Originally settled in 1831 by French settlers, Frenchtown is one of the first true neighborhoods of Tallahassee. After the Civil War, Frenchtown evolved into a residential area for newly emancipated slaves and flourished economically and socially through the segregation era as a hub for Black people.    

​

Starting in the 1960s, the desegregation of public schools profoundly impacted Frenchtown’s population. Many longtime residents moved out of the community, taking with them their economic support. Since then, multiple initiatives that sought to halt the downward spiral of the community have been mostly ineffective. 

​

We believe revitalizing Frenchtown requires a fundamentally different approach. Our design concept aims to develop vacant and underutilized parcels within the existing urban area to create a vibrant neighborhood with a synergetic partnership between developers, the community, and local government. 

​

Inspired by the history and natural beauty of the area, Our vision and design concepts presented here transform Frenchtown into an active, imaginative, and inspiring place.

​

This concept has evolved over time to the needs of the community as seen in the series of renderings below.