In April 2026, new permit materials pointed to the potential for Railroad Square Art District to be replaced with apartment buildings.
For a city that prides itself on its creative community, the potential loss of Railroad Square should be a wake-up call. Tallahassee is more than its universities and football games. It is a city with a distinct artistic culture that is now under threat.
The impending destruction of this beloved cultural hub, coupled with ongoing state budget cuts to the arts, threatens to erase the very identity that makes Tallahassee unique.
Why Railroad Square matters
Railroad Square is full of colorful metal buildings that host an eclectic collection of thrift stores, art galleries, music venues, vintage stores, small theatres, and more. It has become one of the most recognizable hubs for creative businesses in Tallahassee.
More: Cop or drop? A student’s guide to thrifting in Tallahassee
One of its signature community events is First Friday, held on the first Friday of every month. The event, presented by Arts and Cultural Experiences of Railroad Square as well as the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA), brings the community together to support local artists and businesses.
Railroad Square gives students a place to experience Tallahassee beyond campus
As an FSU student, I have attended at least a dozen First Friday events. It functions as a “third place,” offering a relaxing atmosphere to meet new people. I have even brought my parents, who enjoyed the atmosphere because it feels like an escape from the typical College Town area.
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Railroad Square gives students a place to experience Tallahassee beyond campus, and the possibility of its demolition for another apartment complex should feel devastating. This is especially true considering art funding across the state continues to face budget cuts.
Florida is cutting arts funding
In June 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis used a line-item veto to eliminate a bill that would have provided $32 million in statewide arts, culture, and museum funding. As a result, 23 Tallahassee-area arts and cultural organizations in the capital region collectively lost more than $900,000 in expected grant funding.
This decrease in funding was absolutely devastating for the city of Tallahassee, as many of the local non-profit museums and art organizations depended on those state grants, which in turn hurts nearby businesses that rely on arts tourism.
Most notably, LeMoyne Arts hosts the annual Chain of Parks Art Festival, a premier event promoted and supported by COCA. The event brings over 40,000 visitors to purchase art from over 170 Southern artists alongside live entertainment, performing arts groups, children’s art activities, and more, all with free admission.
In 2026, Sunshine Arts Magazine named Chain of Parks the No. 1 fine art festival in Florida and secured a top-five national ranking, reaching as high as No. 3 in the nation, by Sunshine Artist Magazine.
More: Tallahassee’s Chain of Parks Art Fest sets date, announces artist
Tallahassee has developed a strong artistic identity in part because organizations like COCA have invested in the local arts community. Therefore, a decrease in funding would impact not only the culture of the city but also force local artists to move to better-funded areas.
At a time when the state is reducing its investment in the arts, the last thing Tallahassee should be doing is allowing one of its most recognizable creative spaces to disappear.
Do we need more housing?
Tallahassee needs housing, but it should not come at the cost of destroying Railroad Square, a beloved community space that has been here for decades.
Every year, new luxury student apartment complexes seem to appear at increasingly expensive rates.
Perla, a new luxury student housing development, advertised monthly rates ranging from $1,139 to $2,309 per student. Although it was scheduled to open for the fall 2026 semester, construction and inspection delays left the building unfinished.
More: Perla Apartments delay move in, students displaced after classes start
Although Perla was scheduled to open for the fall 2026 semester, construction delays left the building unfinished and displaced hundreds of students in local hotels.
The complex initially pushed its move-in date back from Aug. 21 to Aug. 28, ultimately displacing hundreds of students into local hotels as classes began.
Student housing can provide jobs and much-needed places for students to live. But constantly building luxury complexes does not necessarily make housing more affordable.
When new developments target students willing or able to pay premium prices, they can contribute to a housing market where increasingly expensive apartments become the expectation.
The construction of Perla has also had a significant impact on the surrounding community. Beginning in 2024, crews closed the sidewalk perimeter and temporarily restricted eastbound traffic lanes along the West Gaines Street and Woodward Avenue intersection, contributing to congestion in an already busy area.
These disruptions may be temporary, but the buildings themselves are not. If another luxury apartment complex replaces a cultural institution, we cannot simply rebuild the community that was there before.
The city should have more regulation over where these apartment complexes are built. Tallahassee’s economy should not be dependent on expensive student housing that we lose affordable housing for people who live here long-term.
Savannah Burke is a Theater and Creative Writing major at Florida State University and a Staff Writer for the Views section of the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.
This article originally appeared on FSU News: Student housing is ruining the culture of Tallahassee