For businesses in Tallahassee’s Market District, Aug. 31 can’t come soon enough. That is the day all roads in the district are scheduled to re-open, ending a lengthy period of construction, detours and changing traffic patterns that have made it more difficult for customers to get to businesses.
The reopening marks an important milestone in a major infrastructure project designed to improve the Market District for years to come. But for merchants that have operated alongside construction, the benefits have been accompanied by a significant short-term burden.
Now, businesses are preparing for what could be a new beginning.
The Market District will celebrate the reopening Sept. 3 with an all-day “ALL ACCESS Block Party on Market.” The event will feature live music throughout the district, food and drinks, family activities, business specials and exclusive offers. Organizers are promoting the event as a celebration of the businesses and community — as well as the return of unrestricted road access. “ALL ACCESS. All Roads Open. All Businesses Open,” organizers said.
Construction Comes with Price
The Market District project is intended to address infrastructure needs while making the area more attractive, connected and accessible. The work includes reconstruction of Maclay Boulevard and Maclay Commerce Drive, underground utility improvements, pedestrian enhancements, landscaped medians and two new roundabouts. The project also includes the Market District Park and East Stormwater Facility.
But reaching the finished product has required businesses to operate through construction zones and detours. For restaurants, retailers and other businesses that depend heavily on visibility and convenient access, changes in traffic patterns can have an immediate effect. A customer who must navigate a detour, find a different entrance or deal with construction may simply decide to go somewhere else. That makes the Aug. 31 reopening particularly important.
The end of detours will remove one of the most visible obstacles facing businesses during construction and restore the normal traffic circulation that customers have come to expect. The project has also forced businesses to compete for customers’ attention while the physical environment around them has been changing.
City and Blueprint Inter governmental Agency officials announced in February that construction sequencing would be changed to accelerate work on Maclay Boulevard and the central roundabout. The goal was to have the road work completed by late summer.
Looking Beyond Construction
The rationale for the project extends beyond simply replacing roads. The Market District Action Plan calls for improvements intended to make the area more connected, pedestrian-friendly and attractive. The current work is expected to improve traffic circulation while upgrading utilities, drainage, sidewalks and public spaces.
For property owners and businesses, those improvements could become an important competitive advantage once the construction equipment leaves. A more attractive district with improved access and pedestrian connections could encourage customers to spend more time in the area and make it easier to move among restaurants, retailers and other businesses. That is the potential payoff businesses have been waiting for.
The Sept. 3 celebration will effectively serve as the district’s welcome-back event. Throughout the day, customers will be encouraged to shop, dine and explore the businesses without having to navigate the construction-related road closures and detours.
The event also gives merchants an opportunity to reconnect with customers who may have avoided the district during construction. For the Market District, the next few weeks will therefore represent a transition. The construction that has disrupted daily business is nearing its end, while the infrastructure improvements that prompted the project are becoming reality. After months of asking customers to navigate around construction, Market District businesses will soon be able to deliver a much simpler message: The roads are open. The detours are gone. Come back to Market.
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