Cascades Project set to become reality

January 15, 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A major downtown development project has jumped its final hurdle.

The Cascades Project, which has been in negotiations with the Community Redevelopment Agency, is finally set to move forward.

The project will sit on the land currently occupied by the Firestone and Bloxham buildings. The Firestone Building is most widely known as the old Leon County Jail and played a vital role in Tallahassee's and the nation’s Civil Rights movement.

In an email, CRA Executive Director Roxanne Manning said, “We are very pleased to inform you that the five separate agreements required to execute the Cascades Center project have now been signed by North American Properties and the CRA. This is a major step in the creation of a transformational, $150,000,000 project."

The project includes apartments and condominiums, office space, public parking, a boutique hotel, retail space, and a festival street. It’ll also include a Civil Rights Memorial as well as amphitheater support facilities.

“Thanks to the CRA Board’s leadership and vision, we are looking forward to the creation of a project which will enhance Tallahassee’s downtown with a new activity center adjacent to Cascades Park,” said Manning.

According to estimates by the Leon County Office of Economic Vitality and the Florida State University Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis, the project will generate $353.6 million in total economic output.

It’s also expected to create more than 2,000 jobs from construction and more than $94.6 million in income and wages. On a permanent annual basis, the project is estimated to create $23.2 million in annual income or wages and create 694 jobs.

As for a timeline for the project, ground breaking is expected in 2018 with the completion date slated for 2020.

For more information, visit