GreenPointe Holdings is breaking ground on TalisTrails, which some are calling one of the largest developments in Northeast Tallahassee.
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The 900-acre community in the Welaunee “Heel” will include a mix of residential, commercial, industrial, and office space, along with trails and sports courts.
The developer plans to build 1,500 multi- and single-family homes and townhomes to start.
Leon County School Board Member Alva Smith said she sees promise in the project.
"I think it's exciting. I mean, I know development is always controversial…but it brings new housing, hopefully a bit of affordable housing to the area,” she said.
But it also raises questions about whether Leon County needs a new school.
Smith says the developer has dedicated about 25 acres to Leon County Schools, though a clause in the agreement gives the developer first rights to purchase the property back if the school board determines the land is not needed.
She says current enrollment figures suggest the district can absorb new students for now.
“As it stands now, there is capacity in that area for the students that are going to come into that development. Now, there's other developments going on there on Mahan in those school zones, so it's something that we need to keep an eye on as we move forward,” Smith said.
Leon County Schools has until the end of 2028 to decide whether it needs the land for a new school, according to Smith.
On the question of a potential school, Smith said the board is also weighing what to do with underenrolled schools as it considers its options.
But not everyone is enthusiastic about the project.
Scott Hannahs, President of the Centerville Rural Community Association and of Citizens United for Responsible Growth, describes the development as urban sprawl that will harm the area.
"They will need more roads. They will disrupt the existing neighborhoods, and it will cost,” Hannahs said.
Hannahs also raised concerns about the project's impact on wildlife.
While the developer's website states it will follow environmental laws and that “designs will utilize environmentally-friendly elements,” Hannahs says those pledges lack specifics.
"Being sensitive to the environment is great, but it's really not a commitment of anything specific, of saying we will preserve uplands, et cetera,” he said.
The developer says the first phase of residential construction will start in mid-2027.
Right now, work has begun on its main entry, commercial parcel access, and the first 250 homesites.
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