From WTXL
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Tallahassee leaders say they’re inspired after coming home from a three-day trip to Greenville, South Carolina.
The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce has organized trips like this in the past.
It’s all about learning what other cities are doing well and how Tallahassee can learn from them.
More than 80 people went this time around and those we talked to said it was worth it.
Greenville locals say their city is a 40-year “success story,” and Tallahassee leaders are noticing.
“It was amazing going to Greenville to see how intentional they have been in building their city and telling their story,” said Talethia Edwards, President of the Bond Community Neighborhood Association.
For three days, the group from Tallahassee checked out several parts of the South Carolina city.
Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said the airport and the downtown especially caught his eye.
“They do things a little bit differently. For instance, as basic as the width of a sidewalk and being able to create more a pedestrian feel,” said Dailey.
But the trip wasn’t just a learning experience for Tallahassee. Dailey said the Greenville reps they met were asking questions about the Capital City as Tallahassee gets closer to its bicentennial.
“Our community is growing by leaps and bounds. What’s the next big move is what we need to be thinking about, and that was my takeaway,” said Blake Dowling, CEO of Aegis Business Technologies.
It’s a conversation that doesn’t stop with the trip. Dailey said the city is “laser-focused” in moving Tallahassee forward.
“And we’re doing a lot of things right, but we’ve got an opportunity to really take the next step,” said Dailey.
One observation that many on the trip made was how Greenville built development around its river and how Cascades Park could be Tallahassee’s version of that in the future.
