Finding the right lot

A structured, evidence-based search for the ideal Phase 1 location — combining traffic data, EV coverage gaps, and commercial land availability across Jacksonville.

Research phase active
3 priority zones identified
3 candidate areas shortlisted
No lots under offer yet

Site selection criteria

Before looking at specific lots, we define what makes a site work across all three phases. A lot that fails Phase 1 never gets to Phase 2.

🛣
Must have

High-traffic corridor access

On or directly off I-95, I-295, I-10, or US-1. Minimum 40,000 vehicles/day on the nearest arterial. Easy in/out — signalized intersection nearby preferred.

📏
Must have

0.5 – 1.5 acres

Enough for 20–40 parking spaces in Phase 1, plus space to add 4–8 Supercharger stalls and vending placement in later phases. Tight urban lots under 0.4 acres don't scale.

Must have

Commercial power nearby

Phase 2 Superchargers require heavy electrical service — 600A+ per cabinet. Proximity to existing commercial grid infrastructure significantly reduces Phase 2 upgrade costs.

📋
Must have

Commercial / mixed-use zoning

CCG-1, CCG-2, or equivalent commercial zoning that permits parking, EV charging, and vending as of right — without requiring special use variances that add cost and time.

💰
Target price

Under $400K acquisition

Proving the concept at lower entry cost. Average commercial land in Jacksonville runs ~$323K/acre — target lots where total Phase 1 investment (land + setup) stays under $450K.

🔍
Strong signal

Supercharger gap nearby

Within 5 miles of an underserved corridor — no existing Supercharger within a 3–4 mile radius. These gaps are where Tesla's own navigation will actively route traffic to us.

Jacksonville coverage map

Existing Superchargers cluster in Southside and along the Beach Boulevard corridor. Three zones have meaningful gaps relative to traffic volume.

Existing Tesla Supercharger
Coverage gap zone
Priority search zone

Click any marker for detail. Zone and Supercharger positions are approximate planning placements, not surveyed coordinates.

Reading the map: The I-95/I-10 interchange and Southside are well-served. The gaps worth targeting are the Westside along I-10, the Northside near the airport corridor, and the Orange Park / I-295 Southwest arc — all high-traffic with no Superchargers within 4+ miles.

Three zones worth pursuing

Ranked by the combination of traffic volume, Supercharger gap size, land cost, and Phase 2 viability. All three meet the core criteria — they differ in risk profile and timing.

1
Westside — I-10 Corridor
Near Chaffee Rd, Blanding Blvd & I-295 West
87
/ 100
Large gap High traffic Affordable land
~4 mi
nearest SC
100K+
daily vehicles
$280–380K
est. land cost
2
Northside — Airport Corridor
Near I-95 / I-295 North, Jacksonville Int'l Airport
79
/ 100
I-95 corridor Airport demand Fewer amenities
~6 mi
nearest SC
150K+
daily vehicles
$250–350K
est. land cost
3
Southwest — I-295 / Orange Park
Near US-17, Blanding Blvd south, I-295 SW arc
74
/ 100
Suburban growth Affluent demos Rising land prices
~5 mi
nearest SC
80K+
daily vehicles
$320–480K
est. land cost

Existing Supercharger coverage

Seven confirmed locations in the Jacksonville metro area as of June 2026. All sit in the Southside, Beach Boulevard, and outer fringe — leaving the Northside and Westside underserved.

Location Address Stalls Max kW Version Gap for us?
Philips Hwy (Southside) 5735 Philips Hwy, 32216 12 250kW V4 Covered
Gate Parkway (Town Center) 4866 Gate Pkwy, 32246 8 150kW V3 Covered
Beach Blvd (Wawa) 13363 Beach Blvd, 32246 12 325kW V4 Covered
City Center Blvd (Northside) 13221 City Center Blvd, 32218 16 250kW V4 Northside edge
Sago Ave W (Northside) 12333 Sago Ave W, 32218 12 250kW V4 Northside edge
Chaffee Rd (Westside) 703 Chaffee Rd, 32221 8 150kW V3 Often congested
Blanding Blvd (new) 7911 Blanding Blvd, 32244 11 250kW V4 SW partial coverage
I-10 West corridor No station within 4 mi GAP Our opportunity
Airport / I-95 North mid No station within 6 mi GAP Our opportunity
Congestion signal: The Chaffee Rd Westside station (only 8 stalls, older V3 hardware at 150kW) regularly reaches capacity according to Tesla community reports. This is a meaningful signal — unmet local demand exists and a well-placed lot in the same corridor would be welcomed by Tesla's own routing algorithm.

Candidate shortlist

Note: These are candidate areas and representative lot types — not specific listed properties under active consideration. Specific listings should be sourced through a Jacksonville commercial RE broker using these zones and criteria as the brief. Prices reflect current Jacksonville market averages (~$323K/acre commercial).
★ Top pick zone
Target lot zone — I-10 Westside Chaffee Rd SC (existing, congested)
Zone 1 — Westside
I-10 / I-295 Westside area
Chaffee Rd corridor, Jacksonville FL 32221 — approx. 0.5–0.75 acres commercial
0.5–0.75ac
Target size
4+ mi
SC gap
100K+
vehicles/day
Strengths
  • Largest coverage gap on a major corridor
  • Chaffee Rd SC at capacity — proven demand
  • Most affordable land in target zones
  • I-10 road-trip traffic + local commuters
Watch points
  • Less retail density than Southside
  • More industrial / mixed neighbourhood
  • Vending product mix needs calibrating
Target lot zone — Northside JAX Airport
Zone 2 — Northside
Airport / I-95 North corridor
Dunn Ave / New Kings Rd area, Jacksonville FL 32218 — approx. 0.5–1.0 acres
0.5–1.0ac
Target size
6+ mi
SC gap
150K+
vehicles/day
Strengths
  • Largest SC gap — 6+ miles
  • Highest daily vehicle count of any zone
  • Airport pre-departure charging demand
  • Cheapest land in all three zones
Watch points
  • More industrial character
  • Lower residential EV density nearby
  • Fewer walk-to amenities for vending uplift
Target lot zone — SW / Orange Park
Zone 3 — Southwest
Orange Park / I-295 Southwest
US-17 / Blanding Blvd south area, FL 32210 — approx. 0.5–0.75 acres
0.5–0.75ac
Target size
~5 mi
SC gap
80K+
vehicles/day
Strengths
  • Fastest-growing residential area
  • Higher EV ownership, affluent demos
  • Best vending revenue potential (Phase 3)
  • Strong retail density nearby
Watch points
  • Priciest land of the three zones
  • New Blanding Blvd SC reduces gap urgency
  • More competition from retail parking

Zone scoring matrix

Each criterion weighted by its importance to all three phases. Scores 1–5. Westside leads on the factors that matter most for Phase 1 and Phase 2 viability.

Criterion Weight Zone 1 — Westside Zone 2 — Northside Zone 3 — Southwest
Supercharger gap size 25% 5 / 5 5 / 5 3 / 5
Daily traffic volume 20% 4 / 5 5 / 5 3 / 5
Land cost vs budget 20% 5 / 5 5 / 5 3 / 5
Phase 3 vending potential 15% 3 / 5 3 / 5 5 / 5
Commercial zoning availability 10% 4 / 5 4 / 5 3 / 5
Power infrastructure proximity 10% 4 / 5 3 / 5 4 / 5
Weighted total score 100% 87 / 100 79 / 100 74 / 100
Recommendation: Begin the active broker search in Zone 1 (Westside / I-10 corridor). It scores highest, offers the best land value for the proof-of-concept budget, and has the most acute Supercharger gap. If no suitable lots emerge within 60 days, pivot to Zone 2 (Northside) which offers the largest gap and highest traffic count at the lowest land cost.

Next steps

Moving from zone identification to a lot under offer. A clear sequence with defined decision points.

1
Immediate

Engage a Jacksonville commercial RE broker

Brief them on Zone 1 (Westside / I-10) first, with Zone 2 (Northside) as secondary. Provide these criteria: 0.5–1.0 acres, CCG-1 or CCG-2 zoning, under $400K, corridor frontage. LoopNet, Crexi, and local brokers (CBRE Jacksonville, Colliers) are the right starting points.

2
Week 1–2

Pull traffic count data for shortlisted addresses

FDOT publishes Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts for every road segment in Florida. For each candidate lot, verify the actual count on the adjacent road — confirm minimum 40,000 vehicles/day. Free at fdot.gov/statistics.

3
Week 2–3

Site visits with Sophie's family

For any lot that passes the paper filter, do a physical visit — preferably on a weekday morning when traffic is representative. Assess: visibility from the road, ease of turning in/out, surrounding businesses, condition of the lot, and any immediate red flags.

4
Week 3–4

Electrical feasibility check

Before making any offer, ask JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority) for an informal feasibility assessment on Phase 2 power requirements at the address. This costs nothing and can disqualify a lot early — a transformer upgrade can add $50–150K to Phase 2 costs if the grid infrastructure isn't nearby.

5
Week 4–6

Model parking revenue per finalist lot

For the top 1–2 sites, build a simple parking revenue model: estimated stalls × occupancy rate × daily rate × 365. Compare against land carrying costs. The site needs to reach break-even within 18 months of Phase 1 launch to proceed with confidence.

6
Week 6–8

Letter of intent on the winning site

Once a site clears all filters, submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). This is non-binding and holds the property while due diligence is completed — title search, Phase I environmental, zoning confirmation, and final JEA assessment.