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Gaines Street

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stjoe Hamlet

stjoe

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Look who's going Two-Way.

Business owners in the Gaines Street area celebrated this evening after Tallahassee commissioners signed off on a two-way plan for the street.

"I'm floating," said Ruth Wharton, who chaired a citizens committee that came up with the two-way plan for Gaines Street. "I'm thrilled. I just couldn't be more pleased."

Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of a two-way street that would feature slower traffic, wide sidewalks and other amenities.

Great news.

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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One way seemed rational from a quick-and-easy fix perspective. Knowing there will be intense use of that corridor planners were looking for a way to handle the traffic.

Looks like we'll have to fall back on the ORIGINAL PLAN, which is why I'm always complaining. We get the plan, do the study, and study the study to land on the study. It frustrates me the money and time we sometimes waste.

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thetoolman Whistle-Stop

thetoolman

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One way seemed rational from a quick-and-easy fix perspective. Knowing there will be intense use of that corridor planners were looking for a way to handle the traffic.

Is this because of the 5 hours per year when people are leaving the stadium? Or do you mean because of the closure of Pensacola St. through campus?

Or something else...?

Also, does the rendering show a median with a sidewalk and trees in it? I can't tell if there are two traffic lanes on either side of those trees, or if it is all on one side.

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poonther Town

poonther

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TJ I'm responding to your wish for a lifestyle center on Gaines from the Fallschase thread. I too think something like that would be great for Gaines and I thought that was sorta the direction they were headed. Recruiting appropriate retailers for this corridor is crucial to its success IMO. I think an anchor store in this district should be Urban Outfitters. The college crowd seems to love this store and in my travels I've see this store anchor redevelopment areas around colleges that are similar to Gaines. Two of them come to mind: Tempe, AZ (Mill Street) where ASU is located and Santa Cruz, CA's main street that was destroyed in the in '89 quake, but now is a fantastic shopping area for students of UCSC and the locals too. A good coffee shop, a grocery market like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and of course a nice mix of locally owned shops too would be great.

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  • 9 months later...
poonther Town

poonther

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From what little I know about this project, I think it is a good idea and just the shot of creativity that Gaines Street corridor needs. This will help it from being just another traditional shopping area. I like the fact that it will be linked to RR Sq and not compete against it. I also agree w/you josefk that the bottom floor be some type of retail use to encourage "urban activity" as you say. Thanks for the link too!

I also like the fact that out-towners w/a proven track record have approached COT about this. That makes me have more confidence in the project for some reason. I looked at the other projects and while I've been to many of those cities, I've not noticed these art spaces. Have any of you seen them before?

Question: It looked like many of the sites used existing bldgs for their projects. Is there an existing bldg. they plan to use at Gay and Gaines or will they build a new one like the one proposed in Lauderdale?

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Glenn Hamlet

Glenn

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http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...NGNEWS/70405018

We've all talked about how a grocery store was needed in the downtown area. Looks like Wal-Mart has the same idea for Gaines Street. Anyone know where along Gaines Street this proposed store would be? I'm surprised it's a Wal-Mart though as I thought they were only interested in building Super Centers nowadays. I would have thought it would have been Publix looking at putting in one of their small neighborhood markets, like they did at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, rather than a Wal-Mart!

http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb...4&contId=47

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poonther Town

poonther

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While I like the fact that they wanna put a grocery store in this corridor, I don't like who it is even if it is one of their neighborhood stores like we've spoken about in the past. It would be a much better location for a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's (even if they aren't in FL yet) or even a Publix. So how do you keep a specific retailer out if you don't want them? Zoning won't help b/c it can't be that specific. I mean is a Wal-mart "in the spirit" of what we want this corridor to become? For that matter is a Publix? And how do you feel about a natural grocer like WF or TJ's being there?

Any ideas?

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stjoe Hamlet

stjoe

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This is funny as hell.

We are going to attract artist and make Gaines street a destination.......and bring in a Walmart?

I said this long ago....Tally govt is simply too incompetent to succeed with the vision it spoke about on gaines Street...this is further evidence. If it weren't so sad it would be funny.

I really don't get the point. Tally govt should focus on things like bringing in Jobs and just leave the area alone.....the universities and private developers would do a better job.

Does a single person on this board believe they are going to achieve the vision we were sold during Blue Print 2000 or whatever it was called? Anyone?

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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ArtsParkonGaines.jpg

Urban Entertainment & Development Anchor

The Cultural District envisioned in the Cultural Plan and the Community Redevelopment Plan will now have an anchor: The Arts Park on Gaines, a 90,000square foot arts incubator facility.

On site:

A 5,000 square foot open assembly space will be used for regularly scheduled theatre, concerts, and fi lm events. Unlike a fi xed theatre, a flexible space

can be confi gured in various ways, with seating in chairs, at tables, or on risers. The flat floor makes it ideal for banquets, trade shows, and meetings as well.

More than 20,000 square feet of multi-purpose rooms can be fi lled in the daytime by the school district

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jpl02 Hamlet

jpl02

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Wal-Mart has shown that it doesn't have the goods for urban areas - planning goods, that is. Bringing in a conventional big box retailer will be a complete failure.

Now Publix on the other hand, has done some great stuff in urban areas. Check out this Publix in Midtown Atlanta. There are several more like this around Florida too...

800px-Wikipedia_011.jpg

Bring on Publix. 'Nuff said :)

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cityboy05 Hamlet

cityboy05

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http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...NGNEWS/70405018

We've all talked about how a grocery store was needed in the downtown area. Looks like Wal-Mart has the same idea for Gaines Street. Anyone know where along Gaines Street this proposed store would be? I'm surprised it's a Wal-Mart though as I thought they were only interested in building Super Centers nowadays. I would have thought it would have been Publix looking at putting in one of their small neighborhood markets, like they did at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, rather than a Wal-Mart!

http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb...4&contId=47

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Florida Megalopolis

Florida

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I'm not a Wal-Mart supporter by any measure, BUT given the need for retail downtown and the lack of other proposals for the area, all of this whining about Wal-Mart sounds crazy to me.

If a child is hungry, and the only thing I can afford is Chicken, I'm going to give the child chicken, even if it means we eat chicken everyday. The day will come when I can afford the steak and shrimp.

I view this the same way. Wal-Marts attract other stores, and there's a strong possibility we can get them to pay for another parking facility along the corridor in addition to possibly helping with the infrastructure improvements. I'm not worried about the design, I feel that's already taken care of by the city.

Take away the word Wal-Mart... are we still disappointed?

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stjoe Hamlet

stjoe

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http://www.tdo.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../704060340/1010

That doesn't mean it's going down well with area patrons and business owners. The idea has some people concerned, in part because one of the proposed sites for the Neighborhood Market had been identified as a place for performing artists to live, exhibit and rehearse their crafts.

"It is not in keeping with what everybody in Tallahassee's vision is for what Gaines Street should be," said Ruth Wharton, the chairwoman of the Gaines Street Vitalization Committee.

Get ready for another colossal failure by the city to actually deliver on what it sold.

It is LAUGHABLE to think a 2-3 star hotel and a walmar is going to make a "destination" area ....let alone attract 'artist'. This will NOT build the ecletic area that original sold.

This is like watching a train wreck.

The should of started by asking FSU to build dorms on one side of Gaines Street, building a walkable street, and pushing the type of area going in at the town center at Southwood.

What we have going now is Tennessee Street number 2. Anyone else think we should of had to pay more taxes for this?

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Monticello-1827 Whistle-Stop

Monticello-1827

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i think this is great news. downtown needs a grocery store and i think this will spur other retailers to take a chance. before everyone's heads explode wait until the site plan/renderings are revealed. maybe the design will surprise us!

also, the market will bear out what retailers will locate to the area... maybe publix etc. didn't believe they could be profitable in that area which is the point of opening a business... if the numbers didn't add up then oh well...

i think of gaines street as a garden... they have started to weed it out and are planting some hardy plants to get things going. the hotel is a good start! do you think a ritz carlton would survive there? no. walmart will be a good fit. you need PEOPLE to be in the area then other stores will open. think of the college kids/young professionals hitting walmart to grab some groceries then meeting up at a trendy little place for dinnner/a bar.. (those will come)... patience people!

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DaiDreamer5 Hamlet

DaiDreamer5

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City Place in West Palm Beach has a Publix in it. It's a nice one too.

I have been in a Neighborhood Walmart in Central Florida. It was the weirdest thing, a super walmart without the stuff. I remember it be light differently inside (darker lighting). The parking lot seemed to be clean and well kept, but I got the impression that the store was opened a few weeks before.

Ideally I would like something like New Leaf or Whole Foods to have a grocery store downtown. I would say that Walmart is better than nothing, but Walmart has a bad record for upkeeping thier stores.

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