UPDATE JANUARY 6, 2024:
Leadership with the Railroad Square Art District tell ABC 27 the apartment development that had been discussed in 2023 is no longer moving forward.
Meanwhile, leaders remind everyone the monthly First Friday events continue rain or shine despite road construction in the area. This is a great way to engage with your community and support the creative, local micro businesses in the Art District.
ORIGINAL STORY:
- An apartment development proposed at Railroad Square in 2023 is still in the pre-application process, despite some business owners telling me they thought it was dead.
- The project would require the demolition of several buildings within the district that would affect dozens of businesses.
- Watch now to hear from two business owners who describe what it's like to operate with a vague future.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
As 2024 rings in its First Friday of the new year, an uneasy future hangs over the head of businesses at Railroad Square.
I'm Alberto Camargo, your College Town neighborhood reporter.
While working on my story of redevelopment in College Town this week, I noticed this apartment project at Railroad Square.
I'm digging into where this project stands and what it means for this beloved Tallahassee spot.
It first popped up on the neighborhood radar last year.
A pair of four-story apartment buildings and a parking garage - known as The Residence Halls - would replace several of the businesses you see here.
I asked several shop owners at Railroad Square.
Some said they thought the project was dead.
Talquin Trading Company owner Gregg Pla says it's like being in a state of limbo.
"The last I heard about any possible future development was that everything was kind of paused and on hold and there was no immediate threat."
Bryant Shaw tells me many of the business in the square are on month-to-month leases. like his Halisi Africa.
Five years of serving customers at Railroad Square, yet...
"It is nervewracking. We've had some months where things were kind of up in the air and it's been very nervous for us to be here."
I called Railroad Square ownership to see where the project stands, but did not hear back.
Early last year, they responded to a post on Reddit saying this:
"For years, we have been exploring a variety of possibilities for the long-term future of Railroad Square as a creative, mixed-use district, and this is simply another part of that exploratory process."
As of December 2023, it's still in a pre-application stage.
For now, it's business as usual.
Prepping for First Friday, a crucial day at the square.
"It's definitely a boost for the month, for sure. Our sales will increase probably 40 percent as compared to a normal Friday."
Gregg tells me if redevelopment is approved, businesses would have at least one year to figure out their futures.
In College Town, I'm Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
