Flyover video of Cascades Project brings new view of downtown development

A newly released flyover video brings the Cascades Project to life in a way the public has not seen before.

Published March 28, the rendering video begins with a bird's eye view of the $158-million project sketched into downtown Tallahassee. Instrumental music plays and builds and, within seconds, a rotating aerial shot delivers the grand scale of what's to come in a three-minute video sliced into scenes like a mini movie. Sidewalks are populated with people on bikes and on foot or lounging at the rooftop pool. 

It's been viewed at least 1,150 times on YouTube. Developer Shawn McIntyre thinks it will drive home his vision for downtown's largest commercial project under construction. 

"That was the whole reason for producing it," said McIntyre, Florida managing partner of North American Properties.

Chronicling the Cascades Project:

• Rerouting: Road closures begin for colossal Cascades Project
• Cascades developer promises signature project

The first week of April, a delegation of power players and public officials traveled to Greenville, South Carolina. The Cascades Project came up often. The trip, organized by the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, included a tour of downtown Greenville, its rushing waterfall and meandering river and the development that mushroomed around the natural attraction.

Those on the trip thought Cascades Park, a once toxic and undesirable brown field, was Tallahassee’s Reedy River, which had been the dumping grounds for Greenville mills before it was cleaned up. And Cascades Project could be the first large-scale development to attract people and create a vibe that fosters an 18-hour downtown.

On the trip was Heidi Otway, the immediate past Chamber chairwoman. She and a few others met up to have dinner upon arrival. The Tallahassee group stayed at the Westin Poinsett, a former cavern for squatters before it was swept clean and restored. Otway walked down stone stairs along the Peace Center Performing Arts Center. 

►Click here to see time lapse video of the site work.

An amphitheater came into view. Otway approached the outdoor venue and she spotted a brick structure that reminded her of The Edison at Cascades Park. 

"I stopped, and I look across the river and I see the development that looks almost like renderings from the Cascades Project," said Otway, president and partner at SalterMitchell PR. “I said, ‘Oh my God. This is what Cascades Park is going to look like when it’s set up.' "

She got goosebumps.

In that moment, the concepts of an activated public park and downtown became real. There, in Greenville, she had her “aha” moment.

“This is what it’s going to look and feel like,” Otway said. “It’s one thing to see it on paper, but it’s another thing to actually see something that looks like what we’re planning for our community … I got emotional about it because I literally thought this is going to be a game changer.”

Rodney Lewis, principal and co-founder of Architects Lewis + Whitlock, said he was impressed with Greenville's downtown and the city was relatable to Tallahassee in terms of scale. 

In order for Cascades Park to grow as a community asset, Lewis said there has to be a draw for people to flock to the park.

"That's the critical element. In my opinion, people want to be in great places," Lewis said, adding the Cascades Project is "one of the spokes on the wheel for Cascades Park."

When early rendering designs of the Cascades Project were shown, it drew a mix of awe and criticism on social media. Some praised its grandeur while others feared it would ruin the park's character with its boxy design. 

In addition, some environmentalists condemned the removal of dozens of tall pine trees and several large oaks, a cardinal sin in a city where trees are sacred. NAP is replanting more trees in specific areas and a live oak on the east side of the Firestone Building next to Cascades Park and several palmettos are being preserved.

The Cascades Project is a mixed-use development where the residential elements for apartments and brownstones are being built at the former Firestone site.

The Bloxham site will include office space and the 154-room AC Hotel by Marriott featuring 5,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a rooftop lounge and an observation deck overlooking the park.

More:AC Hotels by Marriott coming to Cascades Project

Today, construction crews are moving dirt. The retaining wall is under construction and foundations for the hotel and office space are imminent where the Firestone and Bloxham Annex buildings once stood.

On a smaller scale, the historic WPA – Leon County Public Health building is being renovated to be the office operations for NAP's Tallahassee operations. The health department, located on the Bloxham block, broke racial barriers with its inter-racial staff. 

The Firestone building was the former county jail, where the nation's first non-violent sit-in of the civil rights movement occurred, according to the project’s website.

"I wanted to show everyone our commitment to historical renovation,” McIntyre said. "We could have brought a few office trailers onsite, but instead decided to make a positive move with the building. It is exciting to know that the marker states the building was built in 1939 and now, 80 years later, we are restoring it and it will be back in service."

The Cascades Project is expected to generate a $353.6 million total economic impact once complete. 

According to Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality and Florida State's Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis, the Cascades Project will spur 2,209 construction-related jobs and an estimated $94.6 million in income and wages.

Across the street from the Cascades Project, NAP also is repurposing the city's old waterworks building. The company closed on the deal last week.

More:Cascades Project developer submits plan for Waterworks property

The window-less water tank would become a performance stage. Restoration plans also call for a restaurant or bar, one with a distillery or brewery and a new building with flexible space use that would be added on the lot, along with a fire pit lawn and bocce ball fields.

The Cascades Project is slated to be largely done by late 2020. The first major pieces to be complete will be the hotel. The exterior of the residential part will be complete by next year but units won’t be ready for occupancy until early 2021, McIntyre said.

NAP has no projects in Greenville in its development portfolio, although the architectural style of some buildings in Greenville resembled the Cascades Project. However, the company has actively sought out eye-catching public infrastructure investments, such as the brownfield-turned Cascades Park. 

"This is the trend of urban developing, putting mixed use next to public infrastructure," McIntrye said. "The private investment follows the public infrastructure.”

Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter.