I live in the 32304 Zip code. Tesla is not welcomed.
As a Tallahassee resident currently living in the Zip code 32304, referred to as the poorest Zip code in Florida, I want to register my firm opposition to the installation of a Tesla dealership in our neighborhood at 2412 W. Tennessee St.
It won't do anything for us, as I'm sure most will agree that you don't see many Teslas around these parts, dotted as the neighborhood is with vape shops and Dollar General stores.
As for jobs, I don't expect Tesla to be recruiting any staff from the mobile home park next door, not to mention that the owner of 2412 W. Tennessee St., Treo Tenn. LLC, has a Miami mailing address, so would leasing dollars head to south Florida, rather than circulating here in Tallahassee?
Furthermore, did no one involved in this scheme consider the impact of a Tesla dealership to the surrounding neighborhoods, or how the space could be put to better use?
Since most city dollars routinely go to areas other than Zip code 32304, there is no shortage of potential uses of 2412 W. Tennessee St. that could enhance the quality of life and the property values of the surrounding neighborhoods.
I understand that this parcel is zoned commercial, that it is privately owned (and not locally), and that it is appraised at over $ 1 million, but it is my firm belief that none of these current realities should cause us to throw in the towel in the struggle to improve the lives of our most needy residents, the ones who live in 32304.
I encourage my fellow Tallahasseeans to speak out and oppose this plan. I also encourage local leaders involved in this plan to take a step back and imagine a Tallahassee — one Tallahassee—in which no Zip code in our municipality has the sad distinction of being the poorest in the state of Florida.
Robert Gryder is a creative writer and college instructor of writing, rhetoric, and creative writing. He earned his BA in English from Yale University and his MFA from Florida International University. Gryder’s writing has appeared in Outlook Springs, among others, and is forthcoming in The Heartland Review.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: I live in the 32304 Zip code. Tesla is not welcomed.
