It’s nearly impossible to go a single block anywhere in the Capital City’s downtown these days without encountering big changes.
To provide an overview of the bewildering amount of current development, Tours of Tallahassee’s Beth LaCivita is at the wheel of the stretch golf cart. The Downtown Improvement Authority’s Allen Thompson is holding down the back seat. Meanwhile his boss, Authority Executive Director Jay Revell, points out all the changes happening to the Capital City’s central core, such as the massive makeover now taking place on the northwest corner of Calhoun Street and College Avenue where the old Po Boy’s Restaurant used to be.
“So this is one of the best examples you’ll see of CRA’s façade improvement grant,” Revell says, raising his voice to compete with the din from the construction crew. “Southern Strategies bought the building and they’re redoing it right now. Next month we’ll have two new restaurants opening up on the ground floor. Roger Unger who owns Jasmine is opening up a gastro-bar/pub on the right side. On the left side, he’s opening up a noodle bar, which is pretty cool.”
A few blocks east is the newly renovated Franklin Boulevard corridor into Cascades Park. Revell said that area will soon add the word “trailhead” to its description.
“You’ll be able to start at Leon High School, go down Franklin Boulevard, go through the park, over the pedestrian bridge, down the FAMU Way portion of the trail, and connect directly to the trailhead for the St. Marks Trail and go all the way to the coast without ever having to get on a road.”
LaCivita then guides the golf cart to East Gaines Street and the blocks containing several derelict former state government buildings. Revell pointed out this area was part of a Community Redevelopment Agency property swap.
“What the CRA has gotten in return for the O’Connell block is these two blocks immediately adjacent to the park; the old jail, the Firestone complex here, that’s the heart of it. And the idea is that this will be completely redeveloped into some market-rate housing and a great deal of retail on the ground floor around the park,” he said.
There are several ideas to expand the city’s artistic endeavors and Revell revealed there is a bit of unused money floating around.
“We have five million dollars that’s the remnants of the performing arts center effort and as a community we have to figure out what we want to do with it.”
Heading west on Gaines Street is the area where the now defunct performing arts center would have been built.
“That entire city block is in the shadow of the Capitol and the block next to it they call the ‘Chevron Block’, Revell said. “This is a huge opportunity to see over the next few years what happens with FSU’s redevelopment of the Civic Center and the whole Arena District concept with the Convention Center. We think this is going to be another big hotbed for redevelopment.”
Just west of Burnett Park is another area that soon will be undergoing massive change.
“This is where FSU is planning to build its future college of Business. And if you want to talk about bringing another shot of life to Gaines Street, throw in the College of Business and all their students coming down here every day and allow them to branch out into all these business opportunities down here, it’s going to be pretty unique.”
All along Gaines and Madison streets, plus College Avenue, there are scads of new apartment buildings going up.
“This one here, this brick building on the corner,” Revell indicated with a sweep of his hand. “Dan Gilbertson who owns Potbelly’s is redeveloping that into an Italian outdoor bistro concept with pizza and all kinds of good stuff.”
But not everything is commercial retail or rental housing development. LaCivita swung the golf cart back downtown to Calhoun Street and rows of historic old Tallahassee homes that now house lobbyists and lawyers. With one exception.
“I talked to a guy the other day who’s moving his family here,” Revell said. “They bought one of those historic homes that’s an office and they’re converting it back to a house. So you’re starting to see the trends starting to reverse themselves and it’s pretty cool and exciting.”
And one block away from the Aloft Hotel, the old Florida Homebuilders Association Building soon has a date with the wrecker’s ball. It’ll be replaced with a six-story office building. Just part of the now constant growth and change that is today’s Tallahassee.
