TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — An abandoned property in the heart of Tallahassee's art district is being transformed into an oasis of creativity, innovation and sustainability.
The Freight Yard Project may just be the template for future development in Tallahassee and beyond. A development aimed at the next generation.
"It's hard to find a living option that is sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing and convenient and affordable and this kind of wraps everything into one," said Caroline Menton, a tenant.
The Freight Yard is a mixed-use project in the All Saints neighborhood that has both residential and commercial space. It has 32 living spaces, 12 luxury units that are the dimensions of two shipping containers and 20 micro-units that are actual shipping containers.
The developer says the project is aimed at the next generation of tenants, Millennials and Generation Z, many who want to live in an urban setting, care about climate change and want that addressed in the design of their homes.
"They like a walkable area, they like street art and fast WiFi. So instead of designing a unit that other people might like, we took those traits and designed a unit that they would like," said Paul Bradshaw, Developer of The Freight Yard.
Recent graduate Caroline Menton moves into her new apartment in August. She says it's the perfect balance of living comfortably but also consciously.
Solar panels on the roof keep about 200 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere every day and means renters don't have to pay for utilities and the apartments are all Alexa-enabled.
Bradshaw says he hopes this project inspires others.
"I mean if everybody took old abandoned urban property and they created sustainable projects that were primarily powered by solar energy and they gave people the potential for a walkable lifestyle where they don't need to own a car, I think we'd all be better for it," said Bradshaw.
The Freight Yard is also in tune with the local art community. The walls of the building and stairwells are all painted by local mural artists.
