Tallahassee, Florida’s Capital City, situated just south of the Georgia line, is often described as idyllic, with its canopy roads, plentiful park space, bike trails and historic features. As the seat of Florida’s government, along with two major universities with award-winning educational programs, and a history of accomplished alumni, Tallahassee is changing rapidly; evolving into a lively, vibrant and prosperous city. No longer a “sleepy town”, but instead becoming a place where college students and young professionals choose to stay and build their lives, Tallahassee has seen major growth over the last decade.

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The catalyst for this change has been the influx of innovative development, attracted by Tallahassee’s talented city planners, engaged citizenry, and significant infrastructure investments from local government. This positive change has not come without resistance, as opponents of growth have pushed back against these improvements. 

 

Grow Tallahassee was founded by a group of young professionals who believe that progressive, inclusive economic development can coexist with–and in fact, complements–Tallahassee’s history, resources, and diverse population. Our organization believes that profit-seeking and sustainability objectives can align. In order to better mitigate negative impacts of rapid growth, and realize the benefits of private sector investments, informed dialogue between the residents, policy makers and businesses is crucial. Through an honest exchange of perspectives and best practices of doing business in our local economy, both of our public and private sectors can better define their contributions to mutual interest.

 

Private sector is, and always will be the engine of growth, innovation, and job creation, but most importantly, it is the highest contributor to the city and county tax revenue. Strong local economy will enable us to enhance our infrastructure and social programs along the way.

 

Economic development can, and should, preserve Tallahassee’s natural, historic, and intellectual assets, retain our talented young professionals and students. Implementing balanced economic development is possible, and extremely crucial to our entire community’s continued success. 

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