[bsloan1960]

We've lived here a couple of months. I read that Wildwood wants to build a multi-million dollar parking garage for their business district. We use 301 all the time and pass by many business- very few seem to be thriving. Is this considered the business district?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by bsloan1960

We've lived here a couple of months. I read that Wildwood wants to build a multi-million dollar parking garage for their business district. We use 301 all the time and pass by many business- very few seem to be thriving. Is this considered the business district?

A simple search brought their new redevelopment plans.
https://wildwooddowntown.com/

[HIgolfers]

Sure, why not spend all that additional tax money Villagers are paying?

[MrChip72]

Very interesting that the map shows "golf cart path" seemingly from the direction of TV (Brownwood).

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by MrChip72

Very interesting that the map shows "golf cart path" seemingly from the direction of TV (Brownwood).

I looked at those plans. I think it will be a wonderful addition to Wildwood. I was under the impression the new commercial site will be located by a residential development not owned by the Villages. Am I mistaken? We are talking about the train/railroad themed commercial site. Correct?

[bsloan1960]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

A simple search brought their new redevelopment plans.
https://wildwooddowntown.com/

I should have done the Simple Search rather than the Complex Search which left me frustrated. Thanks.

Originally Posted by MrChip72

Very interesting that the map shows "golf cart path" seemingly from the direction of TV (Brownwood).

I believe there are areas of Wildwood unrelated to T V that are approved for golf carts. I highly doubt Wildwood would connect to T V nor would T V connect to Wildwood. Only street approved carts can reach T V mvp paths right now. It would be great if Wildwood and TV had worked it out to connect paths to the Lowes side of the road on 466A. Hey, are they still putting a Target next to the Trailwinds Publix area... that carts won't be able to reach?? I don't think Wildwood is very interested in working with T V other than master development where they are happy to add tax revenue from Villagers.

It is exciting for the Wildwood community to be on the recieving end of a beautification project.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

I believe there are areas of Wildwood unrelated to T V that are approved for golf carts. I highly doubt Wildwood would connect to T V nor would T V connect to Wildwood. Only street approved carts can reach T V mvp paths right now. It would be great if Wildwood and TV had worked it out to connect paths to the Lowes side of the road on 466A. Hey, are they still putting a Target next to the Trailwinds Publix area... that carts won't be able to reach?? I don't think Wildwood is very interested in working with T V other than master development where they are happy to add tax revenue from Villagers.

It is exciting for the Wildwood community to be on the recieving end of a beautification project.

The Master Plan shows a cart path running South of 44A, starting along the abandoned CSX spr ending near Powell Rd.

Agree it's unlikely the Developer will allow connection through their property.

This plan asumes a timeline of 7-10 years with no budget projections.

It seems a little pathetic to plan "revitalizing" an area starting with a 150 car parking garage.

https://wildwooddowntown.com/wp-cont...ent_Report.pdf

Some consultants burned a lot of tax money creating a plan unlikely to materialize.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

I believe there are areas of Wildwood unrelated to T V that are approved for golf carts. I highly doubt Wildwood would connect to T V nor would T V connect to Wildwood. Only street approved carts can reach T V mvp paths right now. It would be great if Wildwood and TV had worked it out to connect paths to the Lowes side of the road on 466A. Hey, are they still putting a Target next to the Trailwinds Publix area... that carts won't be able to reach?? I don't think Wildwood is very interested in working with T V other than master development where they are happy to add tax revenue from Villagers.

It is exciting for the Wildwood community to be on the recieving end of a beautification project.

The Wildwood plan includes a golf cart path along 44A to allow traveling to the Villages.

It is yet to be seen whether the path will be built, whether it will extend all the way to Powell Rd, and whether the Villages will allow (or can stop) a path from crossing Powell Rd to Villages property.

Golf cart aside, I don't have much reason to stop in Wildwood today but if the plan comes to fruition I can imagine spending some time there.

[BobGraves]

See screenshot from report.

[Bilyclub]

Right now Wildwood would be getting the better of the deal if golf cart access was created to TV along 44A.

[virtualcynthia]

It sounds like the plan is focusing on downtown Wildwood around City Hall. There are a lot of cute thrift shops, the Antique mall, Miz Kate’s cotillion where Villages often go for lunch, And a lot of store fronts that have had businesses that started and closed because of the difficulty of negotiating 301. They lend them selves to pedestrian traffic, but crossing 301 is difficult so I’m glad they’re putting a bridge.

I see apartment buildings on Powell coming closer to 44 A so I see a golf cart path being practical to be able to go from those apartment buildings directly to downtown Wildwood. I don’t see golf carts crossing Powell to come into Brownwood.

This looks like an opportunity for enterprising people to consider opening a storefront business in downtown Wildwood

[Michael 61]

I’m rooting for a successful, gentrified downtown Wildwood. However, I can’t help but look at so many other towns and cities that have poured millions into attempting to bring their “historic” central districts back to life with dining and shopping. The odds are not good. For every one successful redevelopment, there are many many more that have fizzled, and turned out to be millions down the drain, with empty “gentrified” storefronts. It’s gonna have to be pretty special to get Villagers to leave the bubble to travel to downtown Wildwood on a regular basis. I’m hoping they succeed, but at this point I’m not overly optimistic.

[Retiredsteve]

Originally Posted by HIgolfers

Sure, why not spend all that additional tax money Villagers are paying?

Isn't that how all towns spend the tax money they get?

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

I’m rooting for a successful, gentrified downtown Wildwood. However, I can’t help but look at so many other towns and cities that have poured millions into attempting to bring their “historic” central districts back to life with dining and shopping. The odds are not good. For every one successful redevelopment, there are many many more that have fizzled, and turned out to be millions down the drain, with empty “gentrified” storefronts. It’s gonna have to be pretty special to get Villagers to leave the bubble to travel to downtown Wildwood on a regular basis. I’m hoping they succeed, but at this point I’m not overly optimistic.

It seems half the small cities and towns in the USA, want that "thriving, historic, cutesy downtown" we see in movies from the 50's.

The nit wits doing the plans and spending the money, seem to have forgotten that Dwight Eisenhower started America down the Interstate and helped make us a mobile society. We're not likely going back to the days of horse drawn carriages and Sunday Strolls through the antique (junk) shops "downtown".

At least The Villages Developer was smart enough to realize, you need more than "little shops" to make a downtown work ... hence 364 days of music every year, to say nothing of the constant barrage of festivals & whatever.