DIA Mobility Fee Credit

The Downtown Investment Authority (“DIA”) and the City of Jacksonville entered into a Mobility Fee Credit Contract in an amount of $32,834,388.39. Pursuant to that agreement and Chapter 55, Part 1, Section 55.018(a)(10) of the Jacksonville Code of Ordinances, the DIA is authorized to “To negotiate, assign and allocate development rights within the Central Business District, including assigning mobility fee credits pursuant to any applicable mobility fee contract.”

Mobility Fee Credits may be applied as an incentive to offset Mobility Fees, or a portion thereon, associated with a new allocation of development rights and may be issued within the Central Business District.
In order to be eligible for any Mobility Fee credit, the following minimum requirements must be met:
  1. The Developer shall have provided to the City, at no charge, a perpetual, minimum 25’ wide, multi-use trail easement (or fee) contemplated by the Downtown Zoning Overlay for Riverwalk or creek-side trails within Downtown, where applicable.
  2. In the event that structured parking is provided by the developer, the developer shall conform structured parking to the Chapter 656, Part 3, Subpart H and comply with Downtown Zoning Overlay and Downtown Design Standards for street-front activation and screening of any parking garages and/or parking lots located on the subject property.
  3. The developer shall have complied with the sidewalk requirements of the Downtown Zoning Overlay and Downtown Design Standards, including the provision of additional right of way when existing right of way is inadequate.
The DIA may grant a mobility fee credit incentive equal to the value of the Developer’s contributions below and will use the following considerations when determining whether to grant a Mobility Fee Credit incentive, and the amount of incentive credit to be awarded:
  1. If the developer has conveyed lands either in fee or via perpetual easement for the expansion of the Pedestrian Zone or the Riverwalk or those bike/ped facilities adjacent to McCoy’s Creek or Hogan Creek beyond that which are enabled by the existing boundaries of the adjacent rights-of-way or City-owned parcels.
  2. The project improves the transportation network through such measures as reduction in the number of existing curb cuts or driveways, utilizes joint driveways or cross access, or includes multi-model facilities, bus shelters, etc.
  3. The developer includes such programs as transit pass, ride share, and other programs that focus on transportation modes other than single occupant vehicles;
  4. The Developer provides or makes use of shared use parking. The Developer satisfies the goal in the Downtown Zoning Overlay that 10% of ground level or at grade parking spaces in any new garage will be made available for public parking at all times. Lesser numbers and times will be considered proportionately. The Developer makes excess spaces in any new structured parking facility available for lease or license by users of other developments. The Developer constructs fewer spaces for the exclusive use of the development than are needed, and leases or licenses parking spaces in another existing parking facility for use by tenants of the development.
  5. The developer incurs the costs of construction for such public improvements as upgraded sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, benches, shade trees, trash receptacles, artistic bicycle racks, etc. beyond the minimum required by the Downtown Overlay of Downtown Design Standards.
  6. The developer has entered into an agreement with the DIA or the City to provide enhanced maintenance of the Pedestrian Zone, the Riverwalk or those bike/ped facilities adjacent to McCoy’s Creek or Hogan Creek;
  7. Any other improvement or commitment for ongoing maintenance of a facility for the benefit of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, or other non-single occupant vehicle transportation users;
  8. Any other improvement or commitment for ongoing maintenance of a facility that increases pedestrian or bicyclist connectivity to a park, the St. Johns River and its tributaries, or the Riverwalk; or
  9. The project includes a mix of uses that includes first floor retail vertically integrated with residential, noting that office and other non-residential uses may also be incorporated providing that the project includes a residential component.
The developer is to provide a calculated cost of the improvement, land value or maintenance. The DIA may grant a mobility fee credit incentive equal to the value of the developer’s contributions above, or at DIA’s discretion, in excess thereof if needed to meet the mobility fee credit requirement for the development. Although the Mobility Fee Credit incentive provided is not intended to be derived from a prescribed formula, any value of the Mobility Fee Credit granted, in excess of the improvement, land value or maintenance cost will be the portion of the incentive incorporated into a Return-on-Investment calculation by the DIA.

The value of each credit is determined within the Mobility Fee Credit Contract and is a function of land use x cost per vehicle mile trip x average vehicle mile trip.