An $25 million in Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency-funded infrastructure projects will begin construction this year, setting the stage for major projects tethered to the 2020 Blueprint tax extension in Leon County and Tallahassee, The Tallahassee Democrat reports.
The 2019 projects include stormwater improvements, trails and community beautification throughout the city and Leon County.
Blueprint director Autumn Calder said the projects represent the transition from Blueprint 2000, which funded Capital Circle and Cascades Park, and Blueprint 2020 projects. She said the projects were promised to voters through the ballot referendum.
“When we get to 2020,” Caldwell said. “We’re really going to hit the ground running.”
Major Blueprint projects starting in 2019 include:
- Capital Cascades Trail Segment 3 – a storm-water pond adjacent to the linear park along FAMU Way. Construction will start in early 2019, with a value of $11 million;
- Work on the $8.8 million Magnolia Drive Multi-Use Trail from Monroe Street to Apalachee Parkway, with construction beginning at Monroe Street starting in the fall;
- Orange/Meridian place-making — Contractors will clean up a county-owned parcel that will eventually become a super stop operated by Star Metro. For now, the beautification project includes sidewalks and picnic tables to complement other developments driven by the Tallahassee Housing Authority and Graceful Solutions, a developer with plans to build multi-family housing units, the newspaper reports. Work on this $300,000 project will start early this year;
- Northeast Gateway (Welaunee Boulevard) — This $5.8 million project is part of the larger Northeast Gateway in the Canopy Community Development District. Work in 2019 includes starting construction for segments 1, 2 and 3, sidewalks and multi-purpose trails. Ultimately there will be a four-lane roadway through the Canopy at Welaunee Development.