Respect the All Saints neighborhood’s character
Economic development can be a good thing – more property tax for a city, jobs for residents, a profit for the landowner.
Sometimes, it comes with a cost – more traffic, lost wetland habitat, pollution.
The proposed five-story building with 80-apartments and commercial uses, affectionally named 908 All Saints Site 2, has another cost – the loss of a unique cultural landmark – the murals on the side of the former GVO club and another building.
I looked at the public records and the architect’s conceptual drawings. I found no mention of preserving the murals. I called the consultant representing the developer to see if there were any plans for public art. They wouldn’t comment on a client’s project. Even StarMetro, while addressing the need for a new bus stop, did not talk about saving the Mark Dickson sculpture celebrating jazz in the bus stop now.
I can tolerate the developer’s plan to build student housing and retail uses. But it pains me to think the murals could go. They add to the quirky character of the All Saints neighborhood. The Council on Culture and the Arts recognizes their value by including them in its public art walk directions for the Gaines Street-Railroad Square area. Maybe someone with high-definition photo skills and equipment could preserve them.
Nearly a dozen murals wrap around the front and side of the GVO club. They are the work mostly of local artists such as Cory Williams, Cosby Hayes and Mike Shanaghan, Laura Powers, the BAET Cooperative, Smeesh, Olivia Barattini and Sarah Painter, who also curated the project.
Three years ago, I started a free guided artwork to tell the stories of the murals and artists. People who’ve walked with me were amazed when they saw the murals up close. Often, they’ve wondered about them when they drive by. For them and others, this a special place in Tallahassee.
The sad thing to realize is that there is no way to preserve these murals when the buildings are replaced with the high-rise and its parking garage, spanning the whole Railroad Avenue block between Gaines and St. Francis streets.
More: Four-tiered development set to transform Railroad Avenue amid student housing boom
My hope is the city, which has been supportive of public art, will emphatically encourage the developer to provide space for public art to preserve the character of the area, and that StarMetro will do likewise regarding the Dickson sculpture. No city requirement exists that requires a developer to provide public art.
It is not unreasonable to do this. The nearby Hyatt hotel incorporated public art, mainly on the interior. Plans for SoMo Walls, on South Monroe between Harrison Street and Oakland Avenue, include a courtyard wall of murals.
Surely the creative minds behind 908 All Saints Site 2 can find a way to include public visual art and sculpture. If they can’t, or won’t, it will be Tallahassee’s loss. A gesture of good will, say cleaning up the city-neglected art alley, also would be in order.
Don Ruane is founder of Tallahassee Art Walks and otherwise a retiree living in northeast Tallahassee. He can be reached at ruanedon@aol.com.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Respect the All Saints neighborhood’s character
