TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - For the past two years, we've watched Tallahassee transform, project after project.
"You're seeing a variety of different types of development starting to come online in the community," said Jay Revell, the vice president of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. "In particular, you're seeing a lot of hospitality-driven improvements that are happening."
The transformation includes new hotels. We've told you about the latest additions coming to Collegetown and downtown Tallahassee but there's one site hoping to breathe new life in a forgotten space.
Our very first Building Tallahassee report highlighted the North Monroe Corridor. Questions surrounded the lack of new infrastructure leading into the city from Interstate 10.
"I realize that these are big projects. It's going to take time," said Leon County commissioner John Dailey in February 2016. "The first step was the voter approval of the sales tax extension, but it's really coming together, and I'm excited to see what is coming out of all this hard work."
The Ramada Inn has sat vacant since 2010. After a failed attempt to turn it into a Radisson Hotel, the property is in new hands.
The site is now being redesigned as Days Inn and Suites and Conference Center. The new owner had hoped to open before the start of football season in 2017, but the doors remain closed.
We've reached out to see where the project is now and are waiting to hear back.
"We may be looking at a project that may take a little bit longer than they expected, due to some unforeseen problems or issues with the structure -- but, who knows? It's an iconic building for Tallahassee," said T.J. Lewis, the founder of UrbanTallahassee. "Once that intersection was known to have the most -- if not, among the most hotel rooms of any interstate intersection along I-10. But when that hotel closed, of course, that changed."
Let's go to Frenchtown, to the intersection of Macomb and Georgia. Now, Casanas Village is now leasing luxury-style units, though construction isn't quite done yet.
The five-story affordable housing complex will include covered parking, fitness center and playground.
You may remember our trip downtown as a project on the corner of Monroe and Park was coming together.
"It's going to bring retail downtown, which the city has very much been trying to do for the last 20 years," said the co-founder of Lewis + Whitlock, Cam Whitlock, in February 2017. "So, we're going to have a 7,000-square foot restaurant on the ground floor with outdoor dining on Park Avenue, which will be a nice amenity for downtown."
Now, the six-story building is complete. The rooftop is set up as an entertainment space and plans for that restaurant are still in the works.
The building is right next to the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship. Florida State University started offering classes in the new space in the fall of 2017.
Finally, we revisit a site that was just undeveloped land in March 2016 by the intersection of Hermitage and Lonnbladh.
Now, Mulligan Park Retirement Community offers another option for the elderly in Tallahassee.
"Most importantly, what we hope they see is that they feel the heart that's in this building and the caring and nurturing staff we have and the wonderful environment we provide for our residents," said the manager of Mulligan Park, Gary Moss Manager, in January 2017.
There are so many more projects that have taken shape lately all around town.
Some are still in the planning phase, but as we've seen, it won't take long for new development in the Capital City.
