Leon County Commission Holds Workshop on Southside Action Plan, Fairgrounds

On February 25, 2025, the Leon County Commission hosted a workshop where they heard presentations on the Southside Action Plan and the fairgrounds project. After discussion of those projects, Commissioner Christian Caban asked that additional attention to be devoted to the Pensacola St. corridor revitalization efforts—an area Commissioner Bill Proctor called an “outdoor insane asylum.”

Artie White, the Director of P.L.A.C.E., updated the commissioners on several items including affordable housing projects, gentrification mitigation, and beautification efforts. The Southside Action Plan is a part of the broader Comprehensive Action Plan for Leon County. A total of $1.1 billion has been invested into the Southside Action Plan.

Director White highlighted the transfer of 709 homes to the sewer system from septic tanks. He also pointed out that, while the projects bring a lot of money into these areas, there have been extensive efforts to combat gentrification. The Office of Economic Vitality has led DEI efforts to incorporate minority, women, and small businesses into the development plan.  

Autumn Calder, the Director of Blueprint, then gave a short presentation on the development of the fairgrounds. Commissioner Proctor has been pushing for the redevelopment of the fairgrounds for many years, and with the advent of the Fairgrounds Master Plan, he is finally seeing progress.

“There is a concerted voice among us through Blueprint that is beckoning us forward,” remarked Commissioner Proctor. “It is probably putting forward the most significant investment ever and that vision, overtime, culminates to lift this site [the fairgrounds] higher.”

At the end of the workshop, Commissioner Caban steered discussion to the Pensacola St. corridor and drew attention to three recent shootings that took place there. He implored the commission to take the revitalization of this corridor seriously, as a sizable part of Pensacola St. sits within the South Side Action Plan.

He summed up his concern for this area: “I think it’s wrong for us as commissioners to identify a problem and hear status reports and not look at how we engage with the problem and improve it.” Commissioner Proctor agreed with him and noted that the sheriff recognizes the area as an “outdoor insane asylum.”

Commissioner Caban initially suggested that a Pensacola St. Corridor Advisory Board be set up with members from the impacted area sitting on the board. After a discussion, Commissioner Caban settled on a motion to do a joint city and county workshop on the Pensacola St. corridor, with the caveat that if that workshop does not bear fruit he will return with his initial proposal.

The meeting concluded with a unanimous motion to accept the staff recommendations for the Southside Action Plan and the fairgrounds plan, as well as Commissioner Caban’s motion concerning Pensacola St.