Segment 2 of the Capital Cascade Trail project extends from the Franklin Boulevard/Pensacola Street intersection on the north, to South Monroe Street on the southwest. This segment is approximately 0.66 miles in length with a total drainage area estimated at 1,092 acres. Park concept plan development included a series of public workshops and an analysis of the stormwater demands of the entire 4.5-mile project. In order to improve existing flooding on Franklin Boulevard and South Monroe Street, the Segment 2 park will be designed to flood and retain approximately 100 acre-foot of stormwater during storm events. Design phase activities included finalizing park programming concepts, drainage ponds and conveyance, landscaping/hardscape and irrigation, stream and wetland re-creation, architectural, roadway, signing and pavement markings, pedestrian bridge structures, lighting, utility relocation, right-of-way boundaries and legal descriptions, geotechnical investigation, cost estimates, environmental permits and public participation.

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In 1996, the City Commission approved an aggressive revitalization strategy designed to rebuild the home ownership and economic base of the Frenchtown community. This strategy focused on increased public safety, access to neighborhood services, improving the residential viability of the community, and increased employment and commercial opportunities. The City, in partnership with all aspects of the Frenchtown community, has implemented a number of programs and initiatives.These actions have already resulted in significant improvements such as crime reduction and increased construction of single-family homes in the area.

After years of planning, meeting and negotiating, the construction of the Frenchtown Renaissance Center was completed in April 2005 with a grand opening celebration on May 13, 2005.This office complex encompasses 70,000 square feet with a 300-space parking garage. Renaissance Partners LLC, a limited liability corporation consisting of the McGinnis Booth Trust and the Frenchtown Community Development Corporation, developed the project. Barnett Fronczak Architects designed the facility and Culpepper Construction Company built it.

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Proposed Urban Village development along Gaines Street.

University Urban Village

The University Urban Village district is located along the south side of Gaines Street extending from Lake Bradford Road to the west. Railroad Avenue to the east and railroad tracks to the south. This area is anticipated to be a high density residential area along Gaines Street providing housing and a variety of retail and support uses (See 650 Gaines, Gaines Mixed Use, ArtSpace, Gaines Street Condominiums, Tallahassee Performing Arts Center). The location between FAMU and FSU provides a strong potential market for infill student housing and university related uses. The north side of Gaines Street, part of the FSU campus, is proposed to contain 100 foot 'green setback' edge. The highest intensity uses will be located along Gaines Street, with buildings between five and seven stories.

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This report summarizes the planning recommendations to increase the quality of the pedestrian environment in the core downtown area of Tallahassee. The plan was initiated by the Tallahassee Downtown improvement Authority (TDIA) in January of 2004. The TDIA is responsible for the coordination of activities and projects that promote business vitality in downtown Tallahassee. Over the years, the TDIA business members have voiced concerns over the lack of pedestrian activity in the downtown and the resulting negative affects on the business environment. Some of the issues that have surfaced pertain to: poor handicap accessibility, pedestrian un-friendly sidewalks, high-speed traffic at pedestrian crossings, lack of pedestrian activity around government buildings, visitor disorientation, lack of entertainment and retail venues, and terrain impediments. Most importantly, private reinvestment in the core area has been very slow over the past several decades. As a result of all these variables, the TDIA has been in the process of initiating strategies to reignite private investment.

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Official Website: Regional Transit Study Website

Transit provides our region a solution that can reduce our national dependence on foreign oil, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and provide a wider range of mobility options. As the region continues to grow, there is an increasing need to expand transit services to outlying parts of Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, and Wakulla counties and to coordinate urban and rural transit services.

The Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) has completed a Regional Transit Study (RTS) for the CRTPA region (Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, and Wakulla counties). The CRTPA and its planning partners undertook the RTS to help guide the future of public transportation in the region. As the region continues to grow, there is an increasing need to develop a long term transit vision within Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, and Wakulla counties and to coordinate urban and rural transit services. Recommendations from the study were compiled into a Transit Service Plan, a summary of which is presented in this newsletter. The full study report and background data are available on the study website (www.crtpa.org).

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