Growth: Southwood

[tallysw]

Grove Park Drive, the street that circles Central Park Lake, is under construction. This will supply the missing link to complete the circle around the lake.

[Florida]

Welcome to UrbanPlanet-Tallahassee TallySW!

[TD]

I was cruizin through soufwood today, they have done a lot! it looks nearly complete!

[Florida]

Southwood has at least 10 more years of construction left!! But I guess its good they are keeping it neat.

[tallysw]

Another office building is about to commence construction in SouthWood. It is on the lot immediately south of Wakulla Bank and east of CVS. According to the sign it will be for Capital Regional Medical Center, Family Practice. It will also be a medical office building with offices for rent. It is being constructed by Sperry. It will front on Hillbrooke Trail and be located between Coolidge Court and Esplanade Way. It is to open in late 2006 (dream on).

[Glenn]

Thanks for the update & info tallysw & a belated Welcome to Urban Planet-Tallahassee!!!

I drove right past the area you mention just the other day while going to check out the progress of the new SE Corporate Credit Union Services headquarters building being constructed down at the end of the cul-de-sac. I had recently thought to myself that a Patient's First, or something similar, should build a clinic in the area & now you post this news.

Correct me if I'm wrong but won't this be a new venture for Capital Regional Medical Center?

I'm not aware of any other walk-in clinics/offices they own or are affiliated with. Glad to hear they're being progressive though.

[Florida]

I'm also happy to see Capital Regional building clinics, hopefully the medical providers will evenutally make it to the sides of town that need them most.

I don't know, but its something about Sperry Construction that gives me fear. I don't mind it much when they're building in the woods like where Turbocor is, because you can't see the Metal material they use on the outside of most of their buildings, but this seems to be a very high profile location at Southwood. I just hope they've excluded their normal building material.

[tallysw]

The architectural rendering on the sign of the newCapital Regional Medical Center office in SouthWood shows a very nice building, possibly with brick and wood siding. It shows late 2006 as a completion date (dream on).

A design/furniture store in SouthWood Town Center is nearing an opening. Furniture is being moved in.

[thetoolman]

The newest section of the neighborhood, called Woodland Fields, is now being sold.

It is north of the Blairstone entrance, and the end of Four Oaks. It looks like it will span all the way to Mossy Creek on the east, just north of the 6th hole on the golf course. Looks to be 118 lots, all Arvida-built (no custom/retail lots).

The north side is bordered by the Orange Avenue extension.

[Florida]

Good find toolman. Any word on where these homes will start price wise?

The architectural rendering on the sign of the newCapital Regional Medical Center office in SouthWood shows a very nice building, possibly with brick and wood siding. It shows late 2006 as a completion date (dream on).

A design/furniture store in SouthWood Town Center is nearing an opening. Furniture is being moved in.

TallySW,

How can we get our eyes on this new rendering? I haven't seen it.

[Glenn]

Toolman, Thanks so much for sharing the news of the new section being developed in SouthWood! I noticed them clearing on the North end of Mossy Creek yesterday & then today I noticed clearing all along the North side of Twain just beyond the golf course. I assume this is the area shown in the drawing you shared with us.

I've also noticed that surveyors have been very active recently at the North end of Biltmore, SouthWood Plantation Rd & Duxberry. Also seen a lot of trucks driving around up in the area where the fire ant research project is located. The professor has published a book about all his studies on fire ants so I wonder if that means his research is complete & this area is getting ready to be developed as well?

As far as the next area of custom homes to be developed, St Joe development staff members are telling me that an area between Mossy Creek & Four Oaks Blvd & to the South of Twain will be starting soon & there will be no St Joe/Arvida homes in this particular new section.

The new Furniture store in Town Center is now open for business but I haven't been in to check it out yet.

The new walk-in clinic being built by the CVS has major site prep going on. I noticed earlier today that some curbing is already in.

Progress on the new SE Credit Union Services building is moving along quite nicely.

Leon County School Board has approved a new Elementary School for the SouthWood area. Opening is projected for the 2008/2009 school year. I've heard conflicting info on exactly where it will be located but what I've mainly heard is that it will be somewhere along or near the new Orange Avenue extension.

White Fence Farms-Red Hills model home opens June 10th! I will post more info on it over in the other thread.

[Florida]

That was a good detailed update Glenn! Thanks there buddy!

[Sandman]

The area that St. Joe designated for the elementary school was by Florida High along Tower Road. St. Joe offered them this land in the very beginning. This may have changed the location due to the demographics of the area now, but the original concept was for the new elementary school to be in the educational corridor.

[thetoolman]

There has also been a great deal of framing progress on the new Epoch apartments at the NE corner of Cap Circle and Blairstone. Looks like some will be 2 stories, and some 3 stories, with a nice community center right at the corner.

[insituphoto]

Southwood needs a couple hotels soon... one suites-style... one business class. One mid-range.

[Glenn]

A development group from South Florida has previously announced they were going to build a Holiday Inn-Express at the SW corner of Capital Circle & Blairstone.

A developer friend of mine said another group from Central Florida was considering a Marriott affiliated hotel, such as a Fairfield, in the area of Capital Circle & Tram Road but nothing was firm yet.

As the Capital Circle widening gets closer to completion, SouthWood continues to grow & the new Southside development gets in gear we probably will see a hotel or two in this area over the next few years.

[insituphoto]

A development group from South Florida has previously announced they were going to build a Holiday Inn-Express at the SW corner of Capital Circle & Blairstone.

A developer friend of mine said another group from Central Florida was considering a Marriott affiliated hotel, such as a Fairfield, in the area of Capital Circle & Tram Road but nothing was firm yet.

As the Capital Circle widening gets closer to completion, SouthWood continues to grow & the new Southside development gets in gear we probably will see a hotel or two in this area over the next few years.

Well, I know two or three hotels were proposed as part of the St. Joe "Southside" project along Tram Road... but that seemed YEARS off... I'm suggesting something within the next year or two.

[Florida]

I say all new hotel rooms need to be downtown. We could sure use a few more buildings down there and they can always travel out to the various parts of the ciyt.

[seminole]

I say all new hotel rooms need to be downtown. We could sure use a few more buildings down there and they can always travel out to the various parts of the ciyt.

It is encouraging to finally see some development in West and South Tallahassee and I hope to see a lot more.

But I agree with you TaureanJ, we do need to see more buildings downtown. Hopefully, Tallahassee will see the much needed Convention Center Hotel that Mayor Marks is trying so desperately to bring to this region. But I want to see corporate and financial centers downtown also. Okay, I know I'm living in a fantasy world, but I'm tired of hearing excuses that some of the local projects are slow to break ground due to higher labor and material costs. Especially when all the major metropolitan areas (Tampa, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, and Orlando) are blossoming with new development projects in their urban core. Need I mention the 50+ story Trump Tower in Tampa, a new 70-story development in the works in downtown Jacksonville, and a huge new performing arts center in Orlando. And these are only one of many projects that are current undergoing construction in their downtowns.

I realize Tallahassee is not at the caliber of a Tampa or Jacksonville, but we should at least be able to break ground on a 16 or 19 story Civic Center Hotel. I had the opportunity to visit each of Florida's major cities during the past year and these cities are moving ahead. Even the Fort Myers-Cape Coral metro area has now surpassed Tallahassee, while we waste decades in studying sector plans. I know progress takes time, but Tallahassee is too stagnant.

[Florida]

I agree with alot of what you're saying Seminole. There are different factors driving growth throughout our state. Tallahassee is at a disadvantage compared to those other cities you mentioned, namely due to our lower metro population which is a direct product of our isolation, and our distance from the water and the lack of theme parks and major entertainment venues as tourist attractions.

I agree with your desire to see more projects in our urban core, but I wouldn't say we're stagnant. You've pointed out some of the "usual suspects" in our state that are moving ahead, but Tallahassee is right there with them. Our growth may not be the strongest, but it is likely the most steady of the bunch, and I think that steady pace will win the race in the end. Compared to where we were a few years ago when there were namely 5 tall buildings downtown, we've added 3, now we're on the verge of getting our performing arts center in addition to that hotel you mentioned along with some other projects that are being redesigned.

Be patient, good things will come.

[poonther]

I understand what you are saying seminole. I too believe that we study and think about things here way too much. Now I'm not advocating that we slap things together and put them up in an instant, but there needs to be more of a timely way in which things are handled. Sometimes I think things are dragged down here too by the "good ole boy system." You know, "my diddy has lived here all his life and owns this property and you ain't gettin' it," type of thing. For such an educated city, we can still be quite provincial in our thinking. The other cities you've listed have shed that type of thing. It amazes me how many people are against the redevelopment of Gaines and that making it two-way was a bad idea. When I hear folks say that, I can't even rebuttal it w/a polite answer, so I just nicely walk away.

Also I too am glad to see development start occurring all over the city. The south and west sides have lagged behind long enough. While the Northeast is a great part of town, it's not the only jewel in our crown.

However if you are gonna compare Tally to other cities, you can't really compare us to the big 4 (South FL, Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jax) b/c they have pops ranging from almost 6 million to 1 million. Even Ft. Myers that you mentioned (a metro area that I don't like at all) now has a pop. of .5 million and if they combine it w/Naples which I'm sure in the next 5 years they will, that area will be approaching 1 million. When comparing Tally to other cities, I tend to look at those in our pop. range and nearest us. I usually use P'cola, Montgomery, Columbus, Macon, Gainesville, Ocala and sometimes Ft. Pierce (although they are just becoming a bedroom community to WPB for those can't afford PBC or don't' want to live there.) Anyway if you compare us to those cities, we are one of the pack leaders, have one of the most beautiful cities, a fast to faster growing downtown and a much more accepting and diverse population. What I really want us to get is more businesses moving here like Tuborcor. That to me is one of our greatest needs.

[SkyDave]

Cities with great downtowns are usually cities which are business oriented. As Tallahassee grows, we should start to see more businesses expanding and/or moving into the area. In the short term, we need to be aggressively recruiting 2-4 corporate headquarters looking to relocate to Florida. Those relocations would take Tallahassee to the next level. Finally. IMO the city. county and state governments have to be aligned, otherwise, these businesses will end up relocating to one of the Big 4 metros as has been the case in the past.

[seminole]

Thanks, and I am aware and in agreement with all of your comments. SkyDave, to expound on your remarks - I do feel that our local governments are the primary reason why Tallahassee is not at the same level (in terms of economic diversity) as the other 4 big metros. I am speaking in terms of innovative technology and corporate development, not population and urban sprawl. Tallahassee has fostered State government for so long that it has proven detrimental to diversifying our economy. Our economy is stable, but it has remained "stagnant". The downtown regulations (i.e. CCPD, height restrictions, etc.) were implemented to foster to the development of State government and a "small town" atmosphere in the downtown, but a large percentage of the government jobs located away from the urban core anyway.

I do like "most of" the current members of our City Commission, but frankly, I wish we could do away with the County Commission which is all talk and no action.

If the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is correct by stating that Tallahassee is ranked "among the top 20 cities across the nation in new construction projects" then it must be a reflection of new housing, because it sure isn't being reflected in our Downtown - not even with the new downtown projects. But I do agree that progress is happening, I just prefer to see it demonstrated with a new "skyline" rather than just on paper.

[poonther]

^ I had no idea the FDIC ranked us so high...cool news.

Seminole, I think many of us here on UP/Tally would agree w/you about the county commission.

Look HERE at this thread on City/County Consolidation that T-man started to read some our past opinions.

If we can't consolidate governments, at least this year we'll have a chance to change up the County Commission pretty good. Thaell, Rackleff and Proctor are running for re-election while Grippa and Winchester won't be returning. So at least 2 seats will have new people in them and I think the race for District 5 which includes my home in downtown and also the Southwood community (I believe....just trying to connect this to the thread topic) will be a tight one. I'm a two time voter for Rackleff and based on several things including nay votes for Turbocor and Fallschase, I won't be voting again for him.

[stjoe]

"Thanks, and I am aware and in agreement with all of your comments. SkyDave, to expound on your remarks - I do feel that our local governments are the primary reason why Tallahassee is not at the same level (in terms of economic diversity) as the other 4 big metros. I am speaking in terms of innovative technology and corporate development, not population and urban sprawl. Tallahassee has fostered State government for so long that it has proven detrimental to diversifying our economy. Our economy is stable, but it has remained "stagnant". The downtown regulations (i.e. CCPD, height restrictions, etc.) were implemented to foster to the development of State government and a "small town" atmosphere in the downtown, but a large percentage of the government jobs located away from the urban core anyway. "

Well said.

COT economy is stagnant. The area has relied on a dying industry in state govt. State govt is GREAT when it is a role player...but when it is your only player it is BAD.

COT does have higher ed, but not one of them is an AAU research university so there isn't as much money and the area doesn't do well working with them anyway.

COT just doesn't know how to bring in high paying jobs. Folks here often speak as if the buildings will come first then the jobs. It just won't work like that...at least not the level of buildings many desire.