The Waterworks and Firestone buildings are the latest targets for redevelopment, and the city and county are looking to outside sources to spruce up the structures.
The City of Tallahassee is asking the Community Redevelopment Agency for $250,000 dollars in order to apply for a matching grant from the state. The money would go to rehabilitate the old Waterworks building that sits near Cascades Park. The city commission has already granted $50,000 for the project. City real estate manager Judy Donahue says the goal is to bring the structure up in order to lease it out to a business that can finish it off:
“It takes it to what we call the white box phase’ which would take it to a phase that’s leasable, but not finished. So the end-user would finish it for whatever purpose they’re looking for," she said.
The CRA approved the request Wednesday.
The waterworks property sits adjacent to Cascades Park. The CRA is also seeking proposals from developers interested in purchasing and fixing up the art-deco style Firestone and Bloxam annex, former site of the Leon County Jail.
