Jefferson Street growth: Plans to expand the downtown lifestyle
You may have noticed that construction is taking over Jefferson Street in downtown Pensacola.
The Downtown Improvement Board sees the potential and wants to encourage growth for businesses.
They're looking to expand the area's "hot spots."
John Peacock, Chairman of the Downtown Improvement Board (DIB), said, "We don't want to make it the next Palafox. We want people to come downtown to have a multitude of activities, restaurants, retail. We want people to think, 'Where am I going to eat or shop?' Downtown Pensacola."
However, they are facing a bump in the road, and that's funding.
Peacock said, "Money is going to have to come from a place like the city, or the county, or there are grants to help with the storm water issue, so now the task is on us to identify those funding sources and put it to work and get this done."
Once they get the green light, you'll notice even more changes - the streets!
Peacock explains, "In most big cities, New York, etcetera, the max distance is about thirty feet, so we want to create that 'road diet,' so people can cross those streets safely and have an aesthetically pleasing experience when they're doing that. If you do that, I think more things will come, more people will come, and parking becomes less and less of an issue."
The expansion has people talking, and even tourists agree a Jefferson street makeover will be a nice addition to downtown Pensacola.
Art Grinath, a visitor to Pensacola, said, "I think that would be a great thing because the more places you have, the restaurants, the shops, it brings more people in and make its livelier and when it's livelier, then even more people come in."
The DIB hopes that this is the first step in making all 44 downtown blocks pedestrian-friendly.
The east side of Jefferson is the first phase and could be completed by the end of the year.
Link:
Jefferson Street growth: Plans to expand the downtown lifestyle - WEAR
