Complete Construction of Market District Park by 2024

As a gateway from I-10 to Florida’s capital city, the Market District provides an opportunity for enhanced placemaking to welcome visitors and residents alike to the Tallahassee area. Placemaking leverages a community's existing assets and potential to create public destinations that promote community well-being. These areas often include recreational spaces and entertainment elements, such as shops, restaurants, and local parks.

The Market District Placemaking project consists of the development of a central park (Phase 1) and pedestrian safety and connectivity improvements (Phase 2). The project will provide an approximately 9-acre community park along Maclay Boulevard and Maclay Commerce Drive. Park amenities will include paths for running and walking, a shaded gathering space, a play area, water play elements, open spaces, restrooms, and pickleball courts. As a related project, being designed in coordination with this initiative, the City is also repurposing the existing stormwater ponds where the central park will be located and making beautification and transportation improvements on Maclay Boulevard and Maclay Commerce Drive.

To support the development of a concept plan for the Market District Park, staff met with local business owners in February 2020 to discuss the project goals, timeline, and plan for public engagement. The project kick-off meeting took place in May 2020 with public engagement beginning in late summer 2020. Engagement activities included mailing postcards to 2,000+ area residents and businesses, hand-delivering information to businesses along the District’s corridor, emailing 250+ project stakeholders, placing signs along the project corridors, and utilizing printed newspapers and social media. In all, nearly 140 people attended the virtual meetings, which led to highly productive question and answer sessions. Additionally, more than 1,200 online surveys were completed, and the project team received dozens of emails and phone calls from members of the community. In May 2021, the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency Board approved the final concept for the Market District Park and authorized the procurement of design services. Design for the Market District Park began in Fall 2021.

Currently, final design of the park is underway. The schematic design for the restroom and pavilion structures was completed November 2022. Construction services are expected to be advertised and procured in 2023. The Market District Placemaking project is on track to meet the goal of completing construction and opening to the public by 2024.

Placemaking fosters the creation and beautification of vital public spaces. Areas with a “sense of place” often help people feel a strong stake in their communities and a commitment to making things better. Through placemaking, improvements made—both big and small –provides for positive change in our community.

PLACE. Last Updated: December 2022.