Former Orange Avenue residents eager to return to apartments with new name, modern amenities

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer

Carolyn Young hadn’t taken a seat yet inside the Fregly Community Center where she came to hear about the process of returning to her redeveloped Orange Avenue residence, when she made her intentions known.

“I’m ready to move in now,” Young said with a broad smile.”

A few other former residents of Orange Avenue Apartments, which have been renamed Columbia Gardens at South City, also showed up last Friday to find out when they could move into new apartments at the old site. Last Friday’s session was the fourth of six workshops that Tallahassee Housing Authority scheduled to inform residents about returning to the 28-acre property on Orange Avenue.

Two more workshops are scheduled for Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. and Sept. 29 at 3 p.m., both at the Fregly Community Center.

Residents who have shown up at the workshops found out that they’ll have an abundance of amenities, including an on-site laundry, a walking trail and stainless steel appliances. Columbia Gardens at South City also will be a gated community.

Those who return will have their moving expenses paid by the Tallahassee Housing Authority. THA also plans to negotiate satisfaction of their current leases.

Young relocated to Holton Street Apartments in 2021. She’d lived in the old Orange Avenue housing for 16 years, even remembering the number of her old apartment being 6800.

She’s been ready for months to move to the rebuilt apartments.

“I’m ready to leave,” she said. “I’ve been ready to leave. I’m just anxious because I like South City. I enjoyed South City when I was there.”

The first tenants could begin occupying units in the new building in November, said Brenda Williams, executive director of Tallahassee Housing Authority. Only one building of five that make up the 130 units in Phase 1 of the redevelopment will be available this fall. The others will be ready for occupancy next spring, Williams said.

The second phase with 160 units will be completed by next fall. The 290 units that make up the two phases will be 90 more than the total number of families that lived in the old apartments.

Williams said she expects about 10 to 15 percent of the families to return. About 30 families have attended the workshops and indicated they’ll be moving back.

“I believe that is because of what we are building,” Williams said. “It’s going to be fabulous. With all of the amenities that we are going to offer at the site and the units are large. It’s a gated community (and) you just don’t find that kind of development in that part of the city.”

Families who don’t want to return could be doing so because of convenience that they’ve found since being relocated. Some might have also left Tallahassee, Williams said.

THA also plans to open an extensive waiting list just for the new residence Sept. 1.

One hundred and 22 of the new units will be designated Section 8. The other units will be available to renters who make 30 and 60 percent of the average median income.  There also will be some unit rented at market rates.

Williams said she receives constant inquiries about the new residence, as the buildings go vertical. 

“I’m happy to hear it because it says we are out here creating housing that is in demand,” Williams said. “We are creating a place for people who can’t afford to pay market rate. I feel real proud to be in a position where the housing authority is able to contribute to building affordable housing for those families that have been on our waiting list and have been waiting for a very long time.”

Ebony Bryant, who lived in the old apartments for seven years before she relocated to the north side of town, said she is also eager to return to the new apartments, where she said the amenities are enticing.

“I feel like they treated me better,” she said, recalling when she lived off Orange Avenue. “The amenities of the new place (on the north side) I don’t like. Orange Avenue community will be a lot better.”