Growth: Southwood

[Florida]

That would be the memory support center!

[CapeFish]

This is great. You wouldn't believe how excited I was to see TMH opening that clinic at Southwood. It's only 6 miles away from me, so I do most of my shopping at the Publix there. BTW, the Southwood Subway is the best.

I just hope more restaurants come with the increased development. Mom's & Pop's shops are nice, but an Applebee's would be so nice in Southwood.

[Florida]

Just curious Capefish, do you live in Southwood?

Then this: With the coming of the Chick Fil A, rumors of a Target coming, and CapeFish's desire to have an Applebee's at Southwood... is Apalachee Parkway not close enough? I'm not absolutely certain, but I believe 2.5-3 miles seperates this community from the Governor's Square Mall and Apalachee Parkway via Blairstone. I'm very familiar with the drive. It would seem those facilities should still be able to serve Southwood at this point. I just don't think, at this time, there's the critical mass of people in that area to warrant all of these commercial additions. I'm jealous.

How do you all who live in Southwood feel?

[Go Gators]

Just curious Capefish, do you live in Southwood?

Then this: With the coming of the Chick Fil A, rumors of a Target coming, and CapeFish's desire to have an Applebee's at Southwood... is Apalachee Parkway not close enough? I'm not absolutely certain, but I believe 2.5-3 miles seperates this community from the Governor's Square Mall and Apalachee Parkway via Blairstone. I'm very familiar with the drive. It would seem those facilities should still be able to serve Southwood at this point. I just don't think, at this time, there's the critical mass of people in that area to warrant all of these commercial additions. I'm jealous.

How do you all who live in Southwood feel?

[Florida]

I agree with your thoughts of sections. But I truly believe Southwood could be included in the same section of Governor's Square Mall and the Apalachee Parkway area.

Question for you now that you say Tallahassee is small, and things aren't really that far. I'm sure we're talking relative to some other city perhaps. But how do you feel about a person who lives, say, near TCC and has a medical emergency. Would you still say a hospital is close?

[stjoe]

I am not a fan of Applebees at all, so perhaps I am not the one to ask.

When you factor one is nearby anyway, I don't see the point.

I would like to see a higher a higher end restaurant. Maybe a local one, a PF Changs, Cheesecake factory, etc. Something that is not in town already and a bit higher than the typical tally fare.

Just got back from Boulder, Co and they had a ton of high end restaurants with organic type of food and it was great. That said, there is a LOT more money there than in Tally, which is always the constraint. I think whether we talk restaurants or malls, until Tally gets more higher paying jobs, the area will always lack in these areas.

[TD]

I am not a fan of Applebees at all, so perhaps I am not the one to ask.

When you factor one is nearby anyway, I don't see the point.

I would like to see a higher a higher end restaurant. Maybe a local one, a PF Changs, Cheesecake factory, etc. Something that is not in town already and a bit higher than the typical tally fare.

Just got back from Boulder, Co and they had a ton of high end restaurants with organic type of food and it was great. That said, there is a LOT more money there than in Tally, which is always the constraint. I think whether we talk restaurants or malls, until Tally gets more higher paying jobs, the area will always lack in these areas.

[poonther]

I am not a fan of Applebees at all, so perhaps I am not the one to ask.

When you factor one is nearby anyway, I don't see the point.

I would like to see a higher a higher end restaurant. Maybe a local one, a PF Changs, Cheesecake factory, etc. Something that is not in town already and a bit higher than the typical tally fare.

Just got back from Boulder, Co and they had a ton of high end restaurants with organic type of food and it was great. That said, there is a LOT more money there than in Tally, which is always the constraint. I think whether we talk restaurants or malls, until Tally gets more higher paying jobs, the area will always lack in these areas.

[Florida]

Well I know I'm not a Southwooder, but I am a citizen of Tallahassee, a taxpayer, a motorist, etc. etc, and Blairstone is a City street. It needs to be lit!

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[Go Gators]

I agree with your thoughts of sections. But I truly believe Southwood could be included in the same section of Governor's Square Mall and the Apalachee Parkway area.

Question for you now that you say Tallahassee is small, and things aren't really that far. I'm sure we're talking relative to some other city perhaps. But how do you feel about a person who lives, say, near TCC and has a medical emergency. Would you still say a hospital is close?

[SkyDave]

I am always shocked at the number of "hidden neighborhood communities" throughout the Tallahassee Area. One of the reasons I love Tallahassee is the beautiful neighborhoods not affiliated with Killearn or Southwood. The Buck Lake Road area is exploding with new developments all the way to Jefferson County. The Northwest Tallahassee area is exploding and the city continues to infill at a frantic pace. The entire county is going through a metamorphosis.

If it wasn't for the trees, we all would be blown away with the amount of development that has already taken place.

THe retail that is locating around Southwood understand this and have decided that it is not risky to locate nearby.

Lastly, I look for Gadsden and Jefferson Counties to start to catch up with Wakulla in terms of new developments over the next five to ten years. We are about experience urban sprawl like never before with Fallschase and Pinnacle Creek developments. The seeds of sprawl are being planted now.... it is about to get very interesting.

[CapeFish]

Just curious Capefish, do you live in Southwood?

Then this: With the coming of the Chick Fil A, rumors of a Target coming, and CapeFish's desire to have an Applebee's at Southwood... is Apalachee Parkway not close enough? I'm not absolutely certain, but I believe 2.5-3 miles seperates this community from the Governor's Square Mall and Apalachee Parkway via Blairstone. I'm very familiar with the drive. It would seem those facilities should still be able to serve Southwood at this point. I just don't think, at this time, there's the critical mass of people in that area to warrant all of these commercial additions. I'm jealous.

How do you all who live in Southwood feel?

[Aerobird]

I'd have to say that Southwood is virtually an entirely seperate town from the rest of Tallahassee. I wouldn't be surprised if they get their own post office in the not-too-distant future.... "Southwood, Florida".

That's one thing I actually don't care for much about Tallahassee - there's no "connection" between the different parts of town. The west side, the south side, northwest, northeast, Killearn, etc. - they're all like completely seperate communities that have grown up against each other but not grown together; like Tally as a whole is less than the sum of its parts.

[Glenn]

With the coming of the Chick Fil A, rumors of a Target coming, and CapeFish's desire to have an Applebee's at Southwood... is Apalachee Parkway not close enough? I'm not absolutely certain, but I believe 2.5-3 miles seperates this community from the Governor's Square Mall and Apalachee Parkway via Blairstone. I'm very familiar with the drive. It would seem those facilities should still be able to serve Southwood at this point. I just don't think, at this time, there's the critical mass of people in that area to warrant all of these commercial additions. I'm jealous.

How do you all who live in Southwood feel?

[Glenn]

Question for Southwooders: I was just out your way recently at night. I noticed on Blair Stone from CCSE to Orange Ave there are no street lights except at the Publix Shopping Center and the intersection w/Paul Russell. The other stretches of that road are mighty dark. Do you guys that use that road regularly prefer it to be dark like that or would you like more street lights? I really have no opinion since I'm seldom out that way at night.

[Florida]

I am always shocked at the number of "hidden neighborhood communities" throughout the Tallahassee Area. One of the reasons I love Tallahassee is the beautiful neighborhoods not affiliated with Killearn or Southwood. The Buck Lake Road area is exploding with new developments all the way to Jefferson County. The Northwest Tallahassee area is exploding and the city continues to infill at a frantic pace. The entire county is going through a metamorphosis.

If it wasn't for the trees, we all would be blown away with the amount of development that has already taken place.

THe retail that is locating around Southwood understand this and have decided that it is not risky to locate nearby.

Lastly, I look for Gadsden and Jefferson Counties to start to catch up with Wakulla in terms of new developments over the next five to ten years. We are about experience urban sprawl like never before with Fallschase and Pinnacle Creek developments. The seeds of sprawl are being planted now.... it is about to get very interesting.

[Glenn]

12 traffic signals (none synchronized) and 5 stop signs from SouthWood to Downtown (6.5 miles) took 25 minutes at 7:30 this morning which is typical. I've tried multiple routes, they all take about the same amount of time give or take a few minutes depending on the day, traffic, etc. What gets me is how our traffic lights will stop 50 cars just to let 1 car go that just pulled up to the light and then the light stays green for several minutes even though no other traffic is entering the main road from the side street....so aggravating!!!

[poonther]

Apalachee at Richview is notorious to me for the type of situation you just described above. What intersections were you specially talking about?

Although I will have to say that leaving the downtown during rush and heading west on Tennessee, the lights seem to be very well synched in that direction, much more than at the same time going north on Monroe from downtown. If I leave Tally headed west on I-10 during the afternoon rush, I take Tennessee west to I-10 rather than Monroe north to I-10. Even though Tennessee to I-10 is 4 times further to I-10, I make it to the Midway exit area faster than using Monroe especially now that construction on CCNW is almost finished.

[CapeFish]

It's not so much the distance as it is the lack of planning. While businesses on Apalachee Parkway and in the vicinity of Gov Sq Mall are close as the crow flies, getting to them in a timely fashion is another whole story! I think it's ridiculous for it to take 20 minutes to go 6 miles at certain times. None of our traffic signals are synchronized that I'm aware of, or if they are it's a joke, and new traffic signals seem to just keep popping up all over. From my house to Gov Sq. Mall is exactly 6 miles whichever way I go but to get there I go through a minimum of 6-8 individually controlled traffic signals plus a few stop signs. A lot of our traffic signals could be put on flash or something during off-peak hours, nights, weekends, etc. This would help out tremendously during non-peak times. Therefore, I choose to shop, eat, whatever as close as possible to where I live and I hope more businesses come soon as I, and a majority of my neighbors, will frequent them on a regular basis. I'm not saying all of this just because I live in SouthWood because I was the same way when I lived in both the NW and NE sections of Tallahassee also.

[Glenn]

^ Depending on where I'm going I've tried Blairstone, Old St. Augustine and Apalachee as well as many variations of the 3 to get downtown and the results are all about the same. As far as lights on Apalachee, the one at Richardson and the one at Richview are useless and frustrating!

[Dolphinsfan]

Well, I'm a bit bummed. I've been enjoying the TCC courses offered at the Southwood campus because the 25 minute commute to the main campus can be a bear sometimes. Now I find out that there is a very big possibility that the Southwood campus will be closed down due to the budget cuts - this may likely be the last semester offered. It seems a shame because all I've ever heard was that these classes are pretty popular, especially with all the state workers nearby. And here I was naively hoping that they would actually add more classes to the Southwood program...sigh.

[Florida]

That comes as a shock and I would be disappointed as well. I wouldn't imagine TCC would pull out like that with their record high enrollment.

[thetoolman]

^ Depending on where I'm going I've tried Blairstone, Old St. Augustine and Apalachee as well as many variations of the 3 to get downtown and the results are all about the same. As far as lights on Apalachee, the one at Richardson and the one at Richview are useless and frustrating!

[Rachiroo]

12 traffic signals (none synchronized) and 5 stop signs from SouthWood to Downtown (6.5 miles) took 25 minutes at 7:30 this morning which is typical. I've tried multiple routes, they all take about the same amount of time give or take a few minutes depending on the day, traffic, etc. What gets me is how our traffic lights will stop 50 cars just to let 1 car go that just pulled up to the light and then the light stays green for several minutes even though no other traffic is entering the main road from the side street....so aggravating!!!

[Florida]

Southwood's New "L" School

Leon County School Board

Total: Aprox. 108,000 sq.ft.