Staff
Publication Date: 08/27/09
The Aviles Street makeover makes sense.
Shade trees, flower pots, Spanish flags, cafe-style seating and elimination of on-street parking are proposed to give Aviles Street more of an Old World, pedestrian-friendly feel.
As it is, the street's bricks are uneven, cars sneak up on unwitting walkers, parked cars make the street look narrower than it is, and there's nothing that says, "Come on down." Certainly there's no curbside feel.
The shops, art studios and restaurants are unique on Aviles Street, under the arch south of the Plaza de la Constitucion. But if visitors aren't drawn to the street by inviting scenery, they likely won't venture there to browse, shop, eat or just stroll.
The city's Historic Architectural Review Board, the arbiter of the city's architectural heritage in the downtown preservation districts, likes the concept but reserves the right to review the details of the final plan. The city commission will be asked next month to authorize an estimated $100,000 for the project, which is expected to be ready by February.
Aviles Street, considered the city's oldest street, as it is on the original 1573 town plan, is the right place to develop a new strategy for the city's quaint side streets. Why not let it be the role model for other side streets? On some streets the plan will have to adjusted, but the theme would be the same.
We wonder what would happen to Charlotte Street if the city took the same approach, removing on-street parking on that gateway north from downtown to the Castillo de San Marcos. While it gets slightly more walking traffic than Aviles, we can only imagine what a makeover there would do.
We could go on and on, but we'll just say the timing could not be better. The city's 2013-2015 celebration of its 450th birthday is less than four years away.
Officials talk of improving the infrastructure to benefit the visitor experience. We think they have found the starting point on Aviles Street.
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