This is an aerial view of Block 12 as envisioned by an architectural designer.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            Williston’s Community Development Agency unveiled a conceptual plan Monday night to hopefully transform the city’s original business district known as Block 12 into a thriving economic hub.

            Residents were shown drawings produced by an architectural firm illustrating what the old business sector could look like with a lot of hard work, creativity and sound planning involving the city and community members.

            Block 12 is located at the corner of U.S.27A and Main Street. It stands at the intersection of two rows of business buildings, most of them vacant and showing their age.

            One part of the CRA plan is to add attractive fronts, or facades, to the buildings, but it would cost money. The cost of the new facades hasn’t been calculated.

            The game plan is to use public grants and private low interest loans to help business owners dress up the front of their business buildings with new and more attractive façades.

            Many of the questions from the audience related to parking. The loss of on-street parking many years ago when U.S. 27A was expanded to four lanes hampered residents from patronizing stores and shops and contributed to the decline of the old downtown business district.

            City Planning Director Jackie Gorman said the CRA has set aside the area in back of Block 12 for parking and has asked the Florida Department of Transportation to allow angle parking on U.S. 27A.  She said city is at the mercy of DOT in that regard. She said the CRA is looking for additional parking areas.

            Gorman said she wants to form a focus group to help the city make decisions about building a performing arts center in Block 12, which would involve figuring out where funds could be obtained for construction, as well as who would run it, what the building would look like and what activities would take place in the center.

            “We’re going to put a focus group together working under CRA to break down those things that we need to do to get that going,” Gorman said. “We know there are cultural grants available and we have tapped into the Department of State. What does that mean? What kind of limits are there? All that information needs to be gathered. In three months we hope to have a recommendation on that. We’ll have a director. Also ownership; who will own it? Will it stay under CRA?”

            Residents asked for more specific information on what CRA was planning to do with Block 12, but Gorman said while the planning has progressed well there is much more work to be done.

            “We’re there, we’re ready to launch,” she said. “So if everyone cooperates we hope to get this done soon.”

            CRA member Mike Langston, responding to the questions from the audience, said ideally the city, CRA and city residents would work together to establish a vision for what needs to be done with the property and how to get there.

            “Once we have a vision, we set objectives. Now we need to work through the process together to set objectives. Then we look around, we see the tools at our disposal to accomplish our objectives; based on the tools, we formulate a plan and pull the trigger,” he said. “So that’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to catch a vision; then anybody who has input helps us get the objectives. It’s a sound strategy. It’s going take a lot of work, it’s going to be a lot of sacrifice; there are going to be a lot of things people don’t want to happen, but we have to come to a compromise because we need to change the downtown.”

            One woman asked how the city would deal with the aging buildings. She suggested some of the buildings might have termites, damaged roofs and interior issues.

            CRA member Art Konstantino said he owns a building on Block 12 that is more than 100 years old. He said the structure of the building is sound.

            “All the ones that Mr. Pesso owns all the way to the corner are sound as well,” he said.

            Businesswoman Sharon Brannan asked what would happen if one or two property owners were not on board with the plan. Gorman didn’t make any predictions.

            “Our CRA board has some hard decisions to make going forward, but we’re hoping the value is there and they recognize the value and not hold everybody else back,” Gorman said.

            Gorman said the city is working closely with DOT to change the intersection at U.S. 27 and Main Street to make it more user-friendly for pedestrians as well as drivers. She said there’s no point in trying to bring people to a thriving business center, the future Block 12 as she sees it, if it’s not safe to walk across the street to reach the stores.

            Joe Walker, principal-in-charge of Walker Architects of Gainesville, the firm that designed Williston City Hall and produced the conceptual drawings displayed at the meeting, said the process of giving Block 12 a new look is all about the community. He said it’s about bringing the community back together and finding a way to connect people.

            “You’re seeing a community center and bringing people through the façade and connecting people, changing traffic patterns, there is a connection with property owners. There is a linear park and kind of having the whole community together in a place where people can gather. You get to know your neighbors. That is where you build a community,” he said.

            CRA Chairman Dr. Ken Schweibert said the city is constantly hearing a central question about Block 12; “What is Williston going to do about that downtown?”

            Schweibert read from a historical account how Block 12 functioned when it was the center of the Williston business community. A central feature of Block 12 was the Arcade Theater that drew people to the businesses around it.

            “It’s been part of the Community Redevelopment Plan for more than 20 years,” he said. “We’re here tonight to share with you a concept, trying to get the dialogue going, executing something that will really change Williston.”

            “The Arcade Theater was constructed in 1925 behind the primary downtown commercial block. It was a place for social congregation,” he said.

            He said the original theater projector was operated by hand. The building was built for silent movies. The back stage was equipped with dressing rooms and the screen could be raised out of the way to use for a stage for traveling actors.

            Over the years the theater was modified, electrical wiring was installed and air conditioning and a cinema screen were added.

            “The theater was temporarily closed in 1929, only to re-open in the late 1930s during a period when the sidewalks were filled with people and parking was at a premium in downtown,” Schweibert said, citing a citizen’s account of those days. “Citizens would leave their cars parked downtown and walk home to ensure a first row seat for evening activities. (laughter in the crowd). The theater was abandoned in the late 1980s and only remnants remain.”

            The Arcade Theater archway entrance at the center of the block of stores facing Main Street remains in place today although it is covered by a glass door. The CRA would like to make the former Arcade archway part of the new design, but the details haven’t been worked out. One business owner said the conceptual drawing appeared to show the entire new archway consuming his business. Gorman said the drawing is conceptual. No final decisions have been about the location of the archway.

            Over the years Schweibert said CRA has tried to work with property owners and has managed to acquire property in Block 12.

            “We’re at the point now, I think we can move forward,” he said.

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City of Williston CRA Block 12 Reveal January 13, 2020; Posted January 12, 2020