TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Business owners in Tallahassee’s Railroad Square fear the land in the area could be sold to a developer, bringing an end to the arts district.
On Thursday night, the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency advanced a proposal that could result in the city of Tallahassee purchasing large portions of Railroad Square.
“It’s on the wrong side of the tracks, and like I said, we’re happy to be there! That’s where we want to be, we want it to thrive, and we want to show it off,” said Terry Galloway, co-founder of the Mickee Faust Club.
WCTV’s capital correspondent Matt Hoffmann spoke with several business owners and other users of the arts district.
Student housing and condos are popping up around Railroad Square. Adam and Lily Kaye say they want to sell. The question is, to whom? Organizers want the city to buy many, if not all, parts of the arts district.
There is no final financing model yet, but both tax and private money will be used.
“If the public sector’s job is to help as many people as possible with as little money as possible, then I think that’s the right thing for everyone,” said Joshua Johnson, president and CEO of 621 Art Gallery.
Johnson thanks a number of organizations and businesses at Railroad Square for their contributions. The list includes the Southern Shakespeare Company, Cap City Video Lounge and many more.
Given the tornado damage this spring and the rising costs of maintaining the district, organizers believe it is impractical to fund an arts district solely with private funds.
“The city has a chance to do something,” said Will Crowley, who raised money for affected businesses after the tornadoes. “And they should take that opportunity instead of passing the buck.”
Mayor Curtis Richardson, who sits on the CRA along with all other members of the city commission, wants to keep the arts district, but he says it’s up to a citizens’ advisory council to tell the government what a partnership should look like.
“They will look at that and decide whether (the advisory board) actually wants the portion that is being recommended for purchase to be purchased and what level of financing should be provided,” Richardson said.
For Richardson, preserving the arts district is a priority.
“Railroad Square is an important arts district for our community and we want to see it preserved and remain an attraction and destination for visitors to our great city,” said the mayor pro tempore.
Johnson understands that some are skeptical about spending taxpayer money on this project, but he believes the proposal comes from a group of artists and other creatives, not an outside group.
“I think it goes deeper than the base,” he said. “I think it’s coming from the aquifer.”
Crowley agrees and believes the city should intervene to save the arts district for the common good.
“That’s what the CRA exists for, to take money and redirect it to community development,” Crowley said. “They’ve definitely supported some businesses that people might not have thought were necessary. But what we’re seeing at Railroad Square is organic.”
Johnson said he believes the owners, Adam and Lily Kaye, will wait for the CRA process to be completed before selling to anyone else. But all the organizers we spoke to acknowledged that selling to a developer would be the easier option for the family.
The Citizens Advisory Committee will meet on September 9, Johnson said. At that time, the committee will move forward, amend or reject the proposal. The committee’s decision, however, is not binding. The CRA has the final say, and it will meet in October.
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