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Frenchtown

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By Florida
in Tallahassee

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stjoe Hamlet

stjoe

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Well they are going to have to pay their utilities there, so if they wanted to stop they could just walk to the street.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

People with financial means do not physically go downtown to pay their utility bill....and they definitely aren't going to French Town to do it.

I like the buildings and some of the street work they have done. But just throwing money at an area doesn't garuantee success. Many a city have learned that.

The COT is trying to grow downtown, French Town, and gaines street all at the same time and haven't succeed yet. Perhaps they are not focused and just throwing money at problem areas?

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Florida Megalopolis

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^Perhaps they haven't yet succeeded because they are just starting. Whats important is the progress that has begun and continues to this day. In downtown they have attracted 9 or 10 different condominium projects, for Frenchtown we've got the new office building, with Carolina Oaks and the Market Square on the way. For Gaines we've got a new Marriott Hotel planned for the corner of Gaines and RR, and land being purchased agressively for the construction of the road soon to follow.

The City of Tallahassee is not simply throwing money at problems, our leaders understand Private money follows Public money... you can look at many a cities for examples of this as well.

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stjoe Hamlet

stjoe

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^Perhaps they haven't yet succeeded because they are just starting. Whats important is the progress that has begun and continues to this day. In downtown they have attracted 9 or 10 different condominium projects, for Frenchtown we've got the new office building, with Carolina Oaks and the Market Square on the way. For Gaines we've got a new Marriott Hotel planned for the corner of Gaines and RR, and land being purchased agressively for the construction of the road soon to follow.

The City of Tallahassee is not simply throwing money at problems, our leaders understand Private money follows Public money... you can look at many a cities for examples of this as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't consider MUCH of that success. Some is good, much is bad. I think the COT wastes way too much tax dollars and have little to nothing to show for it. Just one tax payers opinion, I understand you disagree.

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stjoe Hamlet

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^I can't disagree until I have examples of the MUCH you refer to. If you could keep your examples specific to Frenchtown, Downtown, and Gaines Street that would be cool so we can focus on ways to improve before the products are finalized.

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My issues with the COT or things I would like to see:

*I have long wished to see COT added more parks to the downtown area. There just is not enough green space IMHO. What they have now (which includes Cascades, a park that already exists) is just not enough...especially after all the construction taking place.

*I think the hotel they sold land to off of MacComb is cheap and will do little to improve Gaines Street. I would of prefer they sold it to FSU who has a better chance of bringing in high paying jobs than a cheap motel.

*It has taken 8 years and the city still doesn't have a convention center hotel (or a small version of one at least). Instead they add the one noted above right next to where the convention hotel was to go....makes no sense. To be the city Tally wants, the need that Marriott. They have wasted oodles of money during this 8 years.

*Concentrate on one area at a time. You can't revitalize 3 at a time. Either Gaines, Downtonw, or Frenchtown (Frenchtown should be the last with the Crime and homeless shelter issue...which complicates things). This doesn't even address ugly Tenn. St.

*I like many of the condos, but the Symphony Hotel rezoning issue was BS. There are already 8-9 condos going up, you don't have to rezone to the detriment of FSU for another one. This is just another example of poor planning by the COT. They really don't plan...just do whatever. That is why COT has the road system it has now.

*Job creation. Perhaps the biggest failure of the COT. They fly all over the country trying to figure this out, but in the end they come back resum their anti-business stance and can't figure out high paying industry doesn't come to Tally. See Innovation Park as another job creation failure by the COT. This is a key componant to revitalizing anything....jobs.

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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^As far as your issues here are concerned:

*I too would like to see more significant greenspace in the downtown area and I have reasons to believe more will come. Meanwhile there are parks in the downtown area aside from the Chain of Parks on Park Avenue, and Cascades Park that you referred to. Meyers Park lies on the boundaries of downtown and has tennis, swimming, swings, merry-go-rounds and see-saws for the kids. In addition to this there is another park area near the Civic Center that bears signage and a name that doesn't come to mind right away. Surely as more and more people move into the downtown area the COT will throw more money at the creation of more park space.

As far as the Residence Inn planned for the Corner of Gaines and Rail Road, it is not intended to replace or act as a Convention Hotel. It will merely be an anchor for that now lonely eye-soar of a corner and will likely be used by visitors of the Universities for sporting events, graduations and things of that sort. I think anyone who views the plan for this hotel located under "Tallahassee: New Marriott Coming 2006!" will agree this is a plus for the area, and is highly consistent with the Gaines Street Revitalization plan.

I don't think there is a single person who has followed the Marriott Convention Center fiasco who doesn't agree with you that City, County, and Civic Center Authority has waisted our time in dealing with Tom Strauss who has yet to deliver on the 8 yr old plan. The fact is they gave this developer the rights to build this hotel on the property in a contract in Good faith that the project would be completed, and have yet to take this case to litigation for fear of waisting Tax-payer money in courts.

Concentrating on one area at a time would be appropriate if city leaders couldn't do more. I believe they've done a great job at being well rounded. I believe you can revitalize three areas at a time, it is being shown all over this community where once eye-soars are now being transformed into student housing, attractive homesites, and new businesses. Look at whats going on in the Gaines Street area with the addition of the new homes in the All Saints District, you yourself admitted these were attractive, while at the same time we've opened a new office in Frenchtown a once crime infested, drug dealing, prostituting hot bed now pushed away from this community as new homes are being built and sold each day. Soon the Ebony Garden's projects will be demolished to make way for more progress as we like to see it. Im glad Frenchtown is a priority for the City, Im not one who believes an area should have to get worse before it getters better. Downtown is seeing its good share of development as well! At no time in my 17 yrs here in Tallahassee have I ever witnessed this much interest in our City Center. Surely our city is doing a great job coordinating growth.

The rezoning of the Symphony was a victory for the future of this City. As I said at the City Commission meeting, this was a landmark decision that singaled an end to our city's Anti-Growth image in the eyes of prospective developers. Surely Tallahassee isn't alone in its road woes... we've just not been as fortunate as other communities in Florida to have a blank slate to work with.

Job creation is an issue we are agressively working to improve. We know what we need, the hard part is pursuading employers to locate their jobs here with our accesibility issues (airport and ground) and other communities competing so agressively. It shouldn't all Fall on the shoulders of the City of Tallahassee to create jobs in this community, the State of Florida, Leon County, Florida State University, Florida A&M University, The Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Chamber and many others should also bear some blame here.

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stjoe Hamlet

stjoe

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St Joe... what are your true reasons for wanting to postpone the Frenchtown Renissance?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I already clearly stated my position above. The COT has many projects it says it wants. Some of the VISIONS I agree with. Like Gaines Street. But I HIGHLY doubt their ability to implement (like Gaines Street and that cheap hotel they put in a prime spot). They fail to meet the vision but still claim success (just look at the pictures for it...all brick, student housing, cafes, restaurants....not cheap stucco hotels).

I want them to succeed on ONE thing first...then move on to the next.

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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^Why don't you download a copy of the Gaines Street Plan from the Talgov Planning Department website. You will see a stucco Borders Book Store on a street corner just like this Marriott Residence Inn cited as ideal for this area. To me this looks exactly like the model presented in the plan and is therefore very successful, rarely is a project presented that reflects images used in conceptual plans like this.

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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Don't get me wrong... I absolutely love what is going on in Frenchtown, but there have been some concerns voiced that I would like to suggest.

It has long be known that when you reach Macomb and Tennessee you lock the doors of your car if you must stop. My mother always did it when I was growing up and I've continued to do it in my older age. Why? Because of the transients on the side of the buildings near the intersection moping around in dirty clothes, because of the people who once held homeless signs on the side of the streets. Prostitution, under-the-table gambling, and drugs have long been reasons to point at for the revitalization. But what do you say to those people who feel their culture is being displaced with big empty buildings that close out the community.

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cityboy05 Hamlet

cityboy05

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Are you talking about the African American people? I don't think they feel their culture is being displaced. I think they see the need for this revitilization too in this community. Right next to the renaissance building is another building that contains shops that has been there for about half a century. Such as the gilliagan bros. There is also a restaruant in this area who serves the best jerk chicken ever. I don't know if anyone has noticed this, but further down macomb which later becomes the beggining of Old Bainbridge they are putting up new shops. I was passing by a couple of days ago and came across a brand new art studio. It looked like it specialized in black art. I hear they might put a music shop up. This revitilization I think is opening windows for even more culture to come to Frenchtown.

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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I totally agree with you, and I feel like the community is welcoming the new changes. However there are some African American people in the Frenchtown Community who do see the changes as a loss.

With the new art shop... are you talking about a new building or a building that has been painted and converted into an art shop.

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