Anita's Plaza

[Florida]

Anita's Plaza

DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE

Much the same way the city honored former city manager Dan Kleman by naming Capital Commons after him, we ought to do an encore performance in honor of our current City Manager, Anita Favors-Thompson.

Not saying where it should go, although I prefer the site of the current downtown post office, we ought to build something in her honor. What say the UrbanPlanet{sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}}Tallahassee Board?

[Florida]

I want to be first to say don't let that image sway your opinion in any way. We don't know anything about the plaza, what it will be, and what it will be for at this point. All we know is the plan calls for street closures.

Now, I've personally used Adams in front of City Hall many times to cut through to the Kleman Plaza Parking garage or to get to Park or College Avenues. I think it would be a waist of money to close a fairly pedestrian friendly street all in the sake of calling it a plaza... the area is basically a plaza anytime the city wants it to be. Closing it is no problem for TPD. But I'll wait on the plan to see what they are offering before I ink that opinion.

This is the Road today:

Notice... the man crossing the street looks very happy and comfortable!

The stamped paving makes for a more intimate look and feel and discourages speeding through the area.

It looks awesome! I don't see why we need to spend $5 Million dollars to improve this Street or create a Plaza here, when we've got transportation issues in the downtown, and throughout the city. This project should be tabled, and or thrown away.

[csmurphy8885]

Ahh yes, this is the project i heard people speaking about today... i think our new plaza location would be a better idea, this part of adams is georgeous. skyward development is challanged, but it is charming. i dont use the road, but i think downtown has a nice grid laid out, we should bea ble to work within it.

[Florida]

I agree with you... going forward with the closure of this road would be a break in the grid, which is one of the few things about this city that remains historically accurate.

[cityboy05]

I heard about this too, but I thought they wanted it located somewhere else. Anyway I don't like their idea of putting it there. I like it just as it is. They can save 5 million dollars to get someone to build Tallahassee anothercondo.

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/11958710.htm

[Florida]

^I thought that was a link to something you had drawn man! Don't fool me like that! Surely we should have another plaza... but as I've said before I think it should go where the current downtown post office is, and the post office can occupy the ground floor of a high-rise building.

[blackcoffee&bourbon]

Here's the full story from the Democrat this morning:

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/11961683.htm

Interesting idea...

[bobliocatt]

I agree with you all. It's a bad idea to close off downtown's most pedestrian friendly street. If any thing, recreate the sections, north of College, to match the strip in front of City Hall.

[csmurphy8885]

"Private development would not be placed on the plaza, Parker said."

so, what then... another museum, or better yet,.... who knows where i am going with this... performing... arts..... oh hell, that is never gonna be built

[cityboy05]

Well it looks like the city wants to do this. My concern is how they going to handle all of that traffic. That's going to be a pain. To reroute all of that. I don't want to even think about it. Then again they are the ones who have to find a solution to this. HaHa! In the article did yall pick up on when they said they want a mall in this area. I nearly crapped in my pants! I think the city is moving a incy wincy fast which isn't a bad thing, but I want them to have everything right!

[blackcoffee&bourbon]

In the article did yall pick up on when they said they want a mall in this area. I nearly crapped in my pants! I think the city is moving a incy wincy fast which isn't a bad thing, but I want them to have everything right!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i must have missed that. a mall? downtown? brilliant. it would be nice to have more shopping options than Nic's.

[Florida]

Welcome BlackCoffee!!!!!

LOL!! Not a shopping mall!!! They are talking about a pedestrian mall like the one seen above in the picture, like the one people refer to in D.C... a pedestrian friendly area. I don't like the idea of turning this into a pedestrian mall, this is the wrong area to do this in when this area is already pedestrian friendly. Look for me to be present at a City Commission meeting for this issue.

[cityboy05]

I was about to say a, shopping mall? That's why i nearly crapped in my pants! I don't like the idea of not having private development.

[Florida]

There won't be any private development because there will be no where for the privates to develop... they are doing absolutely nothing to the buildings in this plan, they are merely taking a street away from us to make the are more comfortable for Condo dwellers. Now if this is the way they are going to start to act because we have condos going up, they might as well give it up! No city closes streets just because people are going to be living in high rise condos nearby. The area is pedestrian friendly enough in my opinion. And if leaders so desire to link Kleman plaza with the Capitol Complex and City Hall and the Adams Street area, why not dig an underground tunnel for people to walk through. There are several around the city namely on and around FSU campus, the capitol already has them, they are even tunnels at Kleman plaza that run underground.

This would discourage patronage of the downtown merchants and business by non-downtowners, and instead isolate us from the community that is supposed to belong to everyone! Parking would be more difficult, streets would become more congested - moving traffic slower on already stressed roadways. We need innovative ideas, but this isn't the one.

[cityboy05]

I don't like this one. I think the city needs to do something else. That post office idea sounds real good right now!

[Florida]

Yeah... I'm thinking the same thing. With that comes connectivity to the Beautiful Chain of Parks, and the Library. Wouldn't that be better than destroying a road that is already nice.

[stjoe]

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/11961683.htm

"This goes to what we have been doing downtown, encouraging urban infill and making downtown a destination point," Marks said. "This fits in perfectly."

Looks like a done deal. I like the idea.

[Florida]

This project isn't urban infill... this street is an attractive land mark for the community, not a blighted eye soar or crumbling building. What is Marks talking about!? When I think of Urban infill, I think of building homes, community centers, apartments, stores, in forgotten places, or brownfields, or on the site of an abandoned store. This isn't urban infill, this is "highway robbery"... well technically its only a few streets but you know what Im saying. I like these roads the way they are. They would only be doing us harm by taking away from or making these roads less accessable.

[cityboy05]

All I am saying is this plaza better be d**n!

[Florida]

^ d**n what!?

[cityboy05]

"D**n spikity good!"

[Florida]

I thought thats what you meant.

[Florida]

This is the site I refer to when I mention the expansion of Kleman Plaza for those who aren't familiar with the area.

Directly across from Kleman plaza and the site where they are building the Tallahassee Center... this would make for an excellent expansion location, and would be a key site for another downtown highrise hotel.

[csmurphy8885]

I still support the idea of post office highrise plaza construction if we are going to lose out on 5 million. as far as the road closure though, i think that the usefullness of those roads are overated (this is my new opinion) i take college through downtown every day and it is beautiful, but i dont get to look around to much because the only real traffic hits at N Monroe... closing adams will create an interesting dilhema for locals who are used to "shortcuts" in the area, but we will manage without. But i am at a loss to how this project is going to be so expensive... some fake brick stamped and painted assphalt, some cast concreate barriers, and a few signs and sod... my lil brother has a lawn care service that could handle the task for about 3 thousand (including money he would steal to buy a new bike)

[stjoe]

I am not really for this either but did yall guys hear the city would like to have this done within 5 years? I think that's a reasonable time. I heard Mayor John Marks share his idea of having an interactive fountain. That seem like a pretty good idea. I would like to see weird looking sculpures in this park like that egg looking thing in Millenium Park, but I don't think our buildings would give them any justice. Overall I am also not in favor of this. I think this is one of things you got to wait and get more info on. I would like to get a rendering of this.

The weird looking egg thing in Millenium Park, Chicago

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FYI, Southwood is putting in an interactive fountain at it's town center now.