Anita's Plaza

[Florida]

I must say I can't support these street closures or this idea of a plaza. If we were talking a Kleman type of Plaza I'd be all for it and $5 Million sounds like a great price. But a pedestrian Mall is not my idea of best use for those streets they plan to close. I can see the street between city hall and Gumby's being close off for some type of walk way, they've got the Millenium Walkway going and that might be nice to expand, but closure of Beautiful Adams and Jefferson/Pensacola won't happen without a fight from me.

[Florida]

^That cool... the Southwood News... I like the thought of something spectacular like that egg... it leaves an impression, but Im not sure it should Cost $5 Million. Something like this would be great for Cascades Park when its cleaned up. This is where the money should go... not toward closing these roads.

[cityboy05]

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

[csmurphy8885]

i am still real foggy about this whole 5 yr mucho dinero plaza. what are they going to do... a fountian will not take 5 yrs. are they going to wait four, then start construction?!?

[cityboy05]

I think they still got to plan how the traffic will be affected, and then talk to the people at the capitol because it will affect the workers. I think they just have a conceptual plan right now and no funding for this.I got this info from listening to the commision meeting on WCOT.

[Florida]

Now that we have far more members on the board than we did back in 2005, I figured I'd resurrect this thread and ask, what do you all say of the City doing another plaza to honor Anita Favors-Thompson?

[jpl02]

I really don't like the idea of naming monuments like that for people, especially living people. Regardless of what they have done in the community.

Living in South Florida, where every street is named after some obscure Cuban "hero" really turns me off to that idea.

Not trying to be a troll here, just stating my 2 cents.

[Florida]

Well as you recall, Kleman Plaza is named for our former city manager. He did great work for Tallahassee and so has Anita, not to mention she's put in nearly 10 years on the job, which says a lot about her stability as a leader. Now Dan is still very much alive and well. I believe he now works in Jacksonville (if he hasn't changed jobs recently). I'm just throwing it out there as a thought.

I didn't know South Florida has street names, jpl... I thought it was all 1, 2, 3, 4, .... 100,000th. J/k

[poonther]

Most of the time they "dual" name the numbered streets in Dade. NW 49th Terrace becomes NW 49th Terrace/Jorge Manuel Ortega Gonzales Liebowitz, Jr. Dr. I have seen them get rid of the number completely on some streets and jpl02 is right, there are a ton of them.

On the Anita Plaza subject, I like her and think she does a good job for the most part, however she does get paid to do that job and it is her career. I'd rather see us name places and things around town after humanitarians or those that do valuable service around the city by volunteering.

[Florida]

Most of the time they "dual" name the numbered streets in Dade. NW 49th Terrace becomes NW 49th Terrace/Jorge Manuel Ortega Gonzales Liebowitz, Jr. Dr. I have seen them get rid of the number completely on some streets and jpl02 is right, there are a ton of them.

On the Anita Plaza subject, I like her and think she does a good job for the most part, however she does get paid to do that job and it is her career. I'd rather see us name places and things around town after humanitarians or those that do valuable service around the city by volunteering.

[poonther]

So given that rationale, what reason was there for us to name Kleman Plaza for Dan Kleman? He was also paid to do the same job.

[Florida]

Capital Commons was very much a pet project of Dan's. He had served as city manager for quite a long time and I think that was the commission's way of showing their appreciation for his hard work after he left office. I see nothing wrong with honoring those who have faithfully served a public purpose. Especially when that purpose has contributed so greatly in making a place better.