St. Johns County is seeing more and more growth among commercial businesses, and officials say that brings big benefits for residents.<\/p>\n
From new hospitals to a focus on and around the local airport, a lot of money is coming into one of Florida\u2019s fastest-growing counties.<\/p>\n
Right now, the bulk of the county\u2019s tax revenue comes from property taxes paid by homeowners. St. Johns County Economic Development Director Christine Valliere says a stronger mix of commercial and industrial development will help insulate the county from economic instability.<\/p>\n
With a fast-growing population, St. Johns County\u2019s more than 300,000 residents need housing, but Valliere says revenue has to come from more than just housing, especially when the housing market can be so volatile.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is a goal of economic development: Diversify the tax base, bring high-paying, challenging jobs to the residents and trying to do that in a way that coincides with managing growth,\u201d Valliere says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Any new economic development is a boon for the county, she says, but one area where St. Johns County is seeing growth is the health care industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With new hospitals coming along from UF Health, AdventHealth and other medical systems, Valliere says the county projects 3,500 new health care jobs in the next three years.<\/p>\n
More jobs for a growing population<\/p>\n
Along with health care, Valliere says St. Johns County expects a boom in development supporting aviation thanks to investments in the St. Augustine Airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe state of Florida overall is seeing a huge increase in interest in aeronautical and business manufacturing,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing that increase in inquiries, if you will, for locating in the Northeast Florida area.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the St. Augustine Airport has been a lightning rod for political scandal<\/a> in recent years, funding is pouring in to expand and improve its infrastructure.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last month, airport officials announced<\/a> the receipt of $9.65 million from the Federal Aviation Authority to improve access to the airport for future development in aerospace and aviation.<\/p>\n Another area where Valliere says the county is seeing expansion is in industrial development near World Golf Village.\u00a0<\/p>\n These expanding industries could spell change for an area where tourism has historically been one of the largest economic drivers.<\/p>\n Whether its gas prices or having the money to go on vacation, tourism is an industry that is vulnerable to economic ups and downs, Valliere says. It\u2019s also an industry that brings more travelers and cars into a county that is, in some areas, already tightly packed.<\/p>\n Bustling industry and busy roads<\/p>\n St. Johns County is one of Florida\u2019s richest counties, but it also suffers, like much of the state, from a lack of housing<\/a> that is affordable for teachers, nurses and other people who are integral to the area\u2019s day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n But more local, high-paying jobs would mean more people who can afford to live where they work. A leader of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce also says it would mean slimming down the daily exodus of residents who travel to other counties for work.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s also 70,000 people a day that leave our county and go to work in another county,\u201d says Scott Maynard, the chamber\u2019s senior vice president of economic development and public policy. \u201cIf opportunities open up in our county and we can attract those people to stay here, that\u2019s a win for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only does that mean more money staying local, it also means less congestion on the county\u2019s strained roads.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt shortens the commute time for someone, and that\u2019s less cars on the road for that extended period of time,\u201d Maynard says.<\/p>\n Maynard says he is optimistic about the attention St. Johns County is receiving from business owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n Health care is a good example, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s really been valuable for us because it brings high-quality jobs into the county and continues to meet the health care needs for our residents,\u201d Maynard says. \u201cIt\u2019s also providing options for our residents. I think most municipalities or counties in Florida are lucky to have one health care provider. \u2026 We have six.\u201d<\/p>\n Bringing the business home<\/p>\n With other growing cities and counties nearby, St. Johns County wants to stand out from the pack among prospective locations for companies.<\/p>\n Along with incentive packages that companies can apply for, St. Johns County\u2019s latest effort to attract new business to the area is a new website.\u00a0<\/p>\n Economic Development Director Christine Valliere says the goal of the website, InvestSJC.com<\/a>, is to help it stand out to executives and site selectors who are deciding where to locate their businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n With statistics about the local workforce and testimonials from local employers, Valliere says the website makes the case for why St. Johns County is an attractive place to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n