At a meeting today, Joe Berg, the vice-president of the All Saints District Association, put forth a plan to stop the building of a Hampton Inn at the corner of Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue.
The plan includes a petition drive and is encouraging people to show up to a City Commission meeting.
He also informed those in attendance that while he has secured a meeting with all four City Commissioners, a meeting with Mayor Gillum, as of now, will not happen.
Mr. Berg said that the Mayor’s Office told him the Mayor was “booked until January.”
The Mayor’s Office did offer a meeting with the community relations department in the City.
The group says their petition drive has gathered 1,500 signatures because people are concerned about the lack of vision associated with the proposed Hampton Inn development.
You can see the petition here.
“It’s about a very amateurish vision to plunk a hotel on a lot with incredible potential to the community. And we have to exercise our right of petition to demand it. It is a stand off that is being forced to escalate” wrote Berg in an email to TR.
The City, which signed a contract to sell the lot to a local developer (more on that in another report), appears to have some control over the kind of development which is built.
The City Commission will take up the issue on November 24th.
Mr. Berg hopes that a good turn out at the meeting will influence votes and stop a process that he believes has favored developers over residents and local businesses in the area.
“This is also about checking the influence of development in Tallahassee, as in this case it clearly has outgrown any concern for culture, community, or local commerce. This is a seminal moment for the future of organic Tallahassee culture” said Mr. Berg.
Mayor Gillum Says No to Meeting with All Saints Neighborhood Group Before Vote added by Staff on
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I believe a Hampton Inn would be a nice addition to this area.
You going to stay there?
I know the general character of Hampton Inns, but perhaps that corporation could b e persuaded to propose a development concept that would highlight the interests of the All Saints neighborhood: including parking that would be open at least some of the time to patrons of the establishments already there.
An architectural reflection of the All Saints area would also go a long way to satisfying residents and users of the area.
Finally, if the Hampton Inn building also included space for shops that reflect the neighborhood’s campus orientations, it might be more palatable.
(I live well away from the area, but am a weekly patron of establishments in the Railroad Square area. I have no connection to the developer and am only a voter for the mayor.)
They should hire Adam Corey to lobby for them!
Follow the money… It’ll lead straight to the Mayors Office, you betcha!
While I do not have a strong opinion on this topic, it appears a hotel would be very lucrative being so close to the stadium and both campuses…
That said, I am sure there is something connecting Gillum to Hampton Inn – like a close friend is a lobbyist for the hotel… but the response:
Mr. Berg said that the Mayor’s Office told him the Mayor was “booked until January.”
Is completely unacceptable from an elected official – but is par for the course for this amateurish mayor.
I am still trying to figure out how the hotel that is already there survives. Seven home games cannot generate enough revenue to sustain annually. Does anyone see the existing hotel on Gaines busy…other than game weekends?
Preston take a look at what they charge for game weekends. Over $1000 for 2 nights for Miami and NC State!
That hotel usually hosts the visiting teams for collegiate basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc.. from what I understand.
As far as I am concerned, the whole CRA thing only needs an “P” to complete it. City officials will tell you this is not tax money, when, in fact, it is money that goes into the CRA pot rather than into the funds to operate the city. This of course, means the rest of us must pay more to support the city government. The CRA $$$ reward those good little boys & girls who support your city officials.
They need to hire a lobbyist to get a meeting with the Mayor. Don’t these people know how the system works. Better yet, hire the Mayors personal bag man. ie hire Sean Pitman and they will get a meeting.
Or call the meeting at the Edison.
The ‘Keep All Saints Odd’ movement does not put enough $$$ into the city’s tax confiscation wallet, especially that the city is sinking $128,000,000 of our money into that area. The ‘odd’ businesses are not a good ‘return on investment’.