 Mike Pate helped spearhead the Knight Creative Communities Initiative in Tallahassee, which helped pay for renovations at FSU’s Ruby Diamond auditorium. [Photo: Ray Stanyard] |
Two years ago, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation launched a pilot project called the Knight Creative Communities Initiative in Tallahassee and two other cities where the now-defunct Knight Ridder owned newspapers. Tallahassee’s aim: Grow and diversify the local economy, emphasizing innovation and quality of life.
Despite the economic downturn, organizers say they will be continuing and expanding Tallahassee’s program this year. Mike Pate, the Knight Foundation Tallahassee program director who helped spearhead KCCI, talks about its successes and its latest initiative.
- Successful Initiatives: “The Knight Creative Communities Initiative spun off three successful projects that are now exploring ways to sustain themselves into the future. The Tallahassee Film Festival second-year event will be held April 15-19. Knight gave the effort a $60,000, two-year grant to help it get started. We have also given a $160,000, two-year grant to launch Sustainable Tallahassee; its goal is to make Tallahassee a greener community and find ways to build green business, industry and jobs. The third project, Get Gaines Going, is focused on turning Tallahassee’s Gaines Street corridor into an arts and entertainment district. In addition, Knight gave $1 million last year toward renovation of FSU’s Ruby Diamond auditorium and lobby.”
- Key Players: “ ‘Community Catalysts,’ citizens who through a self-nomination process were selected to participate in the KCCI pilot, have come up with the ideas and executed them. Many of these folks were new to economic development efforts and brought freshness and energy to the projects.”
- What’s New: “We are providing a $570,000, five-year grant to establish the Knight Creative Communities Institute at Tallahassee Community College. The institute will be a cornerstone of our work to create a sense of place in the community to attract and retain college graduates and young professionals.”