With the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners recently approving the downtown location for a new county judicial center, Milton Mayor Wesley Meiss said the approval will only benefit the downtown district which is showing signs of economic growth.
“It has taken several years to get to that point, but this was a big victory for downtown Milton as far as the investment which will take place in the historic corridor,” Meiss said.
With the recently approval of adding two community redevelopment agencies or CRA’s, Meiss said the CRA’s can further explore opportunities to develop the city’s master plan for the district.
“This new riverfront redevelopment team which is going to be formed will be key to steering downtown,” Meiss said.
Since 2014, the downtown district has grown with the addition of new businesses including the Boomerang Pizza Kitchen, Doc’s Courtyard Café, Very Berry Yogurt Frozen Yogurt and Sandwiches, RE Development utilizing the Imogene Theatre for weekly entertainment, Blackwater Hair Boutique, the Shoppe at St. Mary’s and the soon to be opening ‘Where the Heart is’ furniture store.
The added business has brought life, economic-wise, to downtown Milton, said Meiss.
“If you would have went downtown two years ago and looked at Willing Street on a Friday or Saturday night…it was a ghost town,” Meiss said. “Now there are cars everywhere.”
In addition to new business in the downtown area, more community events are also expected to draw in crowds, from the annual Riverwalk Arts and Scratch Ankle Festivals to the upcoming Milton Cruise In, hosted by the Santa Rosa Arts and Culture Foundation.
The city is also planning to extend the ‘Bands on the Blackwater’ concert series and hosting another outdoor concert in conjunction with the Tough Mudder event scheduled in East Milton on April 9 and 10.
Meiss said keeping the courthouse downtown was a collaborative effort from the city’s council, courthouse committee, city staff and the residents.
“It’s been a team effort. The city has done everything it could possibly do to help move this forward,” Meiss said. “It was really everybody…and as it turns out it is going to be a huge investment for out downtown.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton Mayor: Courthouse approval benefits downtown district