The Frenchtown Neighborhood First Plan, a resident-led effort several years in the making, is approved. At its July 1 board meeting, the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) allocated $6.4 million for implementation of the multi-year plan with three pillars designed for moving Frenchtown forward: Preserve Neighborhood Character, Transform Community and Empower Residents.

The Frenchtown Neighborhood First Plan was developed by the Frenchtown Community Action Team (CAT) using the City of Tallahassee’s Neighborhood First planning process. The plan addresses six key neighborhood priority areas: Housing, Economic Development and Community Reinvestment, Neighborhood Safety and Crime Prevention, Health and Resident Empowerment, Placemaking and Neighborhood Image, and Land Use and Transportation.

Throughout the process, the Frenchtown CAT, with support from the City’s Neighborhood Affairs division, offered a variety of opportunities for input, including direct community outreach at the Frenchtown Farmers Market and pop-up food distribution sites. In-person and virtual informational sessions were held, and outreach was also conducted via email, social media and mailers. More than 140 residents and stakeholders provided feedback on the draft plan. All survey respondents ranked housing as the most important priority area, followed by neighborhood safety and crime prevention.

Implementation of the plan will take several years, and the plan has a five-year planning horizon. The CAT prioritized every action item within the plan into four categories: Low-hanging Fruit, Short-term, Intermediate and Long-term. Examples of efforts included in the initial spending plan are improvements to Carter Howell Strong Park, a feasibility study that addresses neighborhood-wide traffic/pedestrian/bike mobility concerns and restorative justice programming.

The CAT will meet regularly to guide implementation and will periodically assess the plan for opportunities to add new ideas and reprioritize projects.

To support the plan’s long-term implementation, the Frenchtown CAT will continue to seek funding from multiple sources.

Members of the CAT will also continue their engagement with neighbors, the City and various community partners and stakeholders to help Frenchtown be a thriving community that provides opportunities for generations to come. Frenchtown has many assets; one of its greatest is its people. Together, they are moving Frenchtown forward.

Read the plan and learn more at Talgov.com/Frenchtown.