COLLEGE TOWN, FL — Hotel Indigo Tallahassee is now open in College Town, marking the latest sign of rapid development and economic growth in the neighborhood.
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Developers say they are turning College Town into a destination that goes beyond game days. The area has seen continuous expansion, growing from warehouses and abandoned buildings to a bustling district.
Alan Hooper is a developer and co-founder of Urban Street Development.
"Since I started on College Town that many years ago, College Town has changed for the better," Hooper said.
"College Town was the catalyst for everything. We came in and built it in phases over three phases from when College Town started in 2012...2011 was phase one, until now. Tallahassee is now matured into a real city. It’s got a lot more action," Hooper said.
Leon County Commission Chairman Christian Caban says investments in the area are helping neighbors.
"I remember when this entire street was warehouses and abandoned buildings," Caban said.
"What happened here was we invested in this Gaines Street corridor with our public sales tax dollar, changed the landscape, changed the infrastructure, and then you saw, boom, it was one thing after another. It started with College Town — phase 1, 2 and 3. We got the stadium center, and now look, you know, we have folks walking up and down the sidewalks, beautiful sidewalks, retail shops, restaurant, smoothie places. This is what makes a good quality of life for folks that live in this area," Caban said.
For businesses that have been in the area for decades, like Phaze One skate shop, the change is hard to miss. Taylor Passetti is the owner of the shop.
"We’re really hoping we don’t get pushed out by all the developers and, you know, all the nonsense that’s going on, you know, but we appreciate the growth," Passetti said.
Developers say other organizations in College Town are looking to build as well.
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