Can MLK Avenue see a business rebirth with these improvements?

Ninth Avenue/Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue is the next area Bradenton officials are targeting for future improvements with a goal of increasing economic development opportunities.

The area targeted for streetscaping improvements will be from 14th Street West to Ninth Street East, about a 1.3-mile stretch of roadway that is a tale of two separate communities, each with its own challenges.

Streetscaping can involve a variety of improvements such as pavement resurfacing, crosswalks, improved lighting, sidewalk replacement and additions, improved medians for pedestrian safety, landscaping, public art and more.

Stefanie Kite, of Kite's Corner Pizza/Pasta Grill at the intersection of Ninth Avenue West and 14th Street West said improvements are long overdue.

"I think it's a really good idea to update this neighborhood and gentrify it so to speak, but I think the city is missing out on opportunities with existing business owners," Kite said. "The city always seems to bypass longstanding businesses to renovate vacant parking lots around here that nobody wants to walk through."

Kite said it's the same issue with vehicle traffic.

"We need to get more awareness of the businesses in this area and that's been a struggle because people think this is a bad area and they just want to get through it," she said.

The city does have long-term goals for 14th Street West, but what can help with that, she said, is "interesting landscaping, public art and making people feel this is a safe, comfortable place where people will want to stop and not just pass through in a rush to get to their destination. The city needs to close the gap between the Village of the Arts, the Old Main Street area and this part of the downtown area."

That connection is the city's long-term goal with its $5.6 million streetscaping plan for the downtown area, as well as a pedestrian safety project on Eighth Avenue West. The downtown section of Ninth Avenue West, officials say, is the next step in connecting to the Village of the Arts and creating a more walkable and bicycle-friendly environment.

It's a section of Ninth that is already bustling with activity, but as you travel east, not so much. That's what the city hopes to change. Ninth Avenue East used to have a lot more small businesses and the community would like to see those business opportunities return.

"So what are the opportunities then?" asked Economic Development Director Carl Callahan. "How do we bring it back? The complete street study seems to be the alternative."

During the Central Manatee Network Alternatives Analysis, which studied ways to ease downtown traffic, as well as determine options for a new bridge over the Manatee River, the Florida Department of Transportation included a streetscaping study proposal for MLK. The purpose of the study is to identify opportunities for multi-modal improvements, improve transportation service for all users, close sidewalk gaps, and improve access to homes, businesses and community facilities.

Zachary Burch, FDOT communications manager, said the study proposal was sent to the Manatee-Sarasota Metropolitan Planning Organization for prioritization of funding and was recently approved.

"FDOT will consider this study along with other projects prioritized by the MPO this summer while we update the work program and add to our five-year plan," Burch said.

At the east end of MLK is Jae's Midtown Market, which has been one of the few businesses at that end of the road for the past seven and a half years. Owner Jae Won said the eastern section of MLK "is very different. I'm very local and get a lot of foot traffic from the community, so what the city is proposing can be a good thing or a bad thing. It all depends."

Before moving his business to Bradenton, Won had a similar market on Main Street in Sarasota. The city allowed the relocation of the Salvation Army to downtown and everything changed.

"I got flooded with homeless," he said. "So honestly, it's hard for me to say that making it more appealing to pedestrians can be a good thing. My viewpoint as a businessman in this area is the existing foot traffic in the radius of my store. Pedestrian improvements can be good, but will that be a reason to encourage more homeless?"

Callahan said the project has to provide more than beautification to achieve the desired goal.

"This is a collective effort of what people have been telling us over the years," he said. "Even the improvements we made to make it an attractive corridor didn't have the impact we had hoped. It's an important issue to us. We own a lot of property on that corridor and we are working hard to get new housing and new business there."

Manatee Avenue West into downtown closed during the month of May as crews repaired the CSX Railroad crossing. MLK became the primary detour route. It was a partial test run of FDOT's proposed traffic divergence plan to alleviate congestion on First Street to the Desoto Bridge with the idea to eventually limit access to Manatee and encourage MLK to be the primary entry into downtown.

Part of the plan to intentionally increase traffic on MLK is to attract business development. It's all about traffic count for businesses wanting to set up shop on a busy road. However, both Won and Kite said the increased traffic was noticeable in May, but did nothing to increase business.

Won said intentionally increasing traffic doesn't leave him feeling confident.

"I realize I'm probably the only one saying this about the improvements, but I can see it going either way and it concerns me," he said.