Neighborhood First is a neighborhood-led planning initiative that provides a structure for residents to engage in leadership roles and focused working groups to develop a strategic neighborhood plan that serves as a blueprint for community revitalization. Residents, organized through Community Action Teams and focused working groups (Priority Area Teams), identity neighborhood priorities, concerns, strategies and action steps, potential partners and provide leadership for implementation of these plans. The process, staffed by the City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division, is designed to engage multiple partners to help realize the community's vision.

Currently, the City is working in different phases of the planning process with neighborhoods targeted through the Neighborhood Public Safety Initiative. City staff are engaged with five neighborhoods in various stages of the Neighborhood First planning initiative: Greater Bond, Griffin Heights, Frenchtown, Providence and South City.

More information on these plans can be found by visiting the links below.

In This Section

Collaborative Microenterprise Development Program – Frenchtown, Greater Bond & Griffin Heights

The Neighborhood First communities of Frenchtown, Greater Bond and Griffin Heights have agreed to work together to develop a collaborative microfinance program. Each of their respective Neighborhood First Plans identify economic development as a top priority. The Plans also emphasize forming partnerships with local educational institutions, workforce development organizations, economic development entities, and similar like-minded stakeholders. To support these goals, the City of Tallahassee and Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) have collectively provided more than $900,000 to Community Action Teams in Frenchtown, Greater Bond and Griffin Heights. Each neighborhood’s specific economic development funding allocation will stay invested within that corresponding neighborhood’s boundaries.

Visit each link for related Economic Development Strategies and Action Items from the current Neighborhood First Plans:

• Frenchtown
• Greater Bond
• Griffin Heights

The goal of this effort is to develop a microenterprise program that meets the specific needs expressed in the Neighborhood First plans. Through workshops and working committee meetings, neighborhood leaders and residents will work with Neighborhood Affairs staff to define the specific components within their desired microenterprise program. Once the scope of the microenterprise program has been defined, the City will issue a RFP to recruit a single entity with the breadth and depth of knowledge to administer a program that balances meeting each of the communities’ needs with sound financial stewardship. For more information, contact Jana Williams with the City’s Neighborhood Affairs division at 850-933-7953 or jana.williams@talgov.com.

View the11/05 Workshop Summary Report

Greater Bond Neighborhood First Plan

The Greater Bond Neighborhood First Plan was adopted by the Greater Bond Neighborhood Association on September 24, 2018. On December 13, 2018, the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to fund the plan to the tune of $6.4 Million, with an initial funding of $500,000 and a commitment of an additional $5.9 million over the next three years. The initial $500,000 funding has been allocated to the following projects:

• Development and Construction of a Linear Park
• Residential Housing Façade Program
• Enhancements at Speed-Spencer-Stephens Park
• Engagement Around Community Infrastructure

The Greater Bond Neighborhood First Plan addresses the neighborhood’s top priorities and concerns: Community Beautification, Land Use, Economic Development and Resident Empowerment, and Neighborhood Safety & Crime Prevention. The plan identifies strategies and action items to address residents’ concerns within these four priority areas and its exclusive focus is to make the Greater Bond Neighborhood a better place to live, work, and play. It is the culminative work of a yearlong collaborative process led by the neighborhood association’s community action team, residents, various interested stakeholders and supported by the City of Tallahassee.

For additional information or questions, please Neighborhood Affairs Division at 850-891-8795 or neighborhoods@talgov.com.

Plan Updates & Feedback

Since 2018, 70% of the action items from the Greater Bond Neighborhood First Plan have been implemented i.e. completed, initiated with action needed or are ongoing. In 2022, an evaluation of the plan was done, and a survey conducted to determine the status of action items from the plan. The feedback gathered from the survey will be used to inform further implementation of the Greater Bond Neighborhood First Plan and shape future funding decisions. Of the $6.4 million original allocation, $2,134,040 remains unallocated.

Prioity Area Updates

• Community Beautification
  • Greater Bond Neighborhood Linear Park
• Land Use
• Neighborhood Boundary designation – After extensive engagement with neighborhood leaders, on June 16, 2021, the City Commission approved Ordinance #21-Z-13. The adopted ordinance rezoned portions the Greater Bond Neighborhood from Residential Preservation-2 (RP-2) to Neighborhood Boundary-1 (NB-1) zoning district. Planning Commissioners, the City Commission unanimously approved the ordinance.
• Economic Development & Resident Empowerment
• First-time Homebuyer's Workshop
• Expungement Day
• Neighborhood Safety & Crime Prevention
• Greater Bond COPPS Recognition
• Lunch, Listen & Learn
• Faith Leaders Luncheon
• Bond Elementary School Fall Festival

Upcoming Events

• None

Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan

Work is underway to implement the adopted Griffin Heights Neighborhood First plan!

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, the City of Tallahassee hosted a community meeting to gather final input on a spending plan for the $2 million allocated by the Tallahassee City Commission for the continued implementation of the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan. Community input gathered will help ensure the spending plan reflects the needs and vision of the neighborhood.

Through a multiyear process, neighborhood residents and community stakeholders have worked with the City to develop a strategic plan for the Griffin Heights community. The plan outlines a thoughtful vision for the neighborhood and captures the sentiment of a slogan that motivated the work – "Don’t move, Improve."

The Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan was adopted by the neighborhood association in October 2020. Following a presentation to the City Commission, the plan was formally adopted in September 2021. You can view the plan via the link below.

For more information, contact the City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division at 850-891-8795 or Neighborhoods@Talgov.com.

View the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan.

Alabama Street Store

In line with the City of Tallahassee’s Strategic Plan goals to enhance economic opportunities and access to fresh food sources within the community, progress is underway to reinvigorate 1309 Alabama Street in the Griffin Heights neighborhood.

The site – formerly Bennett Store and the All In Supermarket – was purchased by the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) in 2019. OEV, subsequently, transferred ownership of the property to the City for use as a healthy food store within Griffin Heights. This effort supports goals outlined by residents in the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan.

Funding

The City of Tallahassee has allocated $1,005,000 through the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan to fund construction of a new store on the site.

Schedule

Architects Lewis + Whitlock (ALW) is the contracted architectural firm for the project. ALW has completed an evaluation of the building and site and recommended that the building be demolished (view the Building/Site Study). Subsequently, a new building will be constructed on site. Prep work for demolition is slated to start late July 2023, and the building should be down by mid-August 2023.

Community Input

As design of the new building takes shape, your input is critical to the process. A community meeting was held on July 11, where residents provided feedback. If you were unable to attend and would like to provide feedback on this project, a brief survey regarding the proposed store is available. The architects will use this input from residents as they work on the design for the new store.

John G. Riley Park Enhancements Project

Improvement is a cornerstone of the resident-driven Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan, which is a program funded by the City of Tallahassee. In line with the plan, $122,500 has been allocated for improvements to John G. Riley Park.

Riley Park is situated on 4.8 acres between Indiana and Alabama streets to the north and south and Calloway and Connecticut streets to the east and west. The park was designed as a passive park, providing trails and a few benches for residents to enjoy the nature of the area. Vehicle parking options at the park are sparce. Over the years, residents have worked with the City of Tallahassee Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department to add picnic benches and a concrete platform with electric access for performances. As noted in the Griffin Heights Neighborhood First Plan, residents want Riley Park to serve as a vibrant community gathering space with more park amenities. Both the hilly topography and a functional wetland in the southeast corner of the park, however, present challenges that must be considered when designing park enhancements.

A working group for John G. Riley Park enhancements was established at the Tuesday, July 25 community input meeting. Information about future public meetings for Riley Park enhancements will be posted as the project progresses.

For more information about the project, please contact the City's Neighborhood Affairs division at 850-891-8795.

Frenchtown Neighborhood First Plan

The Frenchtown Neighborhood First planning process kicked off on January 16, 2020 with a Community Open House meeting at the Lincoln Neighborhood Center, 438 West Brevard Street, in the heart of Frenchtown (map). The meeting, attended by over 80 people, gave residents an opportunity to provide input and ideas on the neighborhood’s priorities.

Leading the process is the Frenchtown Community Action Team (CAT), which provides oversight and facilitates residents input in the process. The CAT is made up of a diverse group of neighborhood residents and community stakeholders. Under the guidance of the CAT, three Priority Area Teams were formed to address the six neighborhood priorities listed below.

• Neighborhood Safety & Crime Prevention
• Health & Resident Empowerment
• Economic Development & Community Investment
• Housing
• Land Use & Transportation
• Placemaking & Neighborhood Image

View the final Frenchtown Neighborhood First Plan

Providence Neighborhood First Plan

The Providence neighborhood is located in the southwest quadrant of the City of Tallahassee and is bounded by the CSX railroad lines on the north, Iamonia and Hillsborough Streets on the west, Levy Avenue and Hutchinson Avenue on the south and Lake Bradford Road on the east. The neighborhood is comprised of two separate subdivisions: Hutchinson Heights south of Levy Avenue and Bloxham Heights north of Levy Avenue. The neighborhood is close to Florida State University (FSU), Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), FSU/FAMU School of Engineering, FSU’s Alumni Village and Innovation Park.

In early 2020, the Providence Neighborhood Association (PNA), in partnership with the City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division and the Florida State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning (FSU DURP), launched an effort to refresh/update its 2003 Providence Neighborhood Renaissance Plan. The update to the Providence Neighborhood Renaissance Plan will be conducted through the City’s Neighborhood First planning process, which provides for broad-based community participation involving neighborhood residents and community stakeholders. Neighborhood First is a strategic neighborhood planning initiative that is offered to neighborhoods participating in the Neighborhood Public Safety Initiative to address their top priorities. On February 17, 2020, a Community Conversation meeting was held to inform residents and stakeholders about the process and to obtain their initial input on current neighborhood concerns. The plan refresh process was put on hold.

Since then, City staff has been working with PNA to cultivate three neighborhood infrastructure projects, one being the Heart of the Hills Placemaking project that was funded for $275,000 in March 2021. This project is currently underway.

Now, Providence is on the move again! In continued partnership; PNA, City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division, and FSU DURP are forging ahead with the planning efforts that were interrupted by the pandemic in 2020.

The Providence neighborhood plan "refresh" will focus on the following priority areas:

• Community Engagement & Empowerment
• Public Safety & Wellness
• Human Capital & Economic Development
• Neighborhood Infrastructure
• Affordable Housing

This collaborative effort was completed earlier this year resulting in an Implementation Strategy Report and a Completion Matrix Update Report - these can be viewed below. The Neighborhood Affairs Division continues to work closely with PNA to prioritize projects from the refreshed plan for implementation.

Plan Updates and Feedback (PDF)

• Providence Neighborhood Plan Refresh: Implementation Strategy Report
• Providence Neighborhood Plan Refresh: Completion Matrix Update Report
• Providence Neighborhood Survey
• Neighborhood First Planning Process
• Providence Neighborhood First Plan Commitment Form