Tallahassee Housing Authority unveils Springfield Apartments master plan; Demo/Dispo filing, relocations planned

The Tallahassee Housing Authority presented its Springfield Apartments master plan to the Leon County Board of County Commissioners, laying out a multi‑year program to replace existing public housing with a larger, mixed‑use neighborhood and proposing a HUD demolition/disposition (Demo/Dispo) application later this year.

Housing Authority presenters said the current Springfield site now contains about 198 existing units and the preferred plan envisions roughly 540 units once redevelopment is complete. Brenda Williams of the Tallahassee Housing Authority introduced consultant teams and thanked commissioners for prior support that she said led to new affordable housing elsewhere.

Brian Keith, an architect and urban planner with JHP Architecture, said the master plan grew from workshops in the Springfield and Griffin Heights neighborhoods and aims to “reconnect” the site to the surrounding community by creating a new community square, open space tied to existing creeks and a renovated community center. “The final master plan vision here is really about how can we take the Springfield neighborhood … and transform this community in a way that is transformative and catalyst for the greater neighborhood,” Keith said.

Developer consultants said the redevelopment would be phased and require federal approvals before demolition and construction. Ray Kounianski and Clint Guillebeau, representing the Housing Authority’s developer team, told commissioners the plan will require a Demo/Dispo application to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) later this year and that the team hopes to secure HUD Demo/Dispo approval by March 2026. Guillebeau said the timeline anticipates relocation starting mid‑2026 and demolition toward the end of 2026, but cautioned the schedule depends on HUD and financing.

Officials said roughly 197 households would need relocation for demolition and replacement to proceed. The developers said they will compile environmental and other technical reports and then pursue federal tax credits and other financing, and noted that local financial support will likely be needed to make the financing work, as was the case for the Orange Avenue redevelopment.

Commissioners praised the plan’s neighborhood focus and urged attention to minimizing displacement and preventing gentrification. Commissioner Maddox said he appreciated the plan’s emphasis on making Springfield “the nucleus of the neighborhood” and the proposal’s mix of housing options so residents could transition from rental to ownership. He also urged local funding support when appropriate. Several commissioners noted the Housing Authority’s prior redevelopment on Orange Avenue (now Columbia Gardens) as a precedent.

In related remarks, Brenda Williams said the Housing Authority also has a separate project under construction on Lake Bradford Road in partnership with Elmington Capital: 158 affordable apartments near the Kissimmee and Lake Bradford Road intersection, expected to be complete and available for occupancy in 2026.

The board did not vote on the master plan itself at the meeting. Commissioners moved unanimously to present a retirement proclamation for Brenda Williams later in the meeting; the proclamation and related remarks were ceremonial and separate from the technical redevelopment actions described above.

Next steps described by Housing Authority staff and their development partners include finishing technical studies, submitting a Demo/Dispo package to HUD, preparing relocation plans for roughly 197 affected households, and seeking local and federal financing support to proceed to demolition and reconstruction.