TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- Tampa city leaders want to give Franklin Street a $6M make-over.
They approved a plan to beautify the downtown stretch of Franklin Street between Jackson and Scott streets.
"I think we need to preserve the past instead of doing away with it," Nana Street Food server Adam Waez said.
"This is Tampa," Central Cafeteria Owner Paula Monfort added. "This is where Tampa started."
From Franklin Street itself to the beautiful Tampa Theatre, if you take a look around you'll still see things that are a century old, and that's the idea.
"Love it," Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada said. "You know, when you talk about the heart and soul of Downtown Tampa, if you look at the archives, this is the place where people would gather."
Now the street is getting a $6M facelift.
The plan includes lights strung overhead, small parks, and artistic crosswalks.
The three-year plan also includes honoring Tampa's history by restoring the brick streets.
"I was so concerned about the bricks," Monfort explained. "They're historical."
"They just make the street better, so I'm so glad they're going to make them look prettier, but we're still going to keep the sign of what Tampa is," she continued.
While Corrada is excited about the investment, he said what matters the most is keeping the history alive.
"I think most cities wish they had that infrastructure still in place and it's all about the experience you have here, the uniqueness," he explained. "I love to say that outside of St. Augustine, Tampa has the most tangible history that you can see and feel."