Tuskegee Opportunities

Booker T. Washington helped set the mission of the university: “Learn to do by doing.” The implementation of this action plan is enabled by this vision, leaning on the profound experience of Tuskegee professors to guide their students and the community in both workforce development and professional services of architecture and construction for the adaptive reuse, infill and redevelopment envisioned here. This reinvigoration of the public realm will be supported by entrepreneurial incubation and acceleration building on the rich local knowledge base.

 Tuskegee University 's many achievements include:

• Construction Science and Management department, established in 1933, is the oldest construction baccalaureate program in the country, followed by the architecture program a year later in 1934.
• The Center for Plant Biotechnology Research trains scientists and students from the USA, Ghana, China, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt, and Tanzania to continue the work of Dr. George Washington Carver in today's cutting-edge science and technology.
• Tuskegee/NASA Center for Food and Environmental Systems develops technology for growing food in space during human space missions.
• #1 national producer of African-American Aerospace Science Engineers
• #1 national producer of African-American PhDs in Materials Science and Engineering
• #1 national producer of African-American general officers in the military
• #1 state producer of African-Americans with baccalaureate degrees in Math, Science and Engineering
• A leading producer of African-American graduates in Chemical, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering
• Only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) with a fully accredited College of Veterinary Medicine that offers the Doctoral Degree and produces over 75% of the African-American veterinarians globally
• Only HBCU designated as National Center for Bioethics in Research & Health Care
• The only HBCU and one of only 11 universities in the world funded and authorized by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to establish and operate a Kellogg Conference Center, the technologically sophisticated hub of Continuing Education and Hospitality/Tourism Management Training.

• College of Business and Information Science ( CBIS )
• College of Agriculture, Environment & Nutrition Sciences ( CAENS )
• The College of Arts and Sciences ( CAS )
• College of Engineering ( COE )
• College of Veterinary Medicine ( CVM )
• School of Architecture and Construction Science and Management ( TSACS )
• School of Education ( SOE )
• School of Nursing & Allied Health ( SONAH )

Because many action items are infill and adaptive reuse, emphasizing on agricultural urbanism, TSACS and CAENS will have lead roles in plan implementation.

The Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science and Management (TSACS) is named after Robert Robinson Taylor, the first accredited African American architect and the first Black to receive an Architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Robert Taylor is credited with building the first buildings on what is now Tuskegee University, and other prominent architects, Wallace Rayfield, Vertner Tandy, and William Pittman, taught the brick-making process, plastering, and plumbing skills to its students in 1893. The Construction Science and Management department, established in 1933, is the oldest construction baccalaureate program in the country. The architecture program began a year later, in 1934.

TSACS MISSION

Our mission is to develop skilled professionals capable of playing active roles in shaping communities through the building of meaningful places for all people. We intend to keep working to help our current and future students to have a competitive advantage that will both distinguish them from students at peer institutions and advance their career goals. We also envision a new identity in the minds of alumni and stakeholders to help carry out our mission and the academic rigor to nurture a generation of highly competent designers and builders.

In the past five years, TSACS has developed a Bachelor of Arts in Design degree, implemented an interdisciplinary approach to teaching architecture and construction, and included the following minors.

Tuskegee University is the only university in the southeast with a recognized focus on Historic Preservation. This minor focuses on the preservation of the historical heritage of the Tuskegee buildings. TSACS faculty developed the emphasis to create an innovative educational system, which will be a leader among other HBCUs in developing craft training skills and service through its undergraduate, research, and outreach programs. These craft training skills and other interdisciplinary education programs are essential to the implementation of this action plan. Students will receive a certification in Historic Preservation upon completion of the minor. The three core focus areas for the minor are 1. Preservation through Social Activism: 2. Preservation through Trades/Practices; and 3. Preservation through International Awareness.

 Current historic preservation projects  include the restoration of the Drakeford House, one of the eight historic houses in the Tuskegee community located on the north side of Tuskegee along East Water and North Main Street. The Drakeford House is located at 616 North Main Street and was built in 1890. The Drakeford House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places Inventory on March 7th, 1985. The house was occupied by John H. Drakeford, a successful businessman primarily during the early 20th century.  Dr. Michael Hicks currently owns the Drakeford House, and is a medical doctor of Pontiac, Michigan, originally from Tuskegee. After the pandemic, the project will resume as a collaboration between TSACS, the City of Tuskegee, the Rebuild Tuskegee Foundation, the Hope Crew/National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to restore and renovate the house.

National Trust for Historic Preservation/African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund awarded the grant titled, "Preserving Booker T. Washington Mission: Learning to do by Doing" to renovate Willcox E in 2018 partially. The project expands the school's mission by exploring, both historically and philosophically, African American education. Booker T. Washington advocated educating the whole individual—the hand, heart, and mind; he also advocated “co-relation,” applying academic study to practical work, as in the photos above. This unique position on a rich historic campus allows our faculty to pursue funding opportunities in approaches to historic preservation, conservation, and building sustainability. The school’s long-term goal is to develop Centers for Workforce Development and Historic Preservation by advancing the craft training skills of its students and the Tuskegee community at large.

Other funding agencies for Historic Preservation Initiatives currently include the J.M Kaplan Fund, Inc., University of Pennsylvania's Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Historic Preservation Capacity Building, Alabama Civil Right Sites, Alabama Historical Commission, and National Endowment of Humanities (NEH).

CAENS MISSION

Tuskegee University’s College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences (CAENS) offers an education that prepares future professionals and leaders in the agricultural, environmental, and nutritional sciences, as well as veterinary medicine through course work along with internships, research, and outreach activities related to their chosen majors.

The overall mission of the College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences is to develop students with skills in critical and systematic thinking, intellectual curiosity, a desire for lifelong learning, and to prepare them for leadership and service in the primary and applied sciences.

During the pandemic, opportunities have become more apparent for young professionals living across the nation in high-priced places. In the post-COVID time of telecommuting, Tuskegee offers a more sustainable, long-term lifestyle where people can stretch out a little, grow their food, and their businesses. Tuskegee today is the same rich soil of George Washington Carver’s time. There is a movement across the country of Black entrepreneurs like never before. People are getting away from the corporate mindset of 9-5. Or even those that are still corporate are now understanding the power of the collective Black community.

Development resources have only been available at city offices until now. This story map consolidates the Comprehensive Plan, the Zoning Ordinance, and a database of available properties so that opportunities can be more easily identified and acted upon.

This plan seeks to implement the adopted  City of Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan . Today’s adjustments take into account current conditions including the global COVID-19 pandemic extracted from a collective needs list, methods of overcoming barriers, potential funding sources, and actions required to achieve the vision. 

Local community leaders have shared this vision, including the Utilities Board of Tuskegee, the City of Tuskegee, and Tuskegee University. This coalition is supported by a local, regional, and national developer community ready to bring the plan to life once the funding sources are secured.

The Tuskegee Zoning Ordinance is a standard used-based ordinance with a recent amendment to encourage walkable, mixed-use, neighborhood development, in Article XI. Neighborhood Plan.

The TU  Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science  (TSACS) is developing a tiny home lab to provide student and faculty housing, both on campus and within the city. The zoning ordinance needs to be updated to permit gentle densification within the residential zoning districts throughout the city to encourage redevelopment. This action would allocate the tiny houses a by-right application for the Planning Commission.

 Zoning Ordinance – Articles I -X, Adopted February 2002 

 Zoning Ordinance – Article XI, Adopted May 2020 

The structure of the neighborhood plan is unique to Tuskegee. It is by-right development in all zones except R1 and B1. The process is simplified and expedited to encourage the use of this option.

Process:

 Neighborhood Plan Subdivision Flowchart 

 Neighborhood Plan Subdivision Checklist 

 Neighborhood Plan Building Permit Flowchart 

 Neighborhood Plan Building Permit Checklist 

The Utilities Board of Tuskegee has acquired property at the western gateway of Tuskegee to implement a primary action of the Comprehensive Plan. New housing has not been developed in the city in decades, and University faculty, students, and city and state employees must seek accommodations in Montgomery, Pike Road, or Auburn. Growing the population will increase the viability of local businesses. Western Gateway Master Plan phases one and two are available  here , and pictured to the right in the image below.

Goal:

To make this plan viable, the UBT is seeking assistance with constructing infrastructure for streets and civic space while providing a local match for the construction of water, sewer, and electrical infrastructure.

$9,807,353 earmark/grant request

In addition to new neighborhoods, there is a severe need for existing neighborhood stabilization throughout the city.

In May 2021, the City of Tuskegee was selected to receive a $300,000 FY21 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 04 to address environmental justice concerns, public health, and economic and social impacts. The grant funds will be used to develop cleanup assessment plans and conduct community engagement activities. The target area is the entire City of Tuskegee. Check back here for more information for the October 2021 Kickoff Community Meeting.

The city has compiled a  database  of available properties, zoning designations, and lot areas to incentivize redevelopment. The map below is searchable by address, and provides an overview of opportunities. 

Macon County enjoys three Qualified  Opportunity Zones  promoting economic development through tax deferrals on capital gains and long-term investments. However, notably missing from these designations are Tuskegee University and downtown Tuskegee, the largest municipality in the County, where 27.9% of residents live in poverty ( American Community Survey , 2015-2019), compared to some areas of the County that received Opportunity Zones having as low as 17.15% poverty ( policymap.com , 2015-2019). In comparison, the nearby Auburn University and downtown Auburn both received Opportunity Zone designations.

A significant roadblock to implementing this action plan is access to capital. The currently incorrect designation of the majority of Tuskegee as a "middle-tier income area," instead of a lower-tier income area, keeps it from being designated as Qualifying Census Tracts for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs). This keeps lenders from accessing the full range of funds that should be available to support Opportunity Sites with Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) eligibility. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is in charge of applying the Qualifying Census Tract indicators for deciding qualifications for the LIHTCs. 

For banks to get credits, as determined by the rules governing the Community Reinvestment Act, a vital action of this plan is to request a re-review from the regulators to overturn the current middle-tier income determination that codes Tuskegee census tracts as ineligible. The Mayor’s office and U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers may request that HUD re-review the census block groups in Tuskegee to ensure they are appropriately designated as lower-tier income areas, based on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation rules. Additionally, the city may request a letter ruling from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), a working group of all federal bank regulators, who have agreed to abide by such determinations as a group.

The average age of housing stock in the city 50 to 75 years old. Three to four hundred structures in the city are empty or needing repair. South Main Street has several turn-of-the-century homes, and perhaps 24 that are abandoned or unoccupied and in need of repair. Century homes sell for $50 to $70/S.F., with hardwood floors and brick exteriors. Homes in nearby Auburn, Opelika, and East Montgomery sell for $150 to $200/S.F.

Home purchases anywhere in Macon County qualify for up to $230,000 USDA direct loan assistance for mortgages, if income thresholds are met.

Goal:

To incentivize homeownership, recruit 100 new owners to renovate and inhabit a piece of property for a 5-year commitment.

Provide $50,000 forgivable note if homeowners live within city limits.

$5,000,000 earmark/grant request (e.g.  HeroHousing.org )

Downtown Buildings

Buildings downtown are under consideration for low rent or no rent incentives, to enable redevelopment as embodied by  Koncept House  and  Pittsburgh Yards  in Atlanta.

Goal:

Incentivize adaptive reuse of downtown buildings through low- or no-rent options.

$5,000,000 earmark/grant request

Incubation | Acceleration

While the extent of incubation and acceleration of Black-owned businesses far exceeds what one building in Tuskegee is envisioned to contain, this map indicates one such property that is available for consideration: The Louis Adams Elementary School and its 18-acre site. The structure is within a few years of being uninhabitable. The county has expressed an interest in donating it to an entity able to make the required improvements.

Goal:

Renovate Louis Adams site for incubation and acceleration of Black-owned businesses.

Workable commercial kitchen; 12 classrooms and a principal’s office could be converted to incubators.

$200,000 earmark/grant request for environmental abatement and stabilization plus renovation.

Tiny Home Lab and Workforce Development Center

To enable redevelopment, infill, and adaptive reuse of all of the actions listed above, a Tiny Home Lab and Workforce Development Center will be pivotal to train residents in construction trades and other skilled labor. Because Tuskegee has seen primarily small-scale development in recent years, most tradespeople are hired from surrounding communities, making the initiatives envisioned in this plan more challenging. A Workforce Development Center could also contribute to a greater diversity of jobs within the community.

Following the university's mission shaped by Booker T. Washington to “Learn to do by doing,” Tuskegee University students and residents will train in construction trades and other skilled labor to build tiny homes using advanced construction materials in the historic architectural styles of the Tuskegee vernacular. The Tiny Home Lab and Workforce Development Center will be housed in repurposed portions of the landmark Willcox E building, where student-led  historic preservation  is already underway by architectural students, as a critical part of the  Tuskegee University Campus Master Plan  while teaching  anti-racism in architecture . Once constructed, the tiny homes will be distributed at appropriate infill locations within the city, likely to some of the databases of available properties listed above.

Goal:

The city is pursuing a  Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities  (WORC) grant and other sources of support for the Workforce Development Center. The university is seeking additional funding sources.

$1,000,000 earmark/grant request for the Tiny Home Lab and Workforce Development Center.

Tuskegee needs both renovation and the construction of buildings, streets, and civic space, which include:

1. Tuskegee University National Historic Site Deferred Maintenance: Over the next 12 months, significant heritage structures at Tuskegee University are at risk without a budget infusion to assist with maintenance.
2. Tiny Home Lab and Workforce Development Center: Following the mission of the university shaped by Booker T. Washington to “Learn to do by doing,” Tuskegee University students along with residents will train in construction trades and other skilled labor to build tiny homes using advanced construction materials in the historic architectural styles of the Tuskegee vernacular; Lab and Center will be housed in repurposed portions of the landmark Willcox E building; tiny homes will be distributed at appropriate infill locations within the city: $1 million
3. Installation of New Streets at Western Gateway Infill Master Plan: New infrastructure installation of roads, sidewalks, water, sewer, and civic space for phase one of four infill neighborhoods: $9.8 million
4. Upgrades to Existing Streets: Infrastructure upgrades to roads, sidewalks, cycling and scooter lanes, water, and sewer for street improvements surrounding downtown: $14 million
5. Upgrades to Aging Housing Stock: Incentives to homeowners to renovate existing Tuskegee housing stock and live in the city for five years: $5 million
6. Upgrades to Aging Commercial Stock: Revitalization of Downtown for incentives to commercial property owners to renovate existing Tuskegee retail stock for incubation and acceleration of Black businesses: $5 million 
7. Zoning Update: Modify existing zoning code to invite adaptive reuse and infill. Depending on level of community engagement: $20,000 to $30,000
8. Update Comprehensive Plan: While this action plan updates the vision and actions of the comprehensive plan, updating it to today’s conditions will assist all other activities: $115,000

Tuskegee is a community that is singular and special in its heritage and history. As the only college or university campus in the nation to be designated a National Historic Site by the U.S. Congress, this Action Plan demonstrates the commitment of local leadership, with community partners standing by with partial funding sources to match grants from all levels of government, foundations, and private investors. However, without the levels of budgetary support listed here, this historically Black community is at significant risk.

City of Tuskegee

 Mayor Lawrence "Tony" Haygood  | 101 Fonville St., Tuskegee, Alabama 36083 |  thaygood@tuskegeealabama.gov  | (334) 725-8496

 Kim R. Ortiz  | Coordinator, Community Development Grants | 302 S. Main Street, Tuskegee, AL 36083 |  krortiz@tuskegeealabama.gov  | (334) 720-0542

Tuskegee University

 Dr. Charlotte Morris  | President |  interimpresidentcm@tuskegee.edu  cc:  kruffin@tuskegee.edu  | (334) 727-8501

 Dr. Carla Bell  | Dean and Professor | Robert Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science and Management (TSACS) | 1200 West Montgomery Road, Willcox A, Office 101, Tuskegee Inst., AL 36088 |  cjbell@tuskegee.edu  | (334) 727-8014

Utilities Board of Tuskegee

 Gerald Long  | General Manager | 101 Fonville St., Tuskegee, Alabama 36083 |  glong@yourubt.com  |  (334) 720-0712