TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A new mural will soon be coming to Tallahassee’s southside, thanks to a public-private partnership between the Community Redevelopment Agency, artists and a private business.
The Community Redevelopment Agency, known as the CRA, approved spending $30,000 on the project, which is to be drawn at SoMo Walls. The CRA is legally separate from the City of Tallahassee, though the Tallahassee City Commissioners oversee both.
According to CRA staff, the public would pay $30,00 for the murals, with a private match from SoMo Walls, totaling $60,000.
“The non-profit Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI), in partnership with Bugra Demirel, owner of SoMo Walls and highly professional mural artists, requests $30,000 from the Tallahassee Southside CRA to implement a large-scale public art project that will transform into a prominent public outdoor mural corridor accessible 24-7,” CRA staff wrote in summarizing the item.
For KCCI, it’s part of a wider push to brighten up the city with art. Especially south of downtown.
“Cities with strong placemaking have low crime rates. They have higher voter turnout and they have a more thriving ecosystem,” said Betsy Couch, the executive director of KCCI. “Placemaking is bringing forward the best version of an area.”
According to a PowerPoint provided by KCCI to the CRA, the SoMo Walls project is a good investment because it’s a strategically located site next to already established public spaces. The presentation notes the project wouldn’t need any major construction or cause disruption to the area.
The city commissioners, acting as the CRA board, voted 3-2 to approve the project. For government watchdogs, some alarms did go up.
Former Mayor Dot Inman-Johnson, now the CEO for Citizens for Government Accountability, filed an ethics complaint. According to a copy of that complaint, Bugra Demirel, the owner of SoMo Walls, sits on a subcommittee to the CRA.
Even though he did recuse himself from the subcommittee vote, Inman-Johnson argues the ethics code requires him to not participate at all.
“Bugra Demirel is a member of the Frenchtown/Southside CRA CAC and committed a clear conflict of interest for lobbying the CAC to approve the request for which he is the beneficiary,” part of the complaint reads.
More Tallahassee news:
Inman-Johnson addressed the CRA during public comment last month. The complaint is signed under oath by Inman-Johnson, and lists K. Lennorris Barber and Dr. Vanessa Williams as those with knowledge of the alleged violation or who may have been witnesses to it.
“When you have one of the CAC members requesting in partnership with the arts group a grant of $30,000 to do artwork at their site after they’ve already received $1.1 million… something is wrong here,” said Inman Johnson.
Blueprint, a joint city-county board, voted in 2023 to give Demirel and SoMo Walls $1.8 million. Of that money, $1 million was a “recoverable grant.”
That money is not the subject of the ethics complaint, though Inman-Johnson said it contextualizes her complaint over the $30,000 for the mural.
Couch, from KCCI, said there was no funny business. She said this normally how public-private partnerships come together.
“Is there any nefariousness? Is there any side dealings, any bad juju going on here?” WCTV’s Matt Hoffmann asked.
“No, this process has played out just like most public private partnerships play out,” Couch said.
Demirel declined an on-camera interview, but sent us the following statement.
“We’re excited to collaborate with KCCI on this project,” Demirel said. “SoMo Walls has a strong track record of quality execution, and we’re confident this KCCI initiative will be a meaningful addition to our local community while helping drive tourism dollars into Tallahassee.”
The statement goes on to say the CRA members, the city commissioners, will be invited to a ribbon cutting at a later date. The ethics complaint is an allegation. Tallahassee has an Independent Ethics Board which adjudicates ethics issues. Their jurisdiction was expanded by voters in 2024 to cover not just the city commission but other related boards.
Both Inman-Johnson and Demirel have been heavily involved in city politics. Inman-Johnson was the mayor in the 1990s, but unsuccessfully ran for city commission in 2024 against Commissioner Curtis Richardson.
Demirel is the chair of the Grow Tallahassee, a political committee, and has advocated for the city to transfer Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare to create FSU Health.
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.
Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.