During the 1980s, Havana began reshaping its downtown identity. The shift started in 1983, when an antiques dealer opened a shop on Main Street and soon drew other antique and art businesses into the town's vacant historic buildings. Within a few years, the small community had earned a reputation as a regional destination for antiques and the arts, attracting collectors and day-trippers from Tallahassee and neighboring towns. The movement revived long-neglected storefronts and reenergized the town center—what one account called “a heartwarming tale of a town reinventing itself and rising from the ashes.” The momentum eventually stalled during the Great Recession of the late 2000s, when many businesses closed or downsized. By the mid-2010s, local leaders were working to create a more coordinated plan to preserve Havana's downtown character and strengthen its economy.