By Vaughn Wilson
We have seen it over and over again. Here in Tallahassee, we’ve seen neighborhoods get bought up and the dynamic of the residency totally changes from its former makeup. In Tallahassee, the Frenchtown area was a bustling center of Black culture. Small businesses littered the Macomb Street corridor. It was a hub for social activity, culture and history.
The first major piece to fall was the relocation of many of the City of Tallahassee’s operations to the Renaissance Center. Many small businesses were led to believe that the building would have affordable rentals for them to be able to improve their residence on the street. In the end, not a single one of them occupied the center. Some of those hopeful small businesses still work in dilapidated conditions right next door to the newer construction. Some lost a lot in preparing to make the move to the center.
Around that structure, former businesses and some who had closed were purchased to build an elaborate student housing district. The massive buildings took the skyline of the area and totally changed the look and feel of the area. No longer are buildings being built on the very edge of Frenchtown, they are now on the next phase of going deeper into the neighborhoods. Homes owned by generations of Blacks will surely be targeted for purchase as the effort moves into the next phases. The displacement will affect centuries of family identification with that geographical location.
A scenario eerily similar to that one is happening right now in Fort Lauderdale. Sistrunk is an area known for Black culture. The Westside Gazette, a local Black-Owned Newspaper and a recent transformation of an old grocery store into a restaurant (Smitty’s Wings Sistrunk) are in jeopardy of falling victim to gentrification.
There are efforts to bring a multi-housing district to Sistrunk. These units are not targeted toward the individuals who currently live in Sistrunk, but much wealthier residents who are looking for space in land-locked Broward County. It was a matter of time before investors would target the Black neighborhood as a potential takeover for residences.
The problem is it would, like Frenchtown, take the entire dynamics of the residential area away. Businesses would see increase costs associated with their property. Local residents would be eventually forced out because where one residency pops up, others are sure to follow just like Tallahassee’s.
Bobby Henry Sr. sent out a warning in his editorial space in the Westside Gazette. “Sistrunk Boulevard has always represented something more than just a street in Fort Lauderdale. It’s a symbol of our heritage, our resilience, and our ambition for the future—a destination that proudly reflects the strength and culture of this community,” he said.
His oration sounds exactly like every oration against the Renaissance Center and the new housing units which have changed Frenchtown. You could literally copy and paste Henry’s words and replace it with Frenchtown and you would have the exact dialogue that was happening here in the center of Tallahassee.
Our culture is more than art. Often locations house the essence of that culture. It is going to take an effort to fight off business to save Sistrunk from becoming Frenchtown. The issue is this narrative has happened and will continue to happen all across this country.
A Miami-based company named the Housing Trust Group (HTG) is behind the new construction slated for Fort Lauderdale. With businesses like the Westside Gazette and Smitty’s Wings embedded in the area, the trust will no doubt build around them until they are able to force them out. With the inherent issues operating a Black business, the last thing you need is investors targeting your area with no regard for the welfare of the current residents or businesses.
