A decade in review, a new wine bar, and a drive-thru dispensary

Tallahassee: A Decade in Development

I decided to write a short blurb on the last decade of development in Tallahassee after the New Year had passed. The idea struck me as I reflected on the last decade of our city's growth. I arrived in Tallahassee eight years ago which, in retrospect, now seems like getting in on the ground floor.

People tell me that things were the same here for a long time. I'm not sure I will ever have the chance to see that Tallahassee -- when I arrived, the city I found was one in constant flux. A city abuzz with half-built wood framed apartment buildings and road projects that brought traffic to a crawl. In my neighborhood alone, I've struggled to to keep track of each new building or major renovation.

So, in recognizance of the last decade, here are eight developments and projects that I feel played an essential part in shaping our city. Happy New Year.

Cascades Park (2014)

Cascades Park has lived a lot of lives. On it, a giant sinkhole fed streams and a waterfall long before the city of Tallahassee was settled. As the city grew and natural features disappeared, Cascades was enveloped and largely forgotten. Some fifty years ago, the idea to build a park on the old Cascades was born. The plan came to life in 2005 when the City began remediation work to remove ground contaminants. Those efforts resulted in a state of the art stormwater management facility and public park in the heart of our city, Cascades Park.

Gaines Street Revitalization (2012)

Bring up Gaines Street on Google street view -- find any random block and dial it back to 2012, then compare the differences. The contrast is mind-boggling. The reconstruction of Gaines Street, like Cascades Park, was a complex planning process spread out over multiple decades. It involved a revitalization plan and committee, a huge transfer of right of way from CSX and FDOT to the City, and over $37.7 million in funds expended for the actual construction. As the project ramped up, private developers began showing interest in the street. A new Hampton Inn was built and Dean Minardi acquired the vacant warehouse that now houses Gaines Street Pies and Catalina Cafe. It also accidentally caused Collegetown.

The Ballard Building (2017)

Any new development in our downtown is a notable one. The Ballard Building replaced an older office building that contributed little to the essence of downtown. In a stunning divergence from the norm, the construction of the Ballard Building evoked no outrage about design or density, or even just for the sake of outrage. The building was built, and people liked it.

The Centre of tallahassee (2014-)

The history of the Centre of Tallahassee is a long and storied one. The dilapidated mall's purchase in 2014 by Alabama-based Blackwater Resources opened a new realm of possibilities for North Tallahassee. The redevelopment of the mall went through rocky phases with construction pausing for extended periods of time. At present, the former mall is well along its way. The renovations are complete and much of the property is leased. Blackwater has secured a Tom Thumb grocery store and a Culver's looking to expand into our market. It is understood that this project was the brainchild of the late founder of Blackwater, Alex Baker. He would not have a chance to see his project to completion -- he passed away in 2017. My gratitude to him and his family.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is unnamed-2.jpg

Whole Foods Center (2013)

Whether we like it or not, Whole Foods is a mandate on where you live. There's an undeniable correlation between the number of Whole Foods and how cool your city is. And we've got one. Small victories. For years, this plaza was an aging strip mall nearing total vacancy. After significant investment into a complete renovation and modernization of the existing buildings, the shopping center has brought businesses back into almost all of the units.

The Gateway Center (2014)

What would the decade be without mention of the seedy side of development? The Gateway Building was born of the days when TIF dollars seemed to grow on trees over shady developers. The building sits at the Northeast corner of our busiest intersection, once the site of an abandoned gas station. Paired with the abandoned gas station across the street, it was not an ideal situation. J.T. Burnette and Chad Kitrell of Hunter and Harp Holdings approached the city offering to build on the lot. The City was interested and agreed to provide $2 million in public funding for the construction of the building. The project reminds me of a story about the early 80s in Miami when real estate boomed off of questionable money. Beats a vacant lot though.

Fallschase Shopping Center (2012)

Fallschase is a vignette of the Tallahassee I have come to appreciate. No one was ever really sure what was going on, but it all worked out in the end. Classic. The full chronology can be had from former Leon County Commissioner Bob Rackleff's written account of the development beginning in 1972. The developer initially wanted to build a planned residential community, of which remnants still exist in the form of built out curbs and graffitied brick walls. The project was put on hold by decades of lawsuits, bankruptcies, and fraud. Eventually a new company, Michigan-based Lormax Stern, purchased the property and built a shopping center that brought in a Bass Pro, CMX, Costco, and an additional Walmart supercenter.

The Green Fence (2011)

This is a simple one. Nine years ago, we allowed a historic building with ties to the civil rights movement to be demolished at 224 South Monroe. There was talk of redevelopment initially, but it never came to fruition. In place of the structure, a simple green fence was erected. Innocent enough. A few weeks of a green fence while the land is readied for its next use or owner could be tolerable. How wrong we were. Nine years later, the embarrassing gap in our downtown's facade remains. If I have to write this again ten years from now, I'm just going to move to Nashville instead. Quote me on it.

AltMed Brings a Drive-thru Dispensary to Town

AltMed, a Florida-based medical marijuana company, plans to open Tallahassee's first drive-thru dispensary under its MÜV brand. The MÜV will backfill a former credit union building at 2711 Blairstone Rd.

New Wine Bar in the Works for Midtown

Plans have been submitted for a "Wine Bar Build Out" project in the back unit of the shopping center at 1216 N Monroe St. The space formerly housed Hair of the Dog, and before that, Parlay Sports Bar. A reliable hospitality source relayed to me that a former IL Lusso sommelier is behind the new concept.

Medical Building Slated for Former PDQ Site

Tallahassee had supposedly lined up a PDQ. The fast casual chain announced plans to open their first Tallahassee location at 3446 Thomasville Rd, previously the site of a BP gas station. The plans fizzled without much explanation and the project went dark. In the aftermath, the property owners have applied for a permit to construct a new medical office building onsite. Any future PDQ will need to find a new nest.

1517 Jackson Street Development Halted

A proposed housing development is on hold after city staff determined it exceeded the parcel's maximum allowable density. The developer submitted plans to subdivide the parcel, demolish the existing structure, and construct 4 three-story townhomes. Levy Park residents raised concerns with planning staff immediately after the project was announced. In turn, planning staff determined only two homes could be built on the subdivided parcels and that the project could not go forward.