Market District Stormwater Project



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MARKET DISTRICT
MULTI-PURPOSE
STORMWATER PROJECT

 

Market District Multi-Purpose Stormwater Project

Construction of the Park, Roadways and East Stormwater Facility began on January 6, 2025! Learn more in the About section.

Market District Late-February 2026 Update:

The Market District project schedule has been revised to expedite roadway construction, including the roundabout at Maclay Boulevard and Maclay Commerce Drive. As requested by the Market District Business Association, work on the roundabout will begin on Monday, March 2, which will necessitate additional road closures in the area. Construction of this roundabout is anticipated to take about six weeks, barring no unforeseen circumstances.

To construct the roundabout and create a safe work zone, the intersection of Maclay Boulevard and Maclay Commerce Drive will close. Maclay Commerce Drive east of the intersection will close from Maclay Boulevard to Financial Plaza Drive. Maclay Boulevard will remain closed from the north at Mosswood Chase.

Customers can access businesses on Maclay Commerce Drive west of the intersection via Martin Hurst Road. Customers can access Sage restaurant and the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers Association building via Mosswood Chase. Customers can access businesses on Maclay Boulevard south of the intersection via Market Street.

Following construction of the roundabout, work will resume on Maclay Boulevard between Maclay Commerce Drive and Mosswood Chase. Maclay Boulevard is still expected to open in late summer 2026—ahead of the busier shopping and dining season.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Market District has long been characterized by a mixture of strong local businesses and stable, active and engaged neighborhoods. In order to keep pace with growth and to improve the quality of stormwater flowing to Lake Jackson, upgrades to the area’s stormwater system are underway. Building on the Sense of Place efforts, roadways will be upgraded to provide beautification and improve mobility. Major electric infrastructure was upgraded with the transmission lines east of the electrical substation that previously ran through the ponds being relocated to improve reliability and aesthetics. The Market District Multi-Purpose Stormwater Project will reclaim public open space and further enhance the area’s public amenities while creating an opportunity for a future park as part of the Market District Placemaking Project.

The overall project area is approximately 30 acres. 

Elements of the multi-purpose stormwater project include:

  • Beautify and improve Maclay Commerce Drive and Maclay Boulevard (from Maclay Commerce Drive to Mosswood Chase)
  • Provide areas for family-friendly activities
  • Promote outdoor business activities
  • Create walking/jogging trails
  • Establish open space for special events

The multi-purpose project consists of four general areas that will flow together, each with its unique elements.

West Stormwater Facility

The West Stormwater Facility is a wet detention pond serving a large part of the Market District as a regional stormwater facility. Some areas in the District were developed prior to many of the environmental regulations that exist today. As such, water quality treatment is not in place to address stormwater runoff from some of these areas. The West Stormwater Facility provides retrofit water quality treatment and rate control (protect against flooding) for the entire 300 Acre +/- watershed that drains to it, including some of the previously untreated areas. It will also serve as a passive recreation area with a walking trail connection to the rest of the project along the north side of the electrical substation.

The City of Tallahassee completed the West Stormwater Facility in August 2023. This portion of the project included construction of a roughly 8‐acre wet detention pond that serves as a regional stormwater facility for a large part of the Market District. The facility provides water quality treatment and protection against flooding for the entire 300-acre watershed that drains to it, including the pending roadway improvements on Maclay Boulevard and Maclay Commerce Drive and the future park being implemented by Blueprint.

The West Stormwater Facility also includes a 0.5-mile pedestrian path around the pond. Retaining walls with an architectural board‐form face create the effect of a bridge over the inflow to the pond. Retaining walls with the same finish at the pond's outfall hide the control structure and create an observation platform for wildlife viewing and stormwater education kiosks. Advanced stormwater best management practices, such as bioswales, gabion-lined ditches, etc. are implemented around the pond to treat runoff before it enters the pond.

Crews work quickly to complete the gabions before the grant deadline Runoff prevention Detailed view of retaining wall formliner Crews install gabion Completed gabion channel Stormwater runoff entering project Trench for overflow sand for water mitigation Installing filtered pipe Excavation in full force Installation of electric conduits Excavation of West pond Informational Kiosk Freshly paved walkway Final grading Excavation of West Pond

 

East Stormwater Facility

While also providing water quality treatment and rate attenuation, the East Stormwater Facility is designed to be more park like with walking or fitness paths and landscape/hardscape features surrounding it. A constructed wetland that captures stormwater runoff directly from Maclay Commerce Drive and adjacent commercial properties has been incorporated into the design of the East Stormwater Facility.

diagram of East Stormwater Facility

 

Park Timieline

 

Maclay Boulevard and Maclay Commerce Drive will be enhanced with a landscaped median, sidewalks and on-street parking. The intersections of Maclay Commerce Drive with Martin Hurst Road and Maclay Boulevard will be improved.

INFRASTRUCTURE

park idea 1
stormwater landscaping
stormwater landscaping 2

To keep pace with growth and improve the quality of stormwater flowing to Lake Jackson, upgrades to the area's stormwater system are necessary. Improvements to the roadway network and electric transmission utilities are also needed. This infrastructure work will improve water quality, pedestrian and vehicular safety and create an opportunity to enhance Sense of Place efforts already underway in the Market District.

PARK

Concept Map Of Park Area

This 9.8-acre parcel will be used for a park complete with active and passive amenities for pedestrian and recreational purposes. Community input, site design principals and the project budget have helped guide development of the design. Get the most current information about the project at BlueprintIA.org.

2020 Market District Park Survey Results

 

Public Engagement

o Community input helped shape this multi-million-dollar public investment. Thank you to the many area residents, businesses and property owners who have engaged in this process through virtual community meetings, HOA outreach, in-person visits with the design team and much more. Below are recordings from the early community meetings to help provide background for newer stakeholders. Should you need more information or have a question about the current stage of the project, contact details are below for staff associated with each portion of the work.

CONNECT WITH US!

Questions about Stormwater?
Contact: Jason Smith, P.E.
jason.smith@talgov.com
(850) 891-6860

Questions about Roadways?
Contact: Randy Lane, P.E.
randy.lane@talgov.com
(850) 891-2857

Questions about the Park?
Contact: Sue Tanski
susan.tanski@blueprintIA.org
(850) 219-1060

 

For more information about the Blueprint Market District Placemaking Project click here.

 

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