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ORANGE PARK – Clay County is bracing itself for a housing boom.

The proximity of NAS Jacksonville, the construction of the First Coast Expressway, a school district that’s one of the highest-rated in the state and a crime rate that pales in comparison to neighboring Duval County has made the county a popular place to live. And with that comes the need for new developments.

“I’ve lived in Clay County since 1985; it’s a very attractive county to live in, it has a really good school system, it’s low tax. It has all the general attributes anybody would appreciate for a community,” said Bill Garrison, Executive Officer of the Northeast Florida Builder’s Association. “But the thing that’s really going to ramp housing up in Clay County is the construction of the First-Coast Expressway through the county. It’s a brand-new interstate right through the heart of the county. Any time you have that big of an infrastructure project, there’s going to be development that comes from that.”

The FCE is expected to be completed in 2030. As that continues to move toward completion, there will be more retail, restaurants and homes constructed along its length.

“The number one thing that people look for as a family, in terms of where to locate, is the school system,” Garrison said. “As our schools continue to get better and better, that just attracts more families to want to live here.”

Homes must be available to house the growing suburban population. According to Garrison, in Clay County, about 800 single-family permits are being granted annually. In St. John’s county, which has roughly 40,000 more residents, more than 4,000 permits are given annually.

St. John’s residents, however, are beginning to voice frustration with that level of rapid growth, and politicians are looking to slow things down in response. Who wins as a result? Clay County. That decision forces more development back into Clay and Nassau counties.

Another huge driver for the increase in housing construction is the presence of NAS Jacksonville and all the military stationed there in addition to the civilian personnel that supports the installation. Many service people assigned there need someplace to live. A large part of the earlier development of Orange Park can be directly tied to people stationed in the area.

During the 1960s, several schools in Duval County were recommended for discreditation. That was not attractive to families, and neighboring Clay County had a better school system. Military families began to migrate to Orange Park and other parts of the county as a result. Also, many people decide to remain living near their final duty station when retiring from active duty service. NAS Jacksonville is no different.

“In Clay County, our government policies are promoting growth. They want more growth,” said Garrison. “There’s a lot of positives for Clay County to grow. I don’t know that we’ll ever get to 4,000 [single-family housing permits], but I could easily see us doing 1,500-2,000 permits per year. I don’t think that’s out of the realm of possibility at all.”

Read more about the First Coast Expressway here.

Bill Garrison, Executive Director

Northeast Florida Builder's Association