- There's a new wave of progress making its way to downtown Tallahassee so that the streets can be filled not only when the session is in.
- The buzz of construction…. open parking spaces….and empty streets are all tell-tale signs of Spring in Downtown Tallahassee.
- Watch video to see how the Downtown Improvement Authority board plans to send to the commission a project proposal that would reimagine parts of Monroe Street from Jefferson Street to East Call Street.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
There's a new wave of progress making its way to downtown Tallahassee so that the streets can be filled not only when the session is in.
The buzz of construction…. open parking spaces….and empty streets are all tell-tale signs of Spring in Downtown Tallahassee.
Over at Metro Deli, things have slowed down due to the session ending and spring break.
"It feels very slow after we just got finished with the session," Rob Bazemore, Metro Deli's Owner said.
As far as how did for the 2024 legislative session:
"It's always good. It's nice to have all those extra folks run around town," Bazemore said.
Now it's time to look ahead and about what's going to drive business downtown for the rest of the year.
For months I've been sitting in on the City of Tallahassee's Downtown Improvement Authority board meetings looking for answers. Today I looked back at meeting minutes and authority board members are talking about ways to fund projects that are making downtown more accessible, more walkable, and attracting more retail.
"It makes a difference to have it you know easier to do things down here with bigger better sidewalks and nicer you know, just nicer walking pedestrian areas," Bazemore said.
Right now, you can find construction crews working on sidewalk projects, and building infrastructure.
Next year there could be even more.
The Downtown Improvement Authority board plans to send to the commission a project proposal that would reimagine parts of Monroe Street from Jefferson Street to East Call Street.
With at least 90% of the design plans complete with an estimated cost of $4.5 million. If they can secure additional funding in time they could start the project in May 2025.
I sat in our neighborhood to talk to you, but there weren't many people there outside of me, office workers, and the postal service workers.
So, I went to another side of downtown where I found plenty of foot traffic at Cascades Park.
"You kind of go up the hill and there's a lot more like office buildings and stuff feels a little bit more maybe tight or constrained and out here. It's just kind of free," Zack Baker, who works downtown and was spending lunch downtown with his wife.
This couple who tells me what would bring them where I just left.
"Just cultural experiences, like fairs where you have people tabling, showcasing like art or crafts or just I don't know, things like that," Deanna Baker said.
In a report last year Downtown Improvement Authority said activities like this have been profitable. The Downtown Market on Saturday reportedly brought in about $70k in revenue in 2023.
