Spotlight On: Christine Valliere, Director of Economic Development & Intergovernmental Affairs, St Johns County

Key points:

• • St. Johns County is expanding healthcare, industrial, and aviation sectors as rapid growth reshapes the region.
• • New workforce housing incentives and affordable developments aim to keep growth aligned with quality of life.
• • County leaders are strengthening talent pipelines through education partnerships and a new regional workforce campus.

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Christine Valliere, director of economic development and intergovernmental affairs in St. Johns County, about how the county is expanding its economic base while planning for rapid growth. “We are trying to manage growth responsibly, so that economic progress remains aligned with our quality of life,” Valliere said.

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What trends are shaping economic development in St. Johns County, and how do they reflect broader growth patterns across Northeast Florida?

St. Johns County continues to experience strong population growth and that is translating into demands for housing, infrastructure, and services. From an economic development standpoint, we are also seeing notable expansion in healthcare industries and industrial development, and both are shaping how we plan for the future.

On the industrial side, we are seeing projects that will add more than 1 million square feet of industrial space to St. Johns County and we are working hard to improve site readiness to attract more. Foundry Logistics Park is building out more than 500,000 square feet of light industrial space on International Golf Parkway.

In the northern part of the county, near County Road 210 and US 1, Legend Point Logistics Crossing is in development and will add more than 800,000 square feet of light industrial. That development is especially exciting because it may become the start of a new pharmaceutical hub. Publix is opening a central fill facility there in 2026. At full capacity the operation will create 450 new jobs and distribute 1 million pre-packaged prescriptions daily to Publix pharmacies throughout their multi-state service area.

 We are also seeing new investment opportunities in the St. Augustine Airport along U.S. 1. Last year the Airport received a substantial Florida Job Growth Grant for infrastructure improvements. Commercial improvements facilitated by the infrastructure grant are expected to generate 3,572 new full-time jobs and $1.3 billion in economic impact over the next 10 years.

In addition, St. Johns County is experiencing an unprecedented expansion of healthcare services investment. Multiple providers, including UF Health, AdventHealth, Baptist Health, HCA Florida, Ascension St. Vincent’s, and the TyMe Cancer Prevention Institute, are pursuing new projects or expansions. This new development activity is estimated to create a need for roughly 3,500 healthcare jobs over the next three years. We are working closely with healthcare providers, educational partners and career development agencies to enhance our talent pipeline to prepare for that demand. Altogether, these trends point to a county that is growing quickly but also being intentional about how that growth happens.

How is the county approaching housing affordability and residential development support as growth continues?

Housing affordability is a major issue not only for current and new residents, but is also an important part of business attraction strategy as companies are increasingly focused on employee housing availability and cost when making investment decisions.

The State Live Local Act provides a quicker path to development of multi-family housing to increase the availability of affordable housing for very-low to moderate income households. A handful of developers have taken advantage of this option in St. Johns County.

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners updated its impact fee ordinance last year and included a new waiver for affordable housing projects based on the income levels being served. For developments targeting households at or below 50% of area median income, the County offers a 100% waiver of county impact fees, excluding schools. For households earning between 50% and 80% of area median income, the County offers a 50% waiver of those county impact fees.  The County also created a Workforce Housing zoning category a few years ago to encourage private sector development of attainable housing options.

In addition, we are seeing both nonprofit and for-profit developers delivering new construction projects offering affordable single-family and townhome options in the low- to mid-$200,000 range. 

How do initiatives such as Tour de Farm support the county’s broader economic development strategy?

One of our economic development priorities is supporting our agricultural sector. Programs like Tour de Farm help do that by bringing the public into the community and fostering a better understanding of the value of our agricultural industry. Agriculture remains an important part of St. Johns County’s identity and economy, especially as the County grows.

Agritourism has become a bigger industry in Florida over the last decade and we are trying to support more of those opportunities locally. At the same time, the state has added Agtech to its targeted industry framework, and that is a business sector we are watching closely.

Agtech can help us do two things at once. It can enhance and modernize agricultural operations, while also help protect and encourage compatible investment in agricultural areas that experience development pressure as population growth continues. Our agricultural areas still have tremendous economic value, and Agtech can help maintain this economic driver into the future.

How are you addressing workforce needs and aligning talent development with employer demand?

That requires a collaborative approach. We work closely with our local Chamber of Commerce, JAXUSA, the regional economic development organization for Northeast Florida, CareerSource, our education partners. The St. Johns County School District has a very strong career and technical education program, and we share job trends so their educational offerings can better align with employers’ needs.

One of our advantages is that, in addition to a traditional K-12 system, First Coast Technical College is under the public school district umbrella. This creates continuity between high-school career programs and postsecondary workforce training. It allows us to strengthen the talent pipeline in a very practical way.

To further enhance our talent pipeline, the County and School Board sought and was awarded a federal Economic Development grant to construct a regional workforce development campus in Hastings. Anticipated to open in 2028, 10 northeast employers have already committed 550 new high-wage jobs for graduates.

Which sectors offer the greatest opportunity for St. Johns County over the next three to five years?

We are seeing a significant demand for development opportunities in the aviation and aerospace manufacturing sector and are working at the St. Augustine Airport to market acreage on the west side of U.S. 1 to attract such businesses. Attracting aviation and aerospace industries will provide St. Johns County an important opportunity to diversify its economic base, generate high-paying jobs and strengthen long-term resilience.

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