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The Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority (TDIA) authorizing legislation was created by an act of the Florida legislature in 1971, as a special assessment district. The mission of the TDIA is to promote downtown Tallahassee as a place for business and entertainment. The TDIA was created as a special assessment district by authorizing legislation passed by the Florida Legislature (chapters 71-935 and 91-394, codified as Chapter 2003-356, Laws of Florida). The district's boundaries are Tennessee Street on the north, Gadsden Street on the East, Jefferson Street on the south, and Bronough Street on the west. A board of directors appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City of Tallahassee Commission governs the TDIA. Board members must be property owners and tax payers within the TDIA district.

C.K. Steele Plaza is named for the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church who led the city bus boycott in 1956 that integrated city buses. He would go on to be a lieutenant of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., as a vice president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The plaza served as a bus terminal for TalTran.

To accomplish its goals, the TDIA assists in creating reports and surveys about the downtown area which have led to a variety of projects and programs relating to parking, pedestrian accommodations, business, and recreational opportunties. Over the years the TDIA has also created events to promote the downtown area. Some, such as the Downtown Market and the Winter Festival, continue to this day. The TDIA also promotes the beautification of the downtown district through new banners and other aesthetic programs. TDIA also participates in commemorative events such as the celebration of the Florida A&M University Marching Band participating in the Bastille Day Bicentennial.