to the ramp, new boat trailer parking beneath the Acosta Bridge and installing a newer, longer ramp for larger vessels.
“We are going to be working on getting some funding to extend the ramp another 10 feet out from where it is now,” said City of Jacksonville Waterways Coordination/Dock Master Jim Suber. “We extended it 10 feet several years ago, but it really is designed for medium to small vessels, and as time has gone on, the vessels have become longer and longer and longer, so that will improve that usage and allow more people to be able to use it.”
Mike Barker, a member of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission, said maneuverability has been an issue for people wishing to use that boat ramp.
“If you try to bring a boat in of any size on a trailer, there’s really not much maneuvering room,” Barker said. “So you really have a boat ramp that is limited as to the size and type of boat it can take, number one, and then problems with keeping it situated such that the trailers don’t drop off the end of the boat ramp and get stuck.”
Suber said silt buildup is a persistent issue that has caused several problems that dredging will help resolve.
“At low tides, people can’t launch, or they can’t retrieve their boats out because it’s so muddy, and it’s getting progressively worse,” Suber said.
The dredging will occur towards the end of the ramp’s estimated two-year closure, Suber added.
The closure comes as construction progresses at nearby Southbank Residences, by the Related Group. Suber said it is as much out of an abundance of caution for public safety during this construction period as an opportunity to bring some much-needed updates to the boat ramp itself.
Though not a part of this project, Suber added that conversations are ongoing to bring a marina back to that area with a fueling dock. According to Suber, the public works director is currently pursuing opportunities to see that happen.
“Our desire is to return that to a marina,” Suber said.
The boat ramp is expected to reopen in 2028. The nearby Arlington Road Boat Ramp (5103 Arlington Road), Arlington Lions Club Boat Ramp (4322 Richard D. Gatlin Road) and the John T. Lowe Boat Ramp at Goodby’s Creek (9020 San Jose Boulevard) are all open for public use in the interim.