http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2016/04/09/neighbors-fighting-familiar-battle-gaines-street/82768730/
The story has become a familiar one on Gaines Street.
Developers, looking to capitalize on public investments to revitalize the former industrial corridor, buy up land along the stretch and build luxury student housing. Often, developers get an earful from neighbors who for years have enjoyed quiet, undeveloped land just steps from downtown.
So far, the Stadium Overlook project is going according to the script.
Details are still being hashed out, but North Carolina-based Zimmer Development Company plans to build a "first-class" student housing complex just south of Gaines Street. The 12-acre funnel-shaped property narrows just north of Lake Elberta and fans out as it extends north, from Lake Bradford Road, behind Bob's Auto Repair, to just east of the Gaines Street roundabout.
The plans are contingent on the city of Tallahassee selling Zimmer an odd, nearly 2.5-acre, checkmark-shaped swath of land near the development's south end. In return, Zimmer will pay to extend and pave the St. Marks Trail to the city's specifications north to Florida State University campus. That plan, along with the city's FAMU Way Extension and Blueprint 2000's Capital Cascades Trail projects, would stretch the trail from where it now ends at Gamble and Stearns streets.
But an eclectic group of condominium owners, including artists, musicians, tinkerers and former Leon County Commissioner Cliff Thaell, oppose the land sale. Stadium Overlook would be built just feet from their homes and would result in the destruction of wooded terrain they've enjoyed for years.
“I didn’t invest in this because I wanted to make money,” said condo resident Jerrie Lindsey. “We wanted to build community in a place that didn’t have it.”
1200 Stearns St.
The condos at 1200 Stearns St., formerly housing for the Elberta Crate Factory, are located in a secluded part of the Stearns-Mosley neighborhood.Stearns Street, a winding two-way road only wide enough for one car, is a short jog south of Gaines Street off Stone Valley Way. It's lined by modest homes and colossal oak trees, a sharp contrast to the neat sidewalks and shiny student apartments directly to the north.
It's a sort of funky, bohemian oasis. Residents' backyards open up to an unfinished path, where walkers find their way downtown and dirt bikers zoom back and forth. From their patios, they can see a picturesque view of Lake Elberta.
The city, residents say, should give their request consideration because for the last decade they've poured sweat equity into the development, part of their own homespun form of community building.
They've renovated the former apartment complex, which was riddled with violence, drug use and prostitution. The former owner, they say, was shot at by residents. Since buying the 28-unit complex in 2007, they've fixed up their individual units and restored the dilapidated former juke joint called the African Breeze, a spot where jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley once performed. With the help of the Community Redevelopment Agency, it's now a space for community events.
The residents also have concerns over the proposed $45,000 price tag for the property. In 2005, the city bought the land, which was part of a 7.5-acre tract, for $1.8 million. The land was purchased for completion of the St. Marks Trail from the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit that acquires property for public parks.
But Assistant City Manager of Development Services and Economic Vitality Wayne Tedder said the property was appraised at $40,000 because of its odd configuration and public infrastructure encumbrances. It was never, he said, intended to be a park.
Commissioners appeared sympathetic to the neighbors' concerns. At a March city commission meeting, residents made their case, reiterating their love of the landscape. Greg Chelius, of the Trust for Public Land, said most of the organization's land deals end up being parks or trails. However, the group will work with buyers who wish to use part of the land for development as long as its mission of connecting people to land is accomplished. There were no restrictions on what the city could do with the land, Chelius said, because there was no grant funding used to purchase it.
"This would absolutely destroy the character of that neighborhood," said Commissioner Curtis Richardson. "It's just such a pristine area. I would hate to see this type of development ruin what has been accomplished there."
'Agreeable outcome'
The Stadium Overlook development, expected to cost between $40 million and $55 million, will have 10 buildings, a common area, a pool, 600 beds and about 550 parking spaces.Landon Zimmer, the firm's in-house counsel, said they are working with neighbors "to have a first class and agreeable outcome for everybody." Neighbors, the city and Zimmer representatives held a meeting Thursday night.
The firm, Zimmer said, has already tweaked the plan to save more trees, specifically six old growth trees. The trail, they say, will be paved, landscaped and lit. Zimmer said they worked with several sellers in the area to acquire the rest of the land, including some homes. The developer is working with the city to save the homes.
Residents fear the development is already a done deal, but Tedder said there is no official contract to sell the land.
However, the city did enter into a purchase and sale agreement with the company in November to sell the property for $45,000. That contract has been amended twice, as recently as last week. The current closing date is set for May 31, which could be extended, said city Real Estate Manager Judy Donahoe. The contract, the city said, is binding as long as contingencies are met, including a city sign-off of the site plan and City Commission approval. Despite the agreement, Tedder said it's too early to tell whether the sale is a foregone conclusion.
The residents remain hopeful they can reach a compromise with the city and the developer before a contract is inked.
"The City Commission has been very positive and responsive to our concerns since we brought this to their attention," Carrooccio said. "We hope we can work together to achieve a positive outcome."
Half done
Stadium Overlook is more of what we have come to expect in the Gaines Street area, now a student mecca.But that's by design. The aim of Gaines Street's revitalization was to bring development to the area. The property is zoned to compliment FSU and Florida A&M University, both residentially and commercially.
The city, Tedder said, envisions the area will transform from industrial use to urban development.
"The zoning for this property as well as the surrounding properties is intended to provide opportunities for commercial intensities and residential densities that are typical for urban areas," he said.
Development in the Stearns-Mosley neighborhood appears to be closing in from both sides. It's nestled between two burgeoning areas: Gaines Street to the north and the soon-to-be FAMU Way Extension to the south.
"I'm not unilaterally opposed to redevelopment in that area," said Mayor Andrew Gillum during the March commission meeting. "In fact, it is going through that shift right now. What I would be for is us being intentional about what we think it ought to look like. If this is off course of what we think it ought to look like, then I think we can have that conversation. But this is in the urban core and I fully expect that we're going to see redevelopment in the area."
"When you have all those ingredients of a walkable student environment and then you have the infrastructure in place," he said. "then they basically created this opportunity to take the risk."
McIntyre's company alone has already invested $100 million in the corridor. The steady stream of development doesn't appear to be slowing.
"I think we're going to build a lot more," he said. "There's a lot going on on Gaines Street. It's only half done."
No comments:
Post a Comment