Ocala On the Rise

Ummm ….. I will just leave this one here!
Revitalize, or Die.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in community development is confusing supply with demand. Too many places assume that because they don’t have something, it must mean people don’t want it.

I hear it all the time. We don’t have upper-floor apartments because no one wants to live downtown. We don’t have a nice coffee shop because nobody here would go to one. That’s not evidence. That’s just making excuses.

This mindset is especially corrosive in low self-esteem communities. Residents start to believe it themselves, convincing each other that people in their town don’t like nice things, that everyone is perfectly happy with strip malls, subdivisions and dollar stores. The lack of options becomes mistaken for a lack of interest.

The reality is different. Most people do like nice things. Every town has demand for better housing, for a good meal, for a place that feels like home. If the only place to eat out is Applebee’s and the only new house to buy is a tract home, that doesn’t prove people prefer them. It just proves those are the only choices on offer.

When local policy is guided by this false assumption, it leads to doubling down on the same patterns that caused the problems in the first place. Revitalization requires seeing through that bias. The question isn’t whether your residents want better. The question is whether you’ll give them the chance to have it.

This section of this outdated track sure would make a phenomenal rails to trails connection line for our community!
If only someone had thought of that! Oh wait! We did!
Rails to Trails Conservancy
City of Ocala - Government Revitalize, or Die. Strong Towns
Ben Marciano Councilwoman Kristen Dreyer - City of Ocala District 4 Marion County, Florida Florida Main Street Ocala Main Street

Another train derailment in the city of Ocala. This time, five cars derailed while traversing a residential neighborhood. No injuries reported. https://www.ocalagazette.com/another-train-derails-in-the-city-ocala-near-apartment-complex/ Photo: Michael Warren

This is so worth the read! City of Ocala - Government Ocala Main Street Marion County, Florida

I’ve mostly stopped posting about parking. I figured I’d beaten that dead horse back to life, then to death again. I assumed anyone following me had heard enough about publicly subsidized car storage.

But, I was wrong. Again.

Recently, I shared a meme about parking and by the following day the comments section had turned into the Thunderdome. So let me say this as clearly as I can, parking isn’t the problem.

Actually. parking is the problem. Just not the one you think it is.

Parking is not what’s holding your downtown back. In fact, it’s a distraction from what really is, your lack of an attraction. That’s right. You don’t have a parking problem, you have an attraction problem.

Here’s the proof-
•Cities that add parking never see a revitalization boom.
•After new parking goes in, another excuse pops up, and more parking is suddenly “needed.”
•Events with big crowds? People always find a way, walk, bike, Uber, shuttle, whatever. They show up because there’s something worth showing up for.

And great businesses? They never complain about parking, because they’re a draw. They have what people want, goods, services, atmosphere. No one says, “I was going to eat at that incredible new restaurant, but the walk from my car was inconvenient.”

Need an analogy? I’ve got analogies
•Fast and Furious 9 would still have flopped even if the theater had more seats.
•The Pittsburgh Pirates won’t win more games if they add new rows.
• TGI Friday’s could add a hundred more tables, but the zesty onions popper nachos still won’t be any good.

Adding capacity doesn’t fix a bad product. It just gives you more empty space to manage.

The truth is, people are drawn to places that draw them. No one plans a trip to visit a parking lot. People go places to experience beauty, connection, culture, fun. And those things, those attractions, get sacrificed every time we tear down a building to make room for cars.

You want a thriving downtown? Focus on being a draw:
• Raise standards for building owners.
• Enforce codes.
• Beautify your streets.
• Create great public spaces.
• Make room for pedestrians, not just their vehicles.
• Invest in experiences, not asphalt.

And for the love of Jane Jacobs, stop listening to bad business and building owners complain about parking. You know, the ones who don’t invest in their space, don’t have a marketing budget, don’t have a business plan and also park in front of their shop.

A successful city, like a successful business, doesn’t complain about access, it builds something worth accessing.

So rest your fingers, brave keyboard warrior. Step away from the antique doll shop owner with a theory. Stop chasing more spaces and start creating places.

Because the great cities? The ones everyone flocks to? They don’t have parking problems. They have people problems, too many of them. Because they got the formula right:

Pretty streets + high standards + inviting spaces = no one cares where they parked.

Redevelopment, Opportunities and CRA’s … Oh My!
Revitalize, or Die. Florida Main Street Main Street Now Conference Strong Towns

Mornings on Main Street (Episode 1) Join us for the first episode of the revamped "Mornings on Main Street" podcast with Ocala Main Street! Discover the heart of Ocala's revitalization efforts ...

“Want to get people fired up? Mention the word density. Or worse… urbanism.

Fifty years ago, your town had a hardware store, a shoe store, a book store, a pet store, a grocer, an appliance shop, and they were all locally owned. Those businesses paid local taxes, supported Little League, and sent their kids to school down the block.

And while we were busy chasing growth, we forgot that our original towns already had it right. They were compact. Walkable. Built for people, not cars. Downtowns were places to live, work, meet friends, raise families, and run into your neighbors. There was pride, ownership, and human connection built into the design. Turns out, that wasn’t old-fashioned, that was smart.

The rise of the car and the national chain killed all that. And we didn’t just let it happen, we paved the way. Literally. We subsidized it with new roads, wider intersections, sprawling infrastructure, and zoning codes that banned the very places we used to love.

Want to reverse the damage? Start here

- Density is not the enemy.
- Walkability is not a threat.
- Urbanism is not a dirty word.

These ideas aren’t new or radical. Our grandparents lived them. Our great-grandparents built them. They still work in towns across the nation today. The best cities - those with the most pride, the healthiest economies, the strongest sense of place. they all have one thing in common, good urbanism.

If you want more local businesses, more wealth staying in your town, more community pride, and more tax revenue per acre, you need to build the kind of places where that’s possible. That means density, proximity, and local ownership.

More parking lots won’t save you. Another chain won’t make your town unique. Density won’t kill your town. It might be the only thing that can save it.” - Revitalize, or Die.

Ocala Main Street City of Ocala - Government

One of the three new schools has been awarded and announced. Unfortunately, this school construction was awarded to an out of town construction firm. Hopefully they hire subs and workers local to Marion County so we are using your tax dollars to pay people who buy gas and groceries here locally - supporting our local businesses is critical!

Construction of $130 million high school in south Ocala to begin this fall With site clearing for a new high school in south Ocala tentatively scheduled to begin this fall, a construction management firm contracted by the Marion County School Board for $5.575 million earlier...