A stretch of Orange Avenue in Southwood had a deadline of December 31, 2025. The segment between Biltmore Avenue and Southwood Plantation Road was due to be finished by then, and work on Biltmore Avenue up to Apalachee Parkway was due to start by the same date. The deadline passed. In February 2026, residents petitioned over the missed road work. One resident told WTXL the road had been in disrepair for years and had never really been completed.
For anyone comparing Southwood with Killearn Estates or Betton Hills, this road shows how Southwood works. The street network gets built piece by piece, usually alongside whatever land gets developed next to it. So a Southwood address comes with a construction schedule attached, and that schedule can stall.
How Orange Avenue stalled during 2026
The City of Tallahassee laid out the sequence in its July 6, 2026 hearing packet. Here is how the year went, with each step building on the last:
- February 18: The City Commission asked staff for an update on the Southwood road schedule and possible violations by the developer.
- March 6: The St. Joe Company told the City it was using the Governor's Executive Order No. 24-94 to extend its road deadlines.
- March 11: Commissioners told staff to reject the extension and move ahead with enforcement, including a notice of violation.
- April 15: The commission canceled the April 21 hearing. It gave the parties 60 days to agree on transferring the right-of-way so St. Joe could build the road. No agreement was reached in that time.
- June 16: Notices of violation went to St. Joe and to NextGen Family Group LLC, which owns the unfinished portion of Orange Avenue. St. Joe filed a case in Leon County Circuit Court, number 2026-CA-1354. It argues that the deed conveying the land to NextGen was made in error and asks the court to reform it.
- July 6: The hearing ended without sanctions. Commissioners voted 3–2 to come back to the issue later. WCTV reported that staff would study Southwood's wider transportation network first.
- August 26: The commission voted to begin eminent domain proceedings to secure the right-of-way for the Orange and Biltmore Avenue extensions, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
That August vote is the most recent action we found. We found no later public update on the eminent domain process, the court case or a construction start. As of early October 2026, the road's status is best described as it stood in late August.
Why a road can wait on the land beside it
Southwood is a Development of Regional Impact, or DRI. The Tallahassee City Commission and the Leon County Board of County Commissioners first approved it in 1999. It covers 3,322 acres. In 2011, the development order added a Schedule of Internal Road Improvements. That schedule requires each listed road segment to be built along with the development pods right next to it.
Orange Avenue shows how that works in practice. According to the City's hearing packet, three different arrangements built different stretches of it:
| Segment | Who built it |
|---|---|
| Capital Circle Southeast to Four Oaks Boulevard | St. Joe, as master developer, on its own |
| Four Oaks Boulevard to Mossy Creek | Built with Southwood Unit 29, a 72-home subdivision |
| Mossy Creek to Biltmore Avenue | Built with Southwood Unit 31, a 69-home subdivision |
Artemis Way followed yet another model. Tallahassee Classical School built it along with its own campus. The City calls all of these approaches successful. Building roads alongside neighboring land also means that when development of a tract slows down, the road beside it slows down too.
The deadlines have moved before. The 2011 schedule set December 31, 2020 for completion. A November 2021 revision moved that to December 31, 2025. In June 2024, a revision requested by St. Joe added separate start and finish deadlines for each segment. A 2011 agreement also had St. Joe build a temporary Orange Avenue extension to Southwood Plantation Road. That came with measures to stop left turns from Orange Avenue onto Mossy Creek Lane, aimed at traffic problems on that street. St. Joe completed the temporary extension on schedule. The temporary road has now been part of Southwood's traffic pattern for more than a decade.
The development order also includes an enforcement tool. If the City finds a violation, it can pause the order for the affected tract and withhold further development permits, approvals and services there. The July packet offered that as Option 1. Commissioners chose eminent domain instead.
The pipeline still to come
Roads follow tracts, so the tract pipeline shows where Southwood's streets and homes will be added next. The City's July 2026 summary listed these projects:
- Lake Mary Forest (MDR-11): 100 single-family homes on the west side of Merchants Row Boulevard between Capital Circle and Tram Road. Construction is almost finished.
- LDR-1: 82 single-family lots north of Old St. Augustine Road.
- MDR-18: 234 multifamily units between Capital Circle and Merchants Row Boulevard, west of Tram Road. Under construction.
- The Collection at Central Park: 72 detached homes and 46 townhomes in Town Center 1 and 2. Permits are approved, but construction had not started.
- LSF-11: 42 proposed homes at the northwest corner of Biltmore Road and School House Road.
- MDR-19: 149 proposed homes south of Merchants Row Boulevard and Tram Road. This project would also build another segment of Merchants Row Boulevard.
The City counts 534 units approved or under construction and another 191 in review. Behind those projects sits a larger reserve. As of June 30, 2026, St. Joe reported about 647 entitled, undeveloped SouthWood homesites under contract. The full buildout date for the DRI is currently September 28, 2038. The City notes that this date has shifted over time because of state legislation, emergency declarations and changes to the development order.
The plan itself also changes often. Since 1999, Southwood has had seven approved Notices of Proposed Change, one administrative amendment and twelve amendments. The twelfth, approved in February and March 2026, added entitlements for three parcels in Mixed-Use Office/Commercial 3. Land marked for one use can be converted to another, as long as the traffic impact stays neutral. Two earlier amendments turned office and industrial land into apartment sites of 252 and 234 units.
What a Southwood price buys
Across the Tallahassee metro area, the median single-family sale price in August 2026 was $349,950, up 1.6% from a year earlier. Closed sales fell 6.5% to 286, according to Florida Realtors' August 2026 MSA report. That figure covers Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon and Wakulla counties, not Southwood alone. The September numbers are scheduled for release on October 16.
Inside Southwood, new construction starts above that regional median. In September 2026, Traton Homes was advertising The Collection at Four Oaks from $399,900. These are three- and four-bedroom duplex homes with two-car garages and rear courtyards. One example is 4071 Four Oaks Boulevard: 1,695 square feet, four bedrooms and three baths, listed at $399,900. The builder's completion estimates for these homes ranged from late 2025 to 2026, depending on the listing. Treat those as marketing estimates.
Part of what that price pays for is a place in an unfinished plan. A home on a finished street next to a built-out tract is a known quantity. A home next to LSF-11, MDR-19 or the unfinished Biltmore Avenue segment comes with a road-building schedule, and Orange Avenue shows that this kind of schedule can run years late. Biltmore Avenue from Orange Avenue to Apalachee Parkway is currently due to be finished by December 31, 2026.
Some planned connections are already moving. Since mid-December 2025, the City has been building a 10-foot multiuse trail along Tram Road. It runs from the Capital Circle Southeast trail to the trail on Four Oaks Boulevard, connecting Four Oaks Park, the FSU Developmental School and Southwood. The City's project page does not give a completion date.
Reading a specific Southwood address
The public record answers most of what a buyer would want to know about a given lot. These are the documents worth checking:
- Exhibit G, the Schedule of Internal Road Improvements, lists which road segments remain and their start and finish deadlines.
- The DRI amendment history shows which nearby tracts have changed use and when.
- City Commission agendas on BoardDocs show current development activity by tract name, such as MDR-19 or LSF-11, along with unit counts and construction status.
- Leon County Circuit Court records show the status of case 2026-CA-1354.
These are matters of public record. A buyer's agent, title company or attorney can explain how they relate to a specific contract.
FAQ
Is Orange Avenue being built now? As of the latest reporting we found, the City Commission voted on August 26, 2026 to begin eminent domain proceedings for the right-of-way. We found no public construction start date after that vote.
Who owns the unfinished segment? The City's July 2026 packet identifies NextGen Family Group LLC as the owner of the unfinished portion of Orange Avenue. St. Joe is asking the court to reform the deed.
How much more housing is planned in Southwood? The City's July 2026 count is 534 units approved or under construction and 191 more in review. St. Joe also reported about 647 undeveloped SouthWood homesites under contract as of June 30, 2026.
When will Southwood be finished? The current DRI buildout date is September 28, 2038, and it has moved before.
If you're weighing a Southwood home, the most useful question about a specific lot is what still has to be built around it, and who is responsible for building it. Team With Titus can pull the tract status, the road schedule and recent sales next to that address so you can price it with the full picture. Let's connect for a consultation, or get a free home valuation if you already own in Southwood.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
