179 replies to this topic

[Florida]

Cascades Park



Turning a contaminated waste site into a world class public park.... I think we've done it!

Edited by Florida, 15 March 2008 - 03:05 PM.

[Florida]

BRING BACK CENTENNIAL FIELD!!!!

The Centennial Field was constructed for the celebration of Tallahassee's one hundredth birthday. It quickly became one of the social centers of the community. The park was the home of little league baseball and football, a minor league baseball franchise and some Florida State University ball games in the course of its fifty year history. The State of Florida, which acquired the land in 1963, allowed the city Recreation and Parks Department to use the facilities through the end of the football season in 1974 and began to dismantle the old stadium in early 1975. Although its destruction was opposed by some, the plan to replace the stadium and other buildings in the Cascades Park area with a passive, green park area was largely lauded in the local press.





East of Monroe Street, the project to create the Cascades Park involved the removal of the old buildings that occupied the area. Because of budgetary problems, the plan to remove these structures did not reach fruition until 1977 when the first bids for this phase of the project were let. Funds were released at that time for the removal of the old driveway ways, the city motor pool buildings and other smaller structures. Major excavation of the site did not take place until April of 1977 when new fill and top soil were ordered. The project was divided into three phases, with those to east of Monroe finished first, before the final alteration of the old centennial field site. By 1979, the final rerouting of the Branch was completed and the clean fill added and graded in the area of the plant and field sites. The "final" park was administered through the District II office of the Division of Recreation and Parks, Florida Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This lasted only four years before the DNR transferred the entire area to the Division of General Services (now Division of Management Services) in 1984. Since the property was acquired by the DMS, little has been done to the area except routing maintenance.

[stjoe]

I would rather have the art area instead of the baseball field.  I really don't see the point of the baseball field.  FSU just spend over $12 Million on theres which would be nearby.  FAMU also has one.  You aren't going to get kids from Killearn to come downtown to play.  I just see it as extremely limited in use, unless you get a minor league team and I don't see that either.

[Florida]

There are kids in Tallahassee besides those in Killearn. And currently the kids playing baseball in our community through the Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Department, and other minor leagues travel south of town to the Jake Gaither area, Tom Brown Park, Tharpe Street, and Messer Park areas to play their sports. It would be great to see a sports complex in the heart of the city for these leagues to hold their championships games and what not. Even local middle and high schools could use this field as the Baseball version of Gene Cox Stadium.

[Florida]

What entertainment, dining, shopping, or civic purpose could this building serve for in the Cascades Park district if renovated?

Edited by TaureanJ, 14 January 2006 - 10:19 AM.

[stjoe]

That building has been there forever and a day.  Not exactly money pouring into that area.  I still have my doubts the city can do anything more with Gaines Street than what they did with Tenn St...which is destroy it while spending a ton of taxpayer money.

[Florida]

You are so right about Tennessee Street. I think it is the ideal Urban eyesoar. Further down on Mahan things improve, the Parkway is nice, Thomasville Road is nice, most of the Circle is nice, most of Monroe is nice, John Knox is nice, but Tennessee west of Downtown is embarrasing.

[bobliocatt]

What is that little building?  What's the history behind it?  If it were located near other little historic buildings or some interesting area of town, it would make a great loft or two, a themed restaurant or an art gallery.

[Florida]

I like that! A themed restaurant. This is the old city waterworks building.  It was recently aquired from the state and is located in the Capital Cascades Park area. It is near historic Centennial Field, an old city power plant - which is also subject to refurbishment, and the beautiful Bloxham building downtown.

[bobliocatt]

^It looks very familar, I just didn't know what it once was.  Nevertheless, a themed restaurant could make great use of something like that.  One of my clients, just opened a new Oyster bar and seafood restaurant, specializing in Wild Georgia Shrimp, in what was once an old rusted metal building next to the shrimp docks, in Darien, GA.  I must say, the place turned out pretty impressive and its pretty popular because of its unique setting and atmosphere.

[Florida]

Now that you've come up with this great idea... I need to run that by someone. I'm thinking this would be an awesome location for an ritzy wine restaurant.

[Florida]

Tonight Blue Print 2000 officials are holding a meeting and on the Agenda is Cascades Park. Mr Davis, Director of Blueprint 2000 was just here in the office and I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the cascades trail. He will be presenting a plan tonight at 6:30 he says, the meeting will actually begin at 5.

I'd like to be there in the meeting to give some insight, its being held right outside my office here, literally, however I need to go home and start preparing for some big tests.

----------------------

The Tallahassee Democrat should be providing some coverage for this meeting so you'll likely see an article in the paper tomorrow. I'm a little disappointed they eliminated the sports facility from the rebuilding plan, however, we could always do our own verson of a "Millenium Park" like the one in Chicago.


Millenium Park, Chicago Illinois

[Florida]

During last nights Blueprint 2000 intergovernmental meeting the item on the Capital Cascades Trail got ugly when Grippa, as he usually does started to bark about no competition in bidding the projects and Proctor turned things into a Black and White issue.

I'm sorry people... why are they commissioners! Is Proctor a civil rights leader or a county commissioner? Is Grippa a contract police? It seems every project that comes before these two has to face some sort of unnecessary critism, and suffer delay.

Agency leaders say commissioners are trying to micromanage, I agree. I thought some of this work would be completed closer to the year 2000, but it looks like it will take 2000 years before it even begins.

"I'd rather lose 9 months of progress if it means putting a few dollars in some black hands" Words of Commissioner Proctor. I'm a minority commissioner, and I'm not impressed. People want to see progress, not politics.

[stjoe]

"I'd rather lose 9 months of progress if it means putting a few dollars in some black hands" Words of Commissioner Proctor.


What a racist statement.  If you replaced the word "black" with "white", Proctor would of been thrown out of office and the national press would be here.  Unbelievable that an elected official would say something so devisive




sorry Taurean, but if there is no bidding on this project, where there is no emergency, etc, that means it is crooked in my book.  Simply the govt paying someone off.  Complete and total BS.  I am thrilled a commissioner took issue with this.  The fact that some have no issue is unethical.

[Florida]

^Im more inclined to agree with you on the bidding issue. I have my suspicions also. But we've paid this company $1.5 Million already and NOW he, Grippa, wants to throw up a flag. Where was the flag $1.5 Million ago?

[stjoe]

TaureanJ,

"I'd rather lose 9 months of progress if it means putting a few dollars in some black hands" Words of Commissioner Proctor."



If a white commissioner said this about white company on a no bid contract....you wouldn't find that racist?




This is WRONG for a political leader to act this way.  Period.  I can't believe you are not 'inclined' to believe this is racist.

[Florida]

^ I never said I didn't think it was racist. Clearly those statements were out of line, and in my opinion unnecessary.

"If a white commissioner said this about white company on a no bid contract....you wouldn't find that racist?"

Racist against his own kind. If it were a black company, yeah I'd say that. I can see where you're coming from and I agree with you, which is why I stated we don't need a civil rights leader on the county commission. He's not C.K. Steele.

[csmurphy8885]

tough talkers make mental mistakes. . .  I can appreciate the philosophy, however it is in bad character.  As a white boy from Rickards, yeah money could be distributed a little better, and governemnt should do more to disburse work equally.  I do want  however, for them to keep money locally, instead of contractors from other areas.  That is a start.  Money in local's hands is money spent locally.  Then the impact is greater for everyone regardless.

[Florida]

!Good News!

The City Commission will be voting Wednesday to award a contract for the cleaning up of Cascades Park. Finally after all these years!!
The cleanup will cost $8 Million, half of which may be absorbed by the state, who has recently turned over control of the part to the city.


Blueprint 2000 Press Meeting
Cascades Park

[97preludesh]

hmm ive never been to cascades park, ill visit when its cleaned