TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Part of Tallahassee\u2019s privately owned art district, known as Railroad Square, could soon become a 246 unit \u201cmultifamily\u201d apartment complex, according to a permit application on file with the City of Tallahassee.<\/p>\n
The owners of Railroad Square, Adam and Lily Kaye, had been in conversations since at least August of 2024<\/a> about the future of the property. Back then, the Kaye family said they no longer wanted to own Railroad Square. However, this month\u2019s permit application lists their LLC as the owner and Moore Bass Consulting, Inc. as the applicant.<\/p>\n A mystery group of investors<\/a> also expressed interest in 2024, but it\u2019s unclear if those talks ever materialized. <\/p>\n Efforts for the local government to purchase Railroad Square, in order to make the arts district publicly owned, failed in January of 2025<\/a>. Business owners inside Railroad Square wanted<\/a> that government takeover, despite the vote by members of the city commission and mayor.<\/p>\n According to the permit application, \u201cThe proposed project is the development of 17 parcels located west of Railroad Avenue and north of FAMU Way into a 5-story multi-family development with 246 units.\u201d<\/p>\n Plans filed alongside the permit show the complex would have an interior courtyard and a nearby \u201ccommercial building.\u201d <\/p>\n Lily Kaye, co-owner of Railroad Square, said portions of the area have been for sale for the past two years. She emphasized that the whole area will not be developed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important to reclarify that whether it is this development or a different, future one, we intend to keep part of the property for the same creative art district uses that we have today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Kaye said the same developer who has been doing research on the property for several years is moving forward in the \u201clong and complicated process of researching the feasibility.\u201d<\/p>\n She touted the success of Railroad Square in recent months. <\/p>\n \u201cThe creative district has been back at 95-100% occupancy for the past six months and now has an exciting diversity of food, goods and experiences.\u201d <\/p>\n She encouraged people to come out and enjoy Railroad Square both now and in the future.<\/p>\n WTCTV reached out to Ben Hood, listed as the agent on the permit application, and has yet to hear back. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s the full statement from Lily Kaye:<\/p>\n \u201cAs previously reported on, portions of Railroad Square have been for sale for the past 2 years. The same developer who has been doing research on the property for multiple years, and whose development ideas have been previously reported on, is just taking another step in the long and complicated process of researching the feasibility.<\/p>\n It is important to re-clarify that whether it is this development or a different future one, we intend to keep part of the property for the same creative art district uses that we have today. Railroad Square continues to currently be one of the most interesting destinations in Tallahassee. The creative district has been back at 95-100% occupancy for the past six months and now has an exciting diversity of food, goods, and experiences. <\/p>\n There was a great turnout for the Jazz Festival at April\u2019s First Friday, almost every weekend is busy, and we look forward to another well-attended First Friday in May. We encourage folks to come out and explore Railroad Square and its many unique creative businesses, both now and in the future.”<\/p>\n Detractors say it\u2019s really student housing, but acknowledge the arts district is privately owned…<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s invasive capitalism is what it is. I think this is an issue of control, I would say. And they\u2019re doing things like this shows that they have no respect for the community or appreciation of art,\u201d said Jada Brown, a member of Tallahassee ALERT.<\/p>\n Joshua Johnson, the CEO of 621 Art Gallery, says protesting this sale won\u2019t really work, since the local city government already declined to buy the property.<\/p>\n \u201cThis being a private seller and a private buyer, we have very little recourse. We would like for it to remain an art district as has always been our plan. But in a lot of ways, this is kind of out of our hands,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n He added that he prefers the district remain as-is, and he hinted at efforts to startup a government run arts district elsewhere in the city, though he said plans were not concrete enough to share.<\/p>\n \u201dI\u2019m not sure what they will do. It is my hope that it stays a full-fledged art district and not something that just has art in name, but art also in name and soul,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n In her statement, Lily Kaye bolded the part about maintaining at least a partial art district. An unsatisfactory answer, for some.<\/p>\n \u201cTallahassee is full of art, culture, history, all things that aren\u2019t displayed. And so by protecting the art district, I think that we can add a little bit more livelihood to the city,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n WCTV sent a request for comment to all five city commissioners, and Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor, who represents the area in which Railroad Square sits. We\u2019ll update this page as comments come in.<\/p>\n Jeremy Matlow<\/p>\n \u201cIf this moves forward, it will be the end of Railroad Square as we know it. The City had an opportunity to purchase Railroad Square and make it sustainable for the next generation, but we didn\u2019t have the support of the Commission majority to save the Arts District.<\/p>\n Now this local gem, tourist destination and largest concentration of locally-owned businesses could be replaced by another mega-block housing development and a giant asphalt parking lot.<\/p>\n I believe arts and culture add to our quality of life and are worth investing in.”<\/p>\n Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n