Comprehensive
Plan Update

City of Tuskegee
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September 30, 2011
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Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Acknowledgments
The preparation of this document
was financed with funds available
through the Appalachian Regional
Commission (ARC) as administered
through the Alabama Department
of Economic and Community
Affairs (ADECA) and with matching
funds provided by the South
Central Alabama Development
Commission. ARC Project No. AL16431-09.
The Tuskegee Comprehensive
Plan Update was developed as
a joint effort between the City
of Tuskegee, the South Central
Alabama Development Commission
(Montgomery), and KPS Group
(Birmingham). Simultaneously, the
Auburn University Urban Design
Studio undertook a downtown
revitalization planning and design
project, the results of which are
included in this document.
For additional copies of the plan,
contact:
Tuskegee City Hall
101 Fonville Street
P.O. Box 830687
Tuskegee, Alabama 36083
Phone: 334-720-0500
Fax: 334-720-0459
www.tuskegeealabama.org
Mayor
Honorable Omar Neal
Council Members
Honorable Lutalo K. Aryee
Honorable Willie Louise Fields
Honorable Georgette White Moon
Honorable Mae Doris Williams
Planning Commission Members
Rozell Chappell, Jr.
Ed Corbitt, Jr.
Ethel Elsberry
Iverson Gandy
Paul Hill
Major Holland
Georgette W. Moon
Ala Whitehead
City Manager
Alfred J. Davis
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................
............................................................................................3
Planning Process
Location and Climate
Historic Setting
Local Government
Resources and Evaluation....................................................................... 7
Demographics
Resource Inventory
Evaluation
Community Perception
Community Studies .............................................................................. 13
Housing
Economic Development
Community Facilities
Community Enrichment
Transportation
Land Use
Development Concepts.......................................................................... 25
Transportation and Circulation
Community Facilities
Housing
Economic Development
Downtown Revitalization
Development Strategy ........................................................................... 33
Strategic Development Concept
Future Land Use
Goals
Recommended Actions
Immediate Projects
Appendices (found in a separate companion document)
A. Meeting Summaries
B. Demographic Tables
C. Resource Inventory Maps
D. Review of Subdivision Regulations
E. Review of Zoning Ordinance
South Central Alabama
Development Commission
5900 Carmichael Place
Montgomery, AL 36117
334-244-6903
www.scadc.net
Auburn University
School of Architecture
Urban Studio
1731 First Avenue North
Third Floor
Birmingham, AL 35203
205 323 3592
KPS Group
2101 First Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203
205.251.0125
www.kpsgroup.com
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 3
Introduction
Community planning is a
process in which consensus is
built among citizens, local officials,
businesses, industries, land owners
and land developers regarding the
future growth and direction of a
community, town or city. Alabama
communities find their authority for
planning, zoning and the regulation
of subdivisions in powers granted
to municipalities by the State
Legislature. By Alabama statutes,
not only does municipality have the
right to plan for its future, but has
the responsibility to do so. Within
a municipal structure, it is the
function and duty of a municipal
planning commission to make
and adopt a plan for the physical
development of the municipality.
In 2000, the City of Tuskegee
undertook a major planning process
resulting in a comprehensive plan
through 2010. This document
does not replace the Tuskegee 2010
Comprehensive Plan, but instead,
serves as an update to that plan. In
the preparation of this update, the
2010 Plan has served as a reference
and many of the goals hold true.
Still, it is necessary to address
those things that have changed in
the past decade and to re-address
some goals that have not yet been
attained.
The Tuskegee Comprehensive
Plan Update and its subsequent
implementation provides the
foundation for making longterm decisions regarding capital
improvements, the provision of
services and attaining the vision
held by citizens of what they want
their community to become. It
is intended that the Tuskegee
citizens utilize the comprehensive
plan update as a guide for making
decisions. Should events occur
that alter the long-range plans of
Plan Update produced by
SCADC, the Auburn University
Urban Design Studio produced a
graphic poster with illustrations
and recommendations for the
Planning Process
preservation and redevelopment of
Working with planners from
Downtown Tuskegee.
the South Central Alabama
Over a period of one year,
Development Commission (SCADC),
four planning workshops were
the KPS Group and the Auburn
conducted and attended by
University Urban Design Studio,
members of a comprehensive plan
Tuskegee followed a three-step
steering committee, as well as
process to (1) review their existing
plan, (2) develop an overall strategy the general public. City Council,
for future growth and development, Planning Commission and Steering
Committee members were notified
and (3) propose solutions and
of meeting dates by letter and
select actions that will lead to the
e-mail. The public was notified
attainment of the public policy.
These actions were compiled into an through local media and posting
of meeting flyers. The public
overall development strategy with
workshops were approximately
a designated time frame. Unique
two to three hours in length and
to the Tuskegee planning process
included presentations of data,
was the emphasis on revitalization
community surveys, completion of
of the city’s core downtown area.
individual and group exercises, and
Therefore, two planning projects
consensus-building.
were conducted simultaneously
In addition to the planning
to ensure compatibility in
workshops, two open-house
the development plans and
meetings were held in a come-andrecommended actions. Besides,
go format that allowed citizens to
the Tuskegee Comprehensive
the City, then it will be necessary to
again update the plan based on the
impact of those events.
Tuskegee
Comprehensive Plan
Update Workshops and
Open House Meetings
Page 4
visit, ask one-on-one questions,
make comments and suggestions,
and follow the progress of the
comprehensive plan. The first open
house was held on Thursday, June
10, 2010 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
The focus of the workshop was to
review a communitywide vision,
development concepts and a goal
framework for the various elements
of the comprehensive plan. Citizen
comments from the open house
were used to refine the development
concept into a full development
strategy. The development strategy
and downtown revitalization plans
were presented in a second open
house meeting on Wednesday,
October 6, 2010. Comments and
suggestions were again used to
refine the final action strategy. The
final plan was then presented to the
Tuskegee Planning Commission and
City Council, who then conducted
the required public hearings
prior to adoption of the Tuskegee
Comprehensive Plan Update.
The study area for the Tuskegee
Comprehensive Plan Update
includes the 15.7 square miles of
land within the city’s boundaries
and the area in the city’s 3-mile
police jurisdiction. Although the
final tangible product of the project
is a comprehensive plan, the greater
result is the on-going process for
anticipating and managing the
future of Tuskegee and staying in a
position to maximize opportunities
as they arise.
Location and Climate
Tuskegee is the county seat
of Macon County and is located
in east central Alabama along
Interstate 85. The city’s regional
location provides access to a
number of major southeastern
economic centers: Auburn is 21
miles to the northeast; Montgomery
is 40 miles to the west; Columbus,
Georgia is 51 miles to the east;
Atlanta, Georgia is 133 miles to the
northeast, Birmingham is 135 miles
to the northwest; Pensacola, Florida
is 200 miles to the southeast;
and Mobile is 216 miles to the
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
southeast. All of these locations
can be reached from Tuskegee
via an interstate road system,
facilitating the movement of goods
and people to and from the city.
Tuskegee is also served by
U.S. Highways 29 and 80, and
Alabama Highways 81 and 199.
As a result of Tuskegee’s location
and transportation network, there
are 24 communities within a
one-hour commute of Tuskegee.
The city is also served by Moton
Field Municipal Airport, which
has a 5,000 foot runway. A rail
line, operated by CSXT, is located
across northern Macon County and
Regional Location
Planning Study Area
had a 2008 gross traffic density of
more than 20 million tons between
interchanges in Montgomery and
Opelika.
Tuskegee has a temperate
climate with hot summers when
temperatures tend to be in the 80’s
(Fahrenheit) and cold winters with
temperatures generally in the 40’s
(Fahrenheit). The warmest month
of the year is July with an average
maximum temperature of 91.60°
Fahrenheit, while the coldest month
of the year is January with an
average minimum temperature of
33.80° Fahrenheit.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Annual average precipitation
in Tuskegee is 53.19 inches.
Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed
throughout the year. The wettest
month of the year is March with an
average rainfall of 6.71 inches. The
driest month is October with an
average rainfall of 2.64 inches.
Historic Setting
Tuskegee’s climate has been a
distinguishing feature throughout
the city’s history. The area was
once part of the Creek Nation,
characterized by bountiful
game, plentiful streams, rich
agricultural lands, great forests,
and agreeable climate. ‘Tuskegee’
is thought to be a variation on the
Creek word ‘taskialga’, meaning
‘warrior’. Tuskegee was the home
of the Taskigis, Channanugee,
Chehaws and Tallassee Indian
tribes. Following the French and
Indian War of 1763, the French
ceded Alabama to England.
European settlers moved to the
area to trade and to live among
the Indians. When the land was
opened to settlement in 1830, war
broke out between the Creeks and
the military. The Creek Indian
population was greatly reduced
until finally in 1836 when the
remaining Creeks were moved to
Oklahoma.
The City of Tuskegee was
originally established by the
Alabama Legislature on February
13, 1843 on 80 acres of land
donated by William Walker, an
Indian trader. The city was laid
out in 2-acre lots with the streets
at right angles. A new charter was
issued on December 14, 1898 and
the municipal code of 1907 was
adopted in January 1908.
General Thomas Simpson
Woodward, who fought in the
Indian Wars under Andrew
Jackson, built the first home in
Tuskegee; however, it was partially
destroyed by fire and rebuilt by Mr.
William Campbell. The first home
on the square was built by Mr.
James Dent. Due to the area’s rich
soils and hot climate, the area was
used for plantation lands during
the antebellum period. During this
era of prosperity, Tuskegee was a
thriving center of a cotton-growing
economy and was linked with
Montgomery and Atlanta by a spur
of the Western Railway of Alabama.
By 1860, Tuskegee was home to
two of the 17 colleges in Alabama.
The East Alabama Female College,
a Baptist institution, had been
erected in 1851. Unfortunately,
the college burned in 1865 and was
not rebuilt. In 1854, the Tuskegee
Female College was chartered and
stayed in existence until 1872. At
that time, the Methodist Church
acquired the college and renamed
it to the Alabama Conference
Female College, which later became
Huntingdon College in Montgomery.
Although Macon County
was not directly involved in any
military actions until the end of
the Civil War, the prosperity of
the county faltered due to the
loss of manpower, the blockade of
southern ports, the disruption of
transportation, and the collapse
of the economic system across the
South. After the Civil War, a degree
of economic prosperity returned
to Tuskegee and the Tuskegee
Normal and Industrial Institute was
established in 1881 with a $2,000
legislative appropriation.
On July 4th of that same
year, Booker T. Washington
held the Institute’s first classes
in a small building loaned by
the local AME Zion Church.
In 1896, George Washington
Carver joined the faculty and
subsequently revolutionized
agricultural development in
the south. Washington worked
tirelessly throughout the country
to gain support for the Tuskegee
Institute and was able to win the
benefaction of numerous influential
Americans, including John D.
Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.
Tuskegee Institute, now known as
Tuskegee University, has grown
into a well-known and highly
respected institution of higher
learning. The campus now includes
Page 5
Tuskegee’s Historic and
Cultural Assets
Annual Carver Sweet Potato Festival
Butler Chapel African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church
Chehaw Train Station
George Washington Carver Museum
George Washington Carver (GWC)
Arts and Crafts Festival
Grey Columns
Johnston-Cutright House
Kellogg Conference Center
Kirk’s Old Farm Museum
Lake Tuskegee
Main Street Historic District
Macon County Courthouse
Memorial Day Fly-In
North Main Street Historic District
The Oaks, Home of Booker T.
Washington
Tuskegee Airmens Museum
Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights
Multicultural Center
Tuskegee Institute
Tuskegee National Forest
Tuskegee Repertory Theatre at the
Jesse Clinton Arts Centre
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University Chapel
Tuskegee University Cemetery
Varner House
Johnston - Cutright House, Photo from
Alabama Historical Commission
The Oaks, Home of Booker T. Washington,
Photo from National Park Service
Page 6
161 buildings on 268 acres and
an academic community of nearly
5,000 students, faculty and staff.
The campus is also home to the
Tuskegee Institute National Historic
Site which became part of the
National Park System in 1974.
Following World War I, a
Veterans Facility was established
on a 290-acre tract of land donated
by the Tuskegee Institute. The
location of the veterans facility in
Tuskegee and its staffing were the
result of much national debate.
In 1921 a committee of medical
experts formed to advise on the
development of a national hospital
system for veterans recommended
to Secretary of the Treasury Andrew
Mellon that a national hospital for
black veterans be established. It
was further recommended that
the facility be located in the south
and be a separate facility rather
than a segregated portion within
an existing hospital. In addition to
providing care for black soldiers, the
medical experts felt that the facility
would also allow for the training of
black nurses and physicians.
Georgia and Alabama became
prime contenders for the facility due
to the numbers of black soldiers
from those two states that fought in
WWI. Resistance was encountered
to placing the facility in a number
of locations including Montgomery.
Different groups advocated for
a facility to be located in either
Washington DC or Nashville.
Tuskegee Institute emerged as a
more attractive location due to the
local support for the location and
the work of Dr. Robert Moton.
Once the decision about the
location was resolved, conflict
immediately arose over the staffing.
Initially, a white administrator was
placed in charge of the facility and
plans were put in motion to staff
the facility with white employees.
Dr. Moton appealed to President
Harding who ordered a review of
the staffing that led to a delay in
the opening of the facility. On April
28th President Harding ordered
that the staffing of the facility would
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
be totally African American. This
led to a white backlash. By Mid
May President Harding shifted his
position, rescinded the directive and
the hospital opened on June 21,
1923 with a white staff. Veterans
Bureau officials stated that this was
a temporary situation until African
American staff could be hired.
Racial tensions increased and
on July 3, 1921 the KKK held a
rally in Montgomery to protest
black personnel at the facility
and then moved their rally to
Tuskegee that evening. Amid the
anticipation of violence and threats
made against Dr. Moton and the
Tuskegee Institute, the Director of
the Veterans Bureau, Frank Hines
interceded and pushed his plan for
converting the staff to an all African
American staff which led to the
eventual conversion of the entire
staff to African Americans. The
Tuskegee Veterans Administration
facility was dedicated on Lincoln’s
birthday in 1923. Vice President
Coolidge attended the dedication
ceremony along with a host of
other dignitaries. Known today
as the Central Alabama Veterans
Health Care System (CAVHCS),
the hospital still plays an integral
role in Tuskegee as both a regional
employer and a regional health care
provider.
Tuskegee received national
attention during World War II as a
training center for the first AfricanAmerican flying unit. In 1940, the
99th Pursuit Squadron was formed
under President Franklin Roosevelt
direction to establish an African-
In 1923, the Tuskegee veterans hospital was
the first VA facility that was staffed entirely by
African-Americans.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
American unit. Tuskegee Institute
was selected as the training ground
for the unit due to its commitment
to aeronautical training coupled
with the fact that the Institute had
the necessary facilities, instructors
and climate for such an endeavor.
Thus, Tuskegee became the center
for African-American aviation for
the remainder of war.
Since World War II, Macon
County has evolved from an
essentially agricultural based
economy to a more diversified
economic base in which agriculture
plays a much smaller role.
Local Government
Until recent years, the City
of Tuskegee operated under
a mayor-council government
structure. The local election in
2004, however, marked the change
of the government structure from a
mayor-council to a council-manager
form of government with elections
being held every four years. Rather
than five elected council positions,
representatives are now chosen
from three districts, in addition to
an at-large council member and
a mayor. The city council acts
as a legislative body of the city,
passing laws and regulations and
appointing citizens to the city’s
various boards. The duties of the
mayor are to promote the city,
communicate with residents, and
preside over City Council meetings.
The day-to-day operations
of Tuskegee are run by the city
manager, who is appointed by the
City Council. The City Manager is
responsible for the appointment
and dismissal of all department
heads, advises the council on
policy matters, and creates and
administers the city budget.
In addition to the elected
officials and appointed staff, the
City is served by six departments
and six appointed boards. The
departments include:
(1) Economic and Community
Development, (2) Finance, (3) Fire,
(4) Police, (5) Public Works, and
(6) Senior Citizens.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 7
Resources and Evaluation
The inventory and evaluation
of existing resources provides an
in-depth framework for making
decisions for the future based on
population characteristics and the
presence, or lack, of physical and
structural features. The resource
inventory is then used to help
determine the general capacity of
the land in Tuskegee for future
development. After information
regarding the available resources
was compiled, it was possible to
perform an analysis to determine
the strengths and weaknesses
of Tuskegee in regards to
opportunities for future growth and
to identify limitations to additional
development.
Demographics
Following 40 years of explosive
growth, Tuskegee has now
experienced three decades of
population loss. Between 1940
and 1980, the Tuskegee population
increased by more than 230
percent. Since 1980 Tuskegee
has suffered a total population
loss of 26.0 percent, with the most
significant loss, of 16.7 percent,
occurring between 2000 and 2010.
According to the 2010 Census,
Tuskegee now has a population of
9,865 persons. Similarly, Macon
County experienced a population
decrease of 20.0 percent between
2000 and 2010.
According to the U.S. Bureau
of Census, American Community
Survey, 2005-2009, the racial
distribution is Tuskegee is 95.9
percent African American, 2.3
percent white, and 1.8 percent
is persons of other races. The
Hispanic population is minimal,
with only 0.6 percent being
Hispanic or Latino.
It is estimated that there are
3,793 households in Tuskegee,
of which 47.1 percent are family
households. Less than half of the
family households are married
couples. Of the other family
households, 89.4 percent are female
householders. Of the non-family
households, 82.2 percent are
householders living alone.
More than half of the Tuskegee
population is female, at 54.1
percent. The same is true in
Macon County, the state and
the nation; however, Tuskegee
and Macon County have slightly
higher percentages of females than
the state, at 51.6 percent, and
the nation, at 50.7 percent. The
median age in Tuskegee, at 23.9
years old, is much lower than that
of Macon County, at 34.0, the state,
at 37.2, and the nation at 36.5
years old. The median age of males
in Tuskegee, at 23.8, is slightly
lower than that of females, at 24.0
years old.
The age distribution in Tuskegee
is not similar to that of Macon
County, the state or the nation.
Due, in part, to the presence of
Tuskegee University, Tuskegee
has a much higher percentage
of persons age 18 to 24 years
old, at 34.4 percent, than Macon
County, at 21.5 percent, and the
state and nation, at 9.9 percent
each. Conversely, Tuskegee has
Age Distribution, 2009
Alabama
Under 5
5 to 17
18 to 24
25 to 44
45 to 64
65+
6.6%
17.6%
9.9%
26.6%
25.7%
13.5%
Macon
County
5.3%
16.2%
21.5%
18.2%
23.8%
15.0%
Tuskegee
4.4%
12.8%
34.4%
15.7%
20.3%
12.4%
Tuskegee Population History, 1900 to 2010
14,000
13,327
12,000
11,846
11,028
12,257
Persons
10,000
9,865
8,000
6,712
7,240
6,000
4,000
3,314
2,803
3,937
2,000
2,475
2,170
0
1900
Source: U.S. Bureau of Census
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
Year
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Page 8
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
a lower percentages of children
under the age of 17 and working
age population, ages 25 to 64, than
Macon County, the state and the
nation.
Just over one-fourth of the
Tuskegee population, at 25.3
percent, has a disability in
comparison to 29.6 percent of the
Macon County population, 23.2
percent of Alabama’s population
and 19.3 percent of the population
of the United States. The incidence
of disability increases as the
population ages, as shown below:
Persons with a Disability
Age
Age
Age
Age
Age
5 to 15
16 to 20
21 to 64
65 to 74
75+
7.0%
11.7%
26.5%
51.3%
66.7%
The same trend is true in
Macon County, the state and the
nation. In all age groups, except
the 16 to 20 age group, Tuskegee
has a higher percentage of people
with a disability than the state or
the nation.
Income levels in Tuskegee are
low, as 21.9 percent of the total
households have an income less
than $10,000 and 44.9 percent
have an income less than $20,000.
Also, 34.0 percent of the Tuskegee
population has an income below
poverty level, as compared to 28.0
percent in Macon County, 16.8
percent in Alabama and 13.5
percent in the nation. Only 69.9
percent of the households have
an income based on earnings, as
compared to 80.1 percent in the
nation. Tuskegee has a higher
percentage of households with
Supplemental Security Income than
the state or nation. Households
with Social Security or other
public assistance income, however,
comprise a smaller percentage than
in the state or nation.
The per capita income in
Tuskegee, at $14,643, is much
lower than that of the nation, at
$27,041. The same is true with
the median household income,
which is $23,633 in Tuskegee as
compared to $51,425 nationally.
The per capita income and median
household income of the state and
Macon County are also higher
than those of Tuskegee. While the
median family income in Tuskegee,
at $43,962, is again much lower
than the nation, at $62,363, and
the state, at $51,989, it is higher
than that of Macon County, at
$43,962.
Income levels in Tuskegee are
not necessarily reflective of the
population’s education levels.
Although Tuskegee has a fairly
high percentage of the population
without a high school diploma or
equivalent, at 17.4 percent, as
compared to the nation, at 15.4
percent, that percentage is higher
in both Macon County, at 22.1
percent, and the state, at 19.2
percent. Tuskegee also has a high
percentage of the population with
2-year, bachelor’s, and advanced
graduate degrees. The percentage
of residents with an associate’s or
bachelor’s degree, at 24.6 percent,
is on par with the nation, at 24.8
percent, and higher than that of the
state or Macon County. Also, the
number of Tuskegee residents with
advanced graduate degrees, at 14.4
percent of the population, is higher
than that of the nation, at 10.1
percent, the state, at 7.8 percent,
and Macon County, at 9.4 percent.
Detailed demographic tables
are available in Appendix B of the
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan
Update companion document.
Resource Inventory
Physical resources are those
conditions that are inherent to
the land. As such, they cannot
be easily changed. Changing
the physical conditions as they
currently exist for development
is often costly and may present
new problems in other areas.
The inventory of physical
resources includes topography,
vegetation, hydrology, geology and
soils. Understanding both the
opportunities and the limitations
presented by these resources is
essential to cost-effective and
responsible development and land
uses for the future.
Tuskegee lies in the Fall Line
Hills District of the East Gulf
Coastal Plain physiographic region.
The Fall Line Hills is the most
northerly district of the Coastal
Plain and is characterized by
rounded hills cut by valleys with
local relief of between 200 and
250 feet. The Fall Line Hills is a
line of waterfalls, extending from
northwest Alabama to the east
central part of the state, that mark
the western and northern extent of
the unconsolidated Coastal Plain
sediments. It is an erosional scarp
formed when this area was the
Atlantic Ocean shore in Mesozoic
time. As the coastal plan uplifted
and sea levels dropped, terraces
were created along many of the
creeks and streams that drain
the area. Much of the area has a
“benched” appearance because of
the cycles of erosion and deposition
that occurred as the area was
exposed and submerged numerous
times in its geologic history.
The elevation of Macon County
is between 250 feet and 500 feet
above sea level and Tuskegee is
between 350 feet and 500 feet
above sea level. Generally, Tuskegee
has been developed along a ridge
running from the northwest to the
southeast part of the city. Higher
elevations roughly follow the city’s
major transportation routes of U.S.
Highway 29, Alabama Highway
81 and Franklin Road. From
these ridgelines, the topography
of Tuskegee gently slopes to lower
lands in the southeast part of the
city around tributaries to Calebee
Creek and lowlands around
Uphapee Creek in the northeast
part of the city. The area is
generally underlain by sands and
gravels, clays, beds of fossil oyster
shells, and occasionally sandstone.
Vegetation in the Fall Line Hills
is mostly forested terrain of oakhickory-pine on hills with 200 to
400 feet of relief.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Forest vegetation in Tuskegee
is primarily loblolly-shortleaf
pine, which is one of the most
commercially important forest
species in the southern United
States, making up over half of the
standing pine volume. Macon
County is a moderate producer
of pulpwood and saw timber.
Benefits of loblolly pine forests
include the provision of animal
habitats, wind and noise breaks,
timber production and biomass for
energy. Urban forests are located
throughout Tuskegee regardless of
elevation.
Tuskegee is located in the
Lower Tallapoosa Subwatershed
of the Coosa/Tallapoosa River
Basin, which covers a large portion
of eastern Alabama. The major
tributary to the Tallapoosa River in
the Tuskegee area is Uphapee Creek
with flows northwesterly just north
of Tuskegee. Although several
of the streams in Macon County
are impaired water bodies that do
not meet the standards for their
intended uses due to pollutants,
Uphapee Creek is not one of them.
Calebee Creek, southeast of the
city, is impaired due to siltation
and habitat alteration. The area of
Tuskegee northeast of the central
ridgeline in the city is drained by
Uphapee Creek while water in the
southwestern part of the city flows
to Calebee Creek. Floodplains
surround both of these creeks;
however, the floodplain along
Uphapee Creek tends to be slightly
broader and more expansive.
Tuskegee lies in the Southern
Coastal Plain Major Land Resource
Page 9
Area (MLRA 133A). The dominant
soils in this area are generally
very deep, somewhat excessively
drained to poorly drained, and
loamy. Typical land uses include
timber production, cash-grain
crops and forage production. Major
crops grown in these soils include
soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat.
Pastures are primarily grazed by
beef cattle, but some dairy cattle
and hogs are raised in the area.
Major concerns with soils in
the Southern Coastal Plain MLRA
are water erosion, maintenance of
the content of organic matter and
productivity of the soils, control of
surface water, artificial drainage,
and management of surface
compaction and soil moisture.
Although there are 42 different
soils in the Tuskegee area as shown
Tuskegee Relief Map and Natural Areas
Page 10
on the map below, three soil groups
dominate the soil composition.
These are the Uchee Cowarts
Complex, Cowarts loamy sand, and
Orangeburg sandy loam. Severe
limitations to building development
are present in about 40 percent of
the Tuskegee area due to flooding,
steep slopes and shrink swell
potential. The same limitations
apply to the construction of roads
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
and streets, and recreational
camping areas. There are also
severe limitations to the installation
of on-site septic systems due
to slow water absorption rates
of the existing soils. There are
few limitations, however, to the
construction of recreational paths
and trails.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s National Wetlands
Tuskegee Soils
Inventory has identified a number
of linear wetlands along the
small tributaries to Uphapee and
Calebee Creeks. The majority of
these wetlands lie in a southwest
to northeast direction on either
side of the ridges through the
central part of Tuskegee. Most
of these wetlands currently act as
buffers between neighborhoods
and other land uses. While the
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
County, Tuskegee has fewer
residents that do not have a high
school diploma or its equivalent.
The percentage of residents with
an associate’s or bachelor’s degree
is comparable to that of the
nation and higher than that of the
state and county. Furthermore,
Tuskegee has a higher percentage
of residents with an advanced
degree, such as a master’s, doctoral
or professional degree, than the
nation, state or county.
The City of Tuskegee and
Tuskegee University scholars have
a long history of ‘greatness’, as
exhibited by the number and variety
of historic sites in the city. Three of
the sites are of national significance
Resource Evaluation
and present opportunities for
People are often seen as the
increased tourism. The presence
greatest asset and strongest
of Tuskegee University and the its
resource to an organization, in
designation as a Historically Black
a program, and most definitely
College and University (HBCU) is
within a community. Tuskegee’s
an asset that the City of Tuskegee
demographics reveal both positive
and its residents can treasure and
and negative attributes of the
promote. Of the 105 HBCUs in
city. Tuskegee’s most obvious
the United States, 15 are located
demographic liability is the
in Alabama -- more than any other
continued loss of population over
state. The U.S. Department of
the last 30 years. Further, the
median age and the age distribution Education states that our country’s
HBCUs are a national resource and
of Tuskegee residents shows a
are a source of accomplishment and
loss of the working age population
great pride for the African American
in the city. Of the residents who
community as well as the entire
remain in Tuskegee, there is a
nation.
high percentage of persons with
Tuskegee’s regional location on
disability and low income levels,
Interstate 85, U.S. Highway 80 and
with 34.0 percent of Tuskegee
individuals living below the national U.S. Highway 29 between two of
the state’s metropolitan areas also
poverty level.
While Tuskegee’s median family
income is still lower than that of
the state and the nation, the gap is
not as large as with the per capita
income and the median household
income. Unfortunately, less than
half of the households in Tuskegee
are family households. And, of
those that are family households,
less than half are married couples.
Instead, there is a high incidence
of single female-headed households
that are reliant on one income.
Demographic assets can be
found in the education levels of
residents. In comparison with
the State of Alabama and Macon
existing wetlands must be taken
into consideration, their linear
characteristics do not present
undue limitations to future
development. The areas that will
be most significantly impacted
by the presence of wetlands
lies to the northeast of the city.
Wetlands in this area are associated
with Uphapee Creek and are
characterized by broad flat lands.
One leg of these wetlands flow into
the northeast into the Tuskegee
National Forest, while another leg
flows southeast to the Big Swamp
area in the southeast part of Macon
County.
Page 11
provides opportunities to capture
traffic and visitors from beyond the
Tuskegee area.
Tuskegee’s location in the Fall
Line Hills physiographic district
makes for interesting physical
terrain in terms of development.
The relief in elevation provides
for unique and panoramic views
from different locations in the city.
Although there exists some physical
limitations to development, past
development patterns have, for the
most part, avoided these hazards
and set precedents for development
locations. The majority of the city’s
past development has occurred
in higher elevations and along
ridgelines following U.S. Highways
29 and 80, Alabama Highway 81
and Franklin Road. Tuskegee is
also fortunate to have a number of
creeks, streams, Lake Tuskegee and
the Tuskegee National Forest. Even
though there are some flood plains
and wetlands associated with these
features, they are linear in nature
and tend to act as natural buffers
between development areas.
The most common physical
limitations to future development
are found in the area’s soil
composition. About 40 percent
of the Tuskegee area has soil
limitations due to flooding, steep
slopes and shrink swell potential.
The most severe limitations to
structural development are the
larger and more expansive wetlands
that surround Uphapee Creek to
the northeast of the city.
Lake Tuskegee offers a unique
asset to a residential area.
Page 12
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Community Perceptions
During the planning process, Tuskegee citizens were given
the opportunity to identify those features and characteristics of
their community that were both positive and not so positive. The
process began with the identification of those features that should
be featured on a postcard and moved to the identification of other
community assets. Following the discussion of the community
assets, residents were asked to identify those
features that do not portray the desired image for Tuskegee
or those characteristics that need to be changed. As shown
in the list below, the list of assets is much longer and more
comprehensive than community liabilities. Residents were
also asked to identify those items that were missing from their
personal vision of Tuskegee. These laundry lists help to define
and clarify community issues.
Assets
• Tuskegee Airman National
Historic Site
• Chehaw Train Station
• Harris Barrett School
• Photograph of Colonel (at the
time) Chappie James alongside
airplane
• VA Hospital (CAVHCS)
• The Oaks
• Tuskegee National Forest
• Booker T. Washington Statue
• Historic Downtown
• Lake Tuskegee
• Fire Station
• First Hospital in Tuskegee
• Intersection of Rosa Parks and
Martin Luther King street sign
• Children’s house
• Carver Museum
• Bioethics Center
• Grey Columns
• Emeries on Campus
• Tuskegee University Chapel
• Tuskegee University
• Churches
• School of Veterinary Medicine
• First Site of Huntington College
• Creek/Seminole Indian Heritage
• Farmers Market
• Macon County Courthouse
• Antebellum homes
• Veteran Population
• Kellogg Center
• Tuskegee Streets Names
-- After Instructors
-- Old Families/Deep Roots
• Greenwood Neighborhood
• Community Center
• Tuskegee students built the
campus and other homes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Folks from Tuskegee are found
all over the country
Old Columbus Road
Mt. Meigs Reform School began
here
Air Force Base
Community Center
Camp Atkins – State Boy Scout
Camp
Propeller Club
Famous Singers
Rosa Parks home town
Tuskegee University Football
stadium
Prentiss Polk – world famous
photographer
Thomas Reed Ambulatory
Center
Dr. Mitchell (obstetrics)
delivered most of the “kids” here
Plasma – Invented by Dr. Drew
Commodore Recording Studio
First Tuskegee Bank -- Oldest
African American Bank in the
United States
First Nursing Program in the
State at Tuskegee University
Liabilities
• Lack of mass transportation
• Need local hospital
• Absence of youth programs and
facilities
• Poor communication among
public and private agencies
• Community is fragmented
• Overabundance of vacant
homes
• Loss of revenue to surrounding
cities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Appearance
Public education
Condition of parks
Large quantity of deteriorated
housing
Need a means to match student
needs with what is available
Need to advertise what Tuskegee
does have
Need to promote Tuskegee as a
local college community
Missing Components of Vision
• Supporting others’ vision
• Discipline
• Education / Awareness
• Fundamentals and foundations
• Advocacy
• Trust
• Pride
• Diversity
• Resources
• Humility (in leaders)
• Patience
• Unification between City and
University
• An open mind
• Sense of community
• Jobs
• Mentoring
• Communications (church
bulletin, website, advertising,
online social networks, e-mail)
• Inter-agency cooperation
• Being ‘green’
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 13
Community Studies
Six elements of Tuskegee
were studied in the Tuskegee
2010 Comprehensive Plan that
was completed in 2001. These
were Population and Economic
Analysis, Land Use, Community
Facilities, Circulation, Housing
and Community Enrichment.
In this update to that plan, the
organization of the community
studies is slightly different and
some new components have been
added. The economic development
study includes an emphasis on
downtown revitalization and
tourism, and the community
enrichment study includes an
emphasis on recreation.
At the same time that the
Tuskegee 2010 Plan was being
updated, an additional study was
conducted by the Auburn University
School of Architecture Urban Studio
that focused on the redevelopment
of the city’s downtown. The
product of that study is an
illustrative poster that is available
as a separate document. Many
of the findings, illustrations and
recommendations from that study,
however, are included in this plan.
Housing
Initial data from the 2010
Census indicates that there are
4,624 housing units in Tuskegee,
which is a 10.0 percent decrease
since 2000, or a loss of 515 units.
In the 2005-2009 American
Community Survey, however, it
is estimated that there are 5,194
housing units in Tuskegee, as of
2009. Even though it appears likely
that the American Community
Survey data over-estimated the total
number of units, this data will be
used for comparisons due to the
level of detail available which was
not included in the 2010 Census.
Of the total housing units, 73.0
percent are occupied; and of the
occupied housing units, half are
owner-occupied. The percentage of
rental units is high in Tuskegee, at
50 percent, as compared to Macon
County, the state and the nation
where rental occupancy ranges from
20 percent to 34 percent. Rental
housing for Tuskegee University
students may be a factor in
Tuskegee’s high percentage of rental
occupancy.
Housing vacancy, at 27.0
percent, is also higher in Tuskegee
than in the state or nation.
Further, housing vacancy has
substantially increased since 2000
when 18.3 percent of the housing
stock was vacant. Of the total
vacant housing units, over half, at
53.5 percent, are not for sale or for
rent. Only 7.4 percent of the vacant
units are for sale and 24.9 percent
are for rent.
A slight majority of Tuskegee’s
housing stock (55.3 percent) is a
single unit detached structure,
while 3.5 percent are single unit
attached structures and 8.2 percent
are manufactured homes. Of the
multi-unit housing stock, most are
in smaller complexes of less than
nine units, at 20.4 percent of the
total housing units.
The median year in which
housing structures were built in
Tuskegee was 1975 as compared
to 1978 in Macon County and the
state, and 1974 in the nation. Only
4 percent of Tuskegee’s housing
stock has been constructed in
the last 10 years; 32 percent was
built between 1980 and 2000; 27.7
percent was built between 1970
and 1980; and the remaining 36.4
Tuskegee Housing Data
Total Housing Units (2000 Census)
Total Housing Units (2010 Census)
Total Housing Units (2009 American Community Survey)
Occupied
3,793
Owner occupied
Renter occupied
Vacant
For rent
Rented, not occupied
For sale only
Sold, not occupied
For seasonal, recreational, or occasional use
For migrant workers
Other vacant
Type of Housing Unit
Single-Family Units (Attached and Detached)
Multi-Family Units
Manufactured Home
Average Household Size
All Housing Units
Owner occupied
Renter occupied
5,139
4,624
Estimate
5,194
73.0%
1,898
1,895
1,401
349
113
104
24
62
0
749
Percent
100.0%
3,047
1,719
428
58.7%
33.1%
8.2%
50.0%
50.0%
27.0%
24.9%
8.1%
7.4%
1.7%
4.4%
0.0%
53.5%
2.17 persons
2.31 persons
2.03 persons
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey, Detailed Tables B25002,
B25003, B25004, B25010 and B25024.
Page 14
percent is more than 40 years old
and built prior to 1970. Rental
housing is generally newer than the
owner occupied housing, with 63.9
percent of the rental housing units
built since 1970, as compared the
55.9 percent of the owner occupied
housing. The median year in which
the householder moved into owneroccupied units is 1989 and for
rental units is 2005.
Almost all housing units use
either utility gas or electricity as a
source of heat. Only 2.6 percent of
the units utilize propane gas, and
0.2 percent have no source of heat.
Only 3.2 percent of owner-occupied
units do not have telephone service
available, while 10.4 percent of
rental units do not have phone
service. Similarly, only 4.8 percent
of owner-occupied units do not
have at least one vehicle, while 26.1
percent of rental units do not have
a vehicle available.
General housing condition is
measured in several different ways:
(1) by the number of occupants per
room to determine overcrowding,
(2) the lack of plumbing and/or
kitchen conditions, and (3) by the
physical appearance of the housing
stock.
The average household size
for all households in Tuskegee, at
2.17 persons, is smaller than that
of Macon County, the state or the
nation. The average household size
for owner-occupied units, at 2.31
persons, is slightly higher than
that of renter-occupied units, at
2.03 persons per unit. The U.S.
Census defines overcrowding in
housing as more than 1.00 person
per usable room. In Tuskegee,
only 0.1 percent of owner-occupied
units and 1.8 percent of renteroccupied units are considered to be
overcrowded. Of those units that
are overcrowded, only 0.1 percent
of the owner unit and none of the
rental units lack complete plumbing
facilities. Of the total housing
stock in Tuskegee, 8.0 percent lack
complete plumbing facilities and 8.5
percent lack kitchen facilities. Of
the occupied units, 0.2 percent lack
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Housing Condition Comparison
75.7%
80%
2010 Survey
70%
57.0%
2000 Survey
60%
50%
40%
29.7%
30%
17.5%
20%
9.8%
3.8%
10%
3.5%
3.1%
0%
Sound
Minor Repair
Deteriorated
Dilapidated
Source: South Central Alabama Development Commission Windshield Surveys, 2000 and 2010
complete plumbing and 0.3 percent
lack kitchen facilities.
Windshield surveys of housing
conditions were conducted in
2000 and July 2010 by the South
Central Alabama Development
Commission. In the surveys,
housing units were categorized
as sound, sound needing minor
repairs, deteriorated or dilapidated.
A comparison of the two survey
results an increase in the number
of sound housing units while the
percentage of units needing minor
repairs decreased. The survey
results also showed a decrease in
the percentage of deteriorated units
but an increase in the percentage
of dilapidated units. Substandard
housing (those in deteriorated or
dilapidated condition) is found
throughout the city, although there
is more dilapidated housing in the
Greenwood neighborhood than
other locations.
Median house value for
owner-occupied homes in 2009
was $85,300, which is higher
than values in Macon County,
but much lower than those of the
state and nation, at $111,900 and
$185,400, respectively. The median
value of manufactured housing in
Tuskegee, at $58,100, however, is
considerably higher than that of
Macon County, the state or nation,
which ranges from $31,300 to
$40,800.
Even though housing values
are lower, the median monthly
housing costs in Tuskegee are
equitable to those of the State of
Alabama. The median monthly
costs for all housing units in
Tuskegee is $704; for houses with
a mortgage, it is $1,105 and the
median contract rent is $304.
These costs are higher than the
remainder of Macon County. For
the state, the median monthly
housing cost for all housing units
is $724 and for houses with a
mortgage, it is $1,071. The median
contract rent for the state is $435.
National median housing costs are
considerably higher than Tuskegee
or the state. A general rule of
thumb is that housing cost becomes
a burden when the cost exceeds
35 percent of the total household
income. In Tuskegee, almost
one-fourth of the households,
at 24.8 percent, experience the
housing cost burden. In Macon
County, however, 29.2 percent of
the households spend 35 percent
or more on housing costs. In the
state, housing burden is present for
21.4 percent of the households and
in the nation for 27.8 percent.
Housing assistance is available
to Tuskegee residents through the
Tuskegee Housing Authority. The
Housing Authority manages seven
conventional sites, a Turnkey
III homeownership subdivision
and a Section 8 program. The
conventional sites are multi-family
complexes, the largest of which
has 160 units. These complexes
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
are: Elmwood, Fieldcrest, Hillwood,
Hightower, Lakeview, Maple
Gardens and Ridgewood.
The Housing Authority’s Section
8 program subsidizes rental
payments to private landlords for
low-income households. Finally,
the Westbrook Subdivision is
the Housing Authority’s Turnkey
III program which provides
residents with the opportunity for
homeownership. The Westbrook
community has three playgrounds
and is the location of the
Tuskegee Housing Authority’s Life
Development Center, which is an
athletic and fitness complex.
Economic Development
The economic environment
in Tuskegee has not improved
in the last decade since the last
comprehensive plan was completed.
The city and her residents continue
to struggle with population losses,
a lack of local jobs, disparity in
education and income levels, and
a lack of retail and industrial base.
As stated previously, the per capita
income in Tuskegee is $14,643
and 34.0 percent of the population
has an income below the national
poverty level.
A disproportionate number of
Tuskegee’s labor force is female,
at 61.2 percent, as compared to
Macon County, at 56.4 percent,
the state, at 46.9 percent, and
the nation, at 46.9 percent. The
Page 15
primary employment sectors for
Tuskegee workers are education,
health care and social services, at
42.7 percent; arts, entertainment,
recreation and accommodations,
at 14.0 percent; and retail trade,
at 11.7 percent. The percentages
per employment sector are
comparable between males and
females, with the exception that in
the male population, employment
in retail trade is only 7.0 percent
and employment in public
administration is 16.0 percent.
Less than 10 percent of Tuskegee
workers are employed in other
employment sectors.
Just over half of the Tuskegee
labor force, at 51.9 percent, is
employed for private companies,
followed by government
occupations, either in federal,
state or local government, at
32.8 percent, and by non-profit
occupations, at 12.1 percent.
The annual average
unemployment rate in Macon
County in 2000 was 5.1 percent.
By 2009, the unemployment rate
was more than doubled at 12.2
percent. By December 2010, the
rate had decreased very slightly to
12.1 percent, with 1,090 persons
unemployed. As of December
2010, almost one-third of Alabama
counties are experiencing
astronomically high unemployment.
Five counties have unemployment
rates higher than 15 percent; and
15 counties, including Macon
County, have unemployment rates
between 11.5 percent and 14.9
percent. The unemployment rate
in Macon County over the last ten
years has consistently been slightly
higher than that of the State of
Alabama. As unemployment in the
state started to recover slightly in
2009 and 2010, unemployment in
Macon County has not yet shown
signs of recovery.
Tuskegee/Macon County is
designated by the U.S. Bureau
of Census as a micropolitan
area, which is an economic and
demographic area that draws
population both from rural and
suburban areas, offering some
of the cultural attractions and
conveniences of cities without
the expenses and liabilities of
urban sprawl. Micropolitan areas
do not have the economic or
political importance of large cities,
but nevertheless, are generally
significant centers of population
and production with the potential to
attract workers and shoppers from
a wide local area. As a micropolitan
area located between the two
metropolitan areas of Montgomery
to the west and Auburn/Opelika
to the east, Tuskegee experiences
a considerable amount of both
in-commuting and out-commuting
by the labor force. According to
the American Community Survey,
in 2009 the majority of Tuskegee
Annual Average Unemployment Rate, 2000 to 2010
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Tuskegee Micropolitan Area
2005
2006
2007
2008
Alabama
Source: United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, www.bls.gov
2009
2010
Page 16
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Workplaces for Workers Who Live in Macon County
Over 53% of the workers living in
Macon County worked within three
miles of the I-85 corridor between
Montgomery and Lanett, Alabama.
Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Market Information Division
workers are employed within Macon
County, at 67.6 percent, and most
of those worked in Tuskegee. Only
30.3 percent worked outside of
Macon County and 2.1 percent
worked outside the State of
Alabama. Data provided by the
Alabama Department of Industrial
Relations, Labor Market Information
Division indicates that 53 percent
of the Macon County labor force
works within three miles of the I-85
corridor between Montgomery and
Lanett, Alabama. Travel time to
work for 73.9 percent of the labor
force is less than 30 minutes, and
is less than 15 minutes for 48.1
percent of the labor force.
As of 2000, Macon County
has a daytime population loss of
8.7 percent, meaning that more
people commute out of the county
for employment than workers
commute into Macon County from
other counties. In the surrounding
area, Montgomery and Bullock
Counties are the only counties
that have more in-commuting than
out commuting. There are 1,680
workers that commute into Macon
County for work. Montgomery
County is the largest single source
of inflow workers, at 550 persons.
In contrast, there are 3,779 workers
who leave Macon County each
day for work. The largest single
destination is Lee County, with
1,789 workers.
The Rural Policy Research
Institute located at the University of
Missouri-Columbia Truman School
of Public Affairs uses data from
the Bureau of Economic Analysis
to measure entrepreneurship by
county. The four indicators of
entrepreneurship are
(1) the percentage of nonfarm
proprietors to total nonfarm
employment;
(2) microenterprise employment
as a proportion of total
nonfarm employment;
(3) income per nonfarm
proprietor; and
(4) nonfarm proprietors income
as a portion of county total
personal income.
Entrepreneurship in Macon
County is in the second highest
category of 15 percent to 19.9
percent. Only 12 Alabama counties
had a higher entrepreneurship
ranking of 20 percent or more;
and 20 counties, including Macon
County were ranked in the 15 to
19.9 percent category. This local
entrepreneurship is a positive
attribute for both Macon County
and Tuskegee and should be further
encouraged to increase local job
opportunities.
Tuskegee is located in Alabama’s
Workforce Development Region 8
(WDR), which includes Bullock,
Chambers, Lee, Macon and Russell
Counties. The Region 8 population
estimate of 251,024 for 2008 is 5.8
percent more than was recorded
for 2000. Population grew in two
counties and shrank in the other
three. The region’s population is
projected to grow 8.6 percent in this
decade to about 257,700 by 2010.
Region 8 has a combined labor
force of 111,317 workers. In a State
of the Workforce Report (October
2009), it was reported that Region
8 had a 9.4 percent unemployment
rate in May 2009, with 10,442
unemployed. An underemployment
rate of 28.8 percent for 2009 means
that the region has a 39,494-strong
available labor pool that includes
29,052 underemployed workers
who are looking for better jobs and
are willing to commute farther and
longer for such jobs.
The Alabama Department of
Industrial Relations also provides
employment projections for the
workforce development regions.
There are ten occupational groups
that are expected to have higher
growth rates than the anticipated
13.85 percent increase for all
occupations in the region over a
10-year period from 2008 to 2018.
(See the table on the following
page.) The top five fast-growing
occupations are sales engineers;
chemical engineers; grinding,
lapping, polishing, tool setters,
operators for metal and plastic;
electrical and electronic equipment
assemblers; and slaughterers
and meat packers. The top five
high-demand occupations are team
assemblers; child care workers;
registered nurses; meat, poultry,
and fish cutters and trimmers;
and home health aides. The highdemand occupations that were
identified will require a variety of
education, training and skill levels.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 17
Projected High Growth Occupational Groups -- Workforce Development Region 8
An excerpt from the Alabama Workforce Development Region 8 Employment Projections 2008-2018 by Major Occupational
Group showing occupational groups with growth projections higher than the growth projection for the total for all occupations.
SOC
000000
130000
150000
210000
270000
290000
310000
390000
470000
510000
530000
Occupation
Total, All Occupations
Business & Financial Operations Occup.
Computer & Mathematical Occup.
Community & Social Services Occup.
Arts, Design, Entertainment,
Sports, & Media Occup.
Healthcare Practitioners &
Technical Occup.
Healthcare Support Occup.
Personal Care & Service Occup.
Construction & Extraction Occup.
Production Occup.
Transportation & Material Moving Occup.
Employment
2008
2018
92,880 105,740
1,770
2,110
760
930
1,500
1,730
Net
Change
12,860
340
170
230
Percent Avg Annual Avg Annual
Change (%) Growth (%) Openings
13.85
1.31
3,470
19.21
1.77
65
22.37
2.04
35
15.33
1.44
50
1,500
1,720
220
14.67
1.38
60
4,240
2,360
3,020
4,930
9,230
6,430
5,040
2,840
3,580
5,670
11,310
7,380
800
480
560
740
2,080
950
18.87
20.34
18.54
15.01
22.54
14.77
1.74
1.87
1.72
1.41
2.05
1.39
165
70
145
160
420
235
Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Workforce Development Region 8
Employment Data provided by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Market Information Division in cooperation with the
Projections Managing Partnership and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Totals in some occupational groups may not add due to exclusion
of sub-groups and/or individual occupations with employment of less than 10 in the base (2008) and projected (2018) years or where
publication of the occupation would violate confidentiality.
Notes: (1) Employment is rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Average Annual Growth is compounded. (3) Openings are rounded to the nearest 5.
Beyond regional job growth
and opportunities that should
be included in future economic
development plans, residents
identified two additional economic
opportunities in Tuskegee that are
not being pursued to their fullest
potential. These are tourism and
retail shopping, particularly in the
city’s downtown area. Residents
stated that while Interstate 85
provides access to huge numbers
of travelers, it has taken traffic
away from the city’s core areas.
Residents also recognize that the
travelers who do come through
Tuskegee are either not stopping
or they are not staying. To this
end, it was suggested that plans
be put in place to make Tuskegee
a “destination” by focusing on
Notes from Planning Workshop #1
promotion of the city’s tourism
resources and redevelopment of
downtown.
Tuskegee has a wide variety of
tourism assets. Perhaps, the most
significant of these are the Tuskegee
Institute and the Tuskegee Airmen
National Historic Sites. National
Park Service (NPS) records report
that Tuskegee Institute has received
more than 5.3 million visitors since
opening in 1978; The site received
31,360 visitors in 2010, which was
a 25.9 percent decrease in visitation
from the previous year. Since
opening in 2003, the Tuskegee
Airmen site has received 228,508
visitors, of which 60,827 visits
were in 2010. When completed,
the National Park Service projects
visitation at the Tuskegee Airmen
site to be 1 million visits annually.
Additional NPS records indicate,
however, that neither site attracted
a single overnight stay during
2010. The primary reason appears
obvious due to the lack of lodging
available in Tuskegee.
Tuskegee University is an
excellent source for marketing the
city’s tourist attractions to alumni
and families of current students.
Further, University students are
an excellent market segment for
increased retail development that
caters to the younger buyers. It
is clearly recognized by Tuskegee
residents and entrepreneurs that
the city is losing this market to
other locations.
It is estimated that 30 percent
of the downtown retail area is
vacant or unused. Further,
residents state that many visitors
miss the downtown area because
they don’t know how to get there
due to a lack of signage and visual
clues. Citizens stated a need
to pull the city’s three distinct
districts-- downtown, Tuskegee
University and the Tuskegee Airmen
National Historic Site -- into a
comprehensive experience for both
visitors and residents.
Community Facilities
Community facilities are those
essential services and programs
provided to citizens that combine to
partially define the quality of life in
Page 18
a community. Following the outline
of the previous comprehensive plan,
this section includes a review of
Tuskegee’s utility systems, public
safety, education facilities and
health resources.
The Utilities Board of Tuskegee
(UBT) was formed in 1970 when
the Tuskegee city council adopted a
resolution approving the application
of three citizens to incorporate a
public corporation for the purpose
of operating a water works system,
a sewage system and an electric
system. Today, the UBT provides
water service to approximately
4,400 residential customers,
sanitary sewer service to about
3,500 customers and electricity to
about 7,300 consumers.
The UBT water supply,
treatment, storage and distribution
system is more than adequate to
serve the existing and future needs
of Tuskegee residents; however,
some upgrades may be necessary
to meet the needs of potential
high-use industries. If that should
be the case, the UBT has the
infrastructure in place and can
make those improvements when
necessary. The same is true of
the UBT sanitary sewer collection
and treatment system. Currently,
the UBT is looking at options for
minimizing discharge at its South
Wastewater Treatment Plant,
which could result in increased
collection and treatment capacity,
particularly to future development
in the I-85 corridor. The UBT
electrical system primarily serves
residential customers in Tuskegee
and Macon County. The system
does also serve some government
consumers, the largest of which
are Tuskegee University and the
Central Alabama Veterans Health
Care System. The UBT purchases
power from Alabama Municipal
Electric Authority (AMEA) and
the distribution system can
be expanded to serve larger or
additional customers as necessary.
Even with all of these essential
services in place and having the
capacity to accommodate moderate
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
future growth, a major expansion,
without some form of assistance,
would result in cost-prohibitive
utility bills due to the small
customer base to shoulder the
costs. Therefore, major expansions
will be dependent upon service
to, or subsidization by, a major
industry so that the costs are
not passed along to residential
customers.
Natural gas service is provided
by Alabama Gas Corporation
(Alagasco) which serves just under
5,000 residential and commercial
customers in Tuskegee. The City
of Tuskegee provides solid waste
disposal to all Tuskegee residents.
Garbage is collected on a weekly
basis for residential customers
and on an as-needed basis for
commercial customers.
Storm drainage in Tuskegee
is primarily routed through a
system of open-ditch drainage in
conjunction with municipal street
rights-of-way. The downtown
area is served with a network of
underground pipes and inlets.
Structural storm drainage facilities
are limited in other areas to culverts
to allow drainage from one area to
another and to alleviate standing
water by the generally higher
elevation of city streets.
Tuskegee’s natural topography
and past development patterns
allow storm water to drain through
the existing system in most areas
of the city without problems.
There are, however, areas that
experience minor flooding during
heavy rains. The most notable of
these is recurrent flooding of U.S.
Highway 80 and Fonville Street
due to the overflow of a ponding
area across Fonville Street from
the Tuskegee Municipal Complex.
This area may be assisted in the
near future with state-funded
roadway improvements on Highway
80 to accommodate a new retail
development. Currently, the City
of Tuskegee can only maintain the
existing system and has not been
able to address a citywide drainage
improvement approach to the
smaller areas of recurrent flooding.
Tuskegee residents are served
by both a municipal police
department and fire department.
The Tuskegee Police Department
operates from one police station
and two police substations located
at public housing complexes. The
police department is comprised
of 36 employees, 25 of which are
officers and 11 are civilians. This
equates to 2.22 officers per 1,000
residents as compared to a national
average of 3.00 officers per 1,000
residents.
In 2009, the crime index in
Tuskegee was high at 732, in
comparison to the national average
of 305. The crime index in 2009,
however, was a decrease from
higher crime indices in 2008, at
843, and 2007, at 771. The most
frequent crimes in 2009 were theft,
with 541 reports, burglaries, with
190 reports, and assaults, with 137
reports. There were four murders
in Tuskegee in 2009, which was
a decrease from ten murders in
2008. Still, the 2009 murder
rate equates to 35.5 murders per
100,000 populations as compared
to the national average of 5.2
murders per 100,000 population.
Crime categories in which Tuskegee
was closer to the national average
in 2009 include reports of rape,
robbery and auto theft.
In the summer of 2007, a
resident survey, entitled 2007
DirectionFinder® Survey, was
conducted by ETC Institute, located
in Olathe, Kansas to assess citizen
satisfaction with the quality of city
services. Responses in that survey
indicate that residents thought
public safety service should receive
the most additional emphasis in
upcoming years to combat drugs
and drug-related crimes. The
same study indicated a high level
of satisfaction with the location of
the Tuskegee fire station and fire
response times.
Tuskegee is served by the
Macon County Board of Education,
which operates five schools in
the city to serve grades K-12.
The Macon County Board of
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Education operated seven schools,
five of which are in Tuskegee.
System-wide, the Macon County
School District spends $8,299
per pupil, of which 53 percent is
for instruction, 39 percent is for
support services and 8 percent is
for other elementary and secondary
expenditures. The School District
has 15 students for every fulltime equivalent teacher, with the
Alabama state average being 18
students per full-time equivalent
teacher. The Macon County
School District has a high school
graduation rate of over 90 percent.
Elementary schools that serve
Tuskegee include Lewis Adams
Early Childhood Center (prekindergarten and kindergarten),
George Washington Carver
Elementary School (grades 1-3),
Tuskegee Public Elementary School
(grades 4-5), Tuskegee Institute
Middle School (grades 6-8), and
Booker T. Washington High School
(grades 9-12).
Additionally, Tuskegee is served
by the Macon County Alternative
Learning Center which serves
as an alternative to out-of-school
suspension. Students who would
normally be suspended for a
disciplinary infraction are assigned,
instead, to the one of the Alternative
Learning Programs for a period
of time—either the short-term
program for 10 days or less or
the long term program for more
than 10 days. The programs serve
students in Grades 6-12. While at
the Alternative Learning Center,
students are required to complete
all assignments and to follow all
guidelines as set out in the Code
of Student Conduct, as well as
adhere to the governing rules of the
Alternative Learning Program.
Based on the 2009-2010 school
year, the Macon County School
System met it’s Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) goals on a systemwide level. Grade spans that did
not meet the AYP requirements
include grades 6 through 8 for
reading, grades 6 through 8 for
mathematics, and grades 9-12 for
reading. Booker T. Washington
High School is in year 5 of a school
improvement program to meet AYP.
In addition to the public
elementary and secondary
schools in Tuskegee, there is
one post-secondary education
facility: Tuskegee University.
This four-year college is a private,
not-for-profit organization offering
under graduate and graduate
degrees. This education resource
can serve as a powerful attractor
for new businesses and industries
by providing a well-trained, highquality work force.
Tuskegee University offers 34
bachelor’s degree programs, 12
master’s degree programs, a 5-year
accredited professional degree
program in architecture and two
doctoral degree programs. Tuskegee
University ranked fifth among
historically black colleges and
universities in the 2011 U.S. News
& World Report “America’s Best
Colleges” magazine.
Tuskegee University Campus in 1916
(then known as Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute)
Page 19
Tuskegee University offers the
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine,
and is the only historically black
college or university to offer this
degree. The university has several
engineering programs: Aerospace
Science, Mechanical, Chemical
and Electrical. Tuskegee University
is the first and only historically
black institution of higher learning
to offer an accredited bachelors
degree program in Aerospace
Science Engineering. The Robert
R. Taylor School of Architecture
offers two professional programs:
Architecture, and Construction
Science and Management. The
University’s National Center for
Bioethics in Research and Health
Care is the nation’s first bioethics
center devoted to engaging the
sciences, humanities, law and
religious faiths in the exploration
of the core moral issues which
underlie research and medical
treatment of African Americans and
other underserved people.
The closest hospital to Tuskegee
is Community Hospital in Tallassee
(about 20 miles) or Bullock County
Hospital in Union Springs (about 20
miles). The East Alabama Medical
Center is located approximately 24
miles away in Opelika. Preventative
health care programs are
administered through the Macon
County Health Department.
Although one campus of the
Central Alabama Veterans Health
Care System (CAVHCS) is located
in Tuskegee, it is only available to
treat veterans. Services provided
Page 20
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
of improvements in the business
community.
The presence of a number
of community and religious
organizations encourages the
involvement of local residents.
There are approximately 75
Protestant churches and one
Roman Catholic Church located
in the Tuskegee area, representing
most major denominations.
Community organizations include
the Lions Club, Jaycees, the
Rotary Club, the Optimist Club,
the Tuskegee Civic Association, the
Chamber of Commerce, the Red
Community Enrichment
Cross, the American Association
Beyond essential services,
of University Women and the
those features that help define
Young Men’s Christian Association
the quality of life in Tuskegee
(YMCA). The work of these
are found in this section. These
features include civic opportunities, organizations is visible throughout
the city in their volunteer efforts, as
communications, recreation, and
well as annual and seasonal events
attractions and aesthetics.
that bring residents together.
Tuskegee has numerous
Tuskegee has a limited number
civic activities that promote the
of communication resources located
involvement of residents. At
within the city. The proximity of
the neighborhood level, ten
Auburn and Montgomery, however,
neighborhood organizations were
provides residents with a full
formed in the 1970s to assist with
range of communication services.
recommendations for community
Locally, there is one newspaper, The
improvements. Although they are
Tuskegee News, which is a weekly
not as active as they once were,
paper with an estimated circulation
the organizations have never been
of 3,000 and an estimated 65,000
formally abolished.
online visits per month. There
The Tuskegee Area Chamber of
are also one television station and
Commerce (TACC) is a voluntary
two radio stations operating in
partnership of businesses,
Tuskegee. Besides news media,
professionals and the community
radio and television, there are four
at large. The TACC has around 70
members and works to improve the broadband internet providers that
serve the greater part of Tuskegee,
community’s economy and quality
as well as two satellite providers.
of life. The TACC has four primary
Access to Internet will be greatly
objectives: (1) help business
improved in the near future with
prosper and grow, (2) increase job
assistance from a $59 million grant
opportunities, (3) encourage an
orderly expansion and development awarded through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of all segments of the community,
(ARRA) Broadband Technology
and (4) contribute to the overall
economic nation’s private enterprise Opportunities Program (BTOP) in
July 2010 toward an $87 million
system of competitive marketing.
broadband project. The goal of the
The Chamber serves many roles
project is to lay a 2,200-mile fiberin the economic life of the city and
optic network and wireless canopy
is involved in promoting tourism,
through eight counties in Alabama’s
recruitment of new business
Black Belt Region, including Macon.
and industry, mentoring young
The project will provide access
business people, and coordination
to approximately 15,000 homes
at the CAVHCS Tuskegee Campus
include inpatient mental health,
long term care, and domiciliary/
rehabilitation programs. The
CAVHCS is making improvements
at the Tuskegee Campus that
include construction of new space
for rehabilitation programs and
renovation of the nursing home care
unit to provide a home environment
for patients. Additionally, the
CAVHCS has proposed the
construction of a new modern
inpatient mental health unit.
and nearly 900 anchor institutions
across the project area. Long-term
maintenance of the network will be
performed by the project partners,
but ownership of the network will
be turned over to a broadband
authority. This authority will
comprise of representatives from
the counties and municipalities
benefiting from the network.
The project partners nor the
counties and municipalities through
which the fiber network passes will
be Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The network will be open to all ISPs
wishing to deliver data, voice and/
or video services to the end users.
ISPs will pay toll fees in order to
utilize the network, which will go
to maintenance of the network and
franchise fees to the appropriate
county or municipality.
In addition to the unlimited
number of ISPs that can deliver
Internet service to the connected
end-users, community partners
can become a part of this network
and deliver services to end-users
by negotiating agreements with the
grant recipient, as well.
Current plans for the route of
the fiber network in the Tuskegee
area are along U.S. Highway 29 and
80 and Alabama Highway 81.
The Macon County-Tuskegee
Library is located on Main Street
at the south end of the downtown
district. The library offers holdings
of more than 35,000 books, 33
serial subscriptions, 29 audio
materials and 458 video materials.
The library also offers computer
workstations and an auditorium
space for other functions such
as exhibits, films and seminars.
Minimum standards for libraries
in Alabama indicate that a public
library should have a minimum of
four items per capita. The Macon
County - Tuskegee Library falls
short of meeting the needs of just
the Tuskegee population by a deficit
of about 3,900 material holdings
and a deficit of about 50,000
materials to fully serve the Macon
County population. Adding this
volume of materials is more than
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
just a budget issue; it would also be
a space issue in which to house the
additional materials.
The City of Tuskegee maintains
four recreational areas: Abbott
Park, E.B. Henderson Park,
Greenfork Park and Lake Tuskegee.
The city parks offer picnic shelters,
playgrounds, basketball and tennis
courts, baseball fields, youth
football/soccer fields, walking
trails, natural areas and a pool at
Abbott Park and E.B. Henderson
Park. In addition to the city parks,
the Tuskegee Public Housing
Authority maintains playgrounds
at its housing sites and an athletic
and fitness complex known as the
Life Development Center (LDC) in
the Westbrook Subdivision. The
LDC has an indoor basketball/
volleyball court, an exercise
room, locker/shower rooms,
outdoor ball fields, a technology
lab, and a full service concession
stand. According to the 2007
DirectionFinder® Survey and citizen
comments during workshops, two
of the greatest recreational needs in
Tuskegee are better maintenance of
existing parks and development of
pedestrian and biking trails.
Beyond the local recreational
facilities, Tuskegee residents have
access to the nearby Tuskegee
National Forest which encompasses
11,000 acres of forestland and a
portion of the historic Bartram
Trail. The Tuskegee National Forest
offers primitive camping, hiking,
bicycling and equestrian trails, a
shooting range, a recreation area
and a wildlife viewing area.
Tuskegee is also home to a
number of visitor attractions and
events, including the Tuskegee
Human & Civil Rights MultiCultural Center, the George
Washington Carver Museum and
the Tuskegee Airmen Museum. The
Multi-Cultural Center shares the
stories of Tuskegee’s history, along
with the history of the three distinct
cultures that helped shape the
city -- Native American, European
American and African American.
The Carver Museum and the
Airmen Museum, both of which are
national historic sites, also share
parts of the history of Tuskegee
Each year, Tuskegee is host to
three separate events. In early May,
artisans display their handicrafts
at the Carver Arts and Crafts Fair
Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multi-Cultural Center and Museum
Page 21
held on the Tuskegee University
Campus. The Memorial Day
Fly-In is a three-day event in late
May sponsored by Negro Airmen
International (NAI). In October, the
Annual Carver Sweet Potato Festival
commemorates the memory of Dr.
George Washington Carver and his
sweet potato research.
Transportation
Tuskegee’s transportation
system consists of a network of
highways and streets, one airport,
and a limited network of sidewalks.
Moton Field Municipal Airport
is located three miles north of
downtown Tuskegee off of Chappie
James Drive near Interstate-85
Exit 38. The airport has an
elevation of 264 feet and has two
5,000-feet runways. The City of
Tuskegee is working to extend
the runways to 7,500 feet and
to construct additional hangars.
The improvements would then
accommodate corporate jets and
increase storage capacity.
Moton Field could receive
additional improvements as part
of a proposal by Data Solutions
& Technology (DST) to develop
an air traffic control program
at the airport in partnership
with Tuskegee University. DST
proposes to develop an air traffic
control curriculum for the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) Air
Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative
(AT-CTI) program. The AT-CTI
program is a college/university FAA
partnership that provides the FAA
with college-degreed applicants for
air traffic controller positions. To
participate in the AT-CTI Program,
a student must attend one of
the FAA’s approved CTI Schools
and complete a two or four-year
non-engineering aviation degree
program.
The schools are expected to
teach the subjects that encompass
the FAA’s Air Traffic Basics Course;
ensure college graduates have a
broad knowledge of the aviation
industry; and possess the requisite
knowledge, skills, and abilities to
Page 22
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
succeed in training. As their part
of project, Tuskegee University
would offer two or four-year nonengineering degrees in air traffic
control and would teach basic
courses in air traffic control. The
program would be designed to
provide qualified applicants to fill
developmental air traffic control
specialist positions.
Establishment of an Air
Traffic Control Program at Moton
Field would result in specific
improvements to meet FAA
requirements, such as improved
security and lighting. Additionally,
an air traffic control program
associated with both Tuskegee
University and Moton Field
highlights the historic significance
of these institutions in aviation.
Tuskegee’s existing road
network is comprised of one
interstate, two federal highways,
two state highways, and about 110
miles of local streets. Interstate 85
runs in a north-easterly direction
through the northern part of the
city. East-west travel is facilitated
by U.S. Highway 80/29. Traffic
coming from the south is served
by U.S. Highway 29 and Alabama
Highways 81 and 199.
The extension of Interstate
85 from Atlanta to Montgomery
in the 1960s should have opened
the door to exceptional economic
opportunities. Instead, the
interstate only served to move traffic
away from the city’s economic
center and shortened the commute
time for the city’s workers to other
locations. The economic activity
that was lost by the decrease in
traffic through downtown has never
been replaced with development at
the Interstate 85 interchanges.
In the last 24 years, between
1985 and 2009, traffic volume
on Interstate 85 has more than
doubled, ranging from 31,000 to
35,000 vehicular trips per day
in 2009. The change in traffic
volume on Tuskegee’s major
thoroughfares during the same time
period was much less -- ranging
from a decrease of 18.2 percent on
Alabama Highway 81 to an increase
Annual Average Daily Traffic Volume
Location
% Change
2000 to
2009
% Change
1985 to
2009
2009
AADT
Volume
I-85
W of Exit 22
11.1%
123.72%
35370
I-85
E of Exit 22
16.3%
132.61%
35240
I-85
E of Exit 42
22.7%
163.16%
31290
I-85
W of Exit 38
21.0%
145.13%
30960
I-85
E of Exit 38
23.8%
131.61%
32610
I-85
E of CR 40
22.5%
144.23%
33850
US HWY 80
W of County Road 51
-3.4%
16.49%
4,520
US HWY 80
W of Montgomery Ave
0.6%
18.86%
10,400
US HWY 80
N of Church St
3.4%
13.75%
10,590
US HWY 80
N of Lake Ave
-3.1%
63.28%
8,670
US HWY 80
S of Chappie James Dr
4.7%
11.16%
5,080
US Hwy 29
at Tuskegee City Limits
-5.6%
15.74%
2720
US Hwy 29
N of Price St
-4.4%
9.08%
6970
AL Hwy 199
N of I-85
-12.9%
-8.27%
1220
AL Hwy 199
N of CR 56
-1.3%
10.45%
740
AL Hwy 81
S of Elch Rd
8.2%
-18.15%
5140
AL Hwy 81
N of Elch Road
10.3%
9.20%
4510
Route
Source: Alabama Department of Transportation, 2010
of 63.3 percent on U.S. Highway
80. In the last ten years, however,
only Interstate 85 and Alabama
Highway 81 have shown any
significant increase in traffic. Most
of the other major roads have either
experienced a decrease in traffic
volume in the last ten years or had
only minor increases in comparison
to Interstate 85. A high percentage
of the traffic on Tuskegee roads is
heavy truck traffic (three axles or
more), particularly on U.S. Highway
29 South and U.S. Highway 80
West where trucks make up
between 40 and 80 percent of the
daily traffic volume.
Citizens have stated that the
intersection of U.S. Highways 29
and 80 is a consistent problem
because it is too small for a truck
or bus to be able to make the turn.
As a result, large vehicles become
stuck and traffic is stopped for
lengthy periods of time. Other
traffic problems that were identified
were the poor condition of city
streets and numerous potholes,
inadequate street signage and poor
directional signage from Interstate
85 into the city.
Tuskegee has one transit system
available which is operated through
the Macon-Russell Community
Action Agency. The transit system
provides bus or van service to
residents on a call-demand basis.
Tuskegee has limited facilities
for bicyclists and pedestrians,
however, there are recreational
bicycling paths in the Tuskegee
National Forest. Sidewalks are
found in several parts of the city,
but there are no off-road pedestrian
paths/trails that can be used to
move about within the city.
Land Use
The area’s environmental
characteristics are readily apparent
in Tuskegee’s existing land use
patterns. The highly developed
portions of the city are built
upon a high plateau of major
ridgelines roughly following U.S.
Highways 29 and 80, and the lower
wetlands serve as natural buffers
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
between neighborhoods and other
development.
Just over half of the land in
the city, at 55.3 percent of the
total area is developed. The land
use category with the highest
percentage of developed land is
residential, with 20.3 percent of
the land being used for single
family residential purposes, 3.0
percent for multi-family housing,
and 1.5 percent for manufactured
housing. Institutional purposes,
such as civic buildings, schools and
hospitals, occupy 8.1 percent of
the total land area. This category
would include Tuskegee University
and the Central Alabama Veterans
Health Care System (CAVHCS).
Only 7.3 percent of Tuskegee is
used for commercial purposes and
0.3 percent for industrial uses.
Agricultural and recreational land
uses combined occupy 4.1 percent
of the total land area.
The majority of the commercial
and institutional land uses are
clustered within a seven block
area around the courthouse
square. The city’s two major
institutions, Tuskegee University
and CAVHCS are located to the
northwest of the central core.
Residential land uses spread out
from this core development area
and follow the natural terrain for
higher lands. Although there are
isolated locations of commercial
development throughout the city,
there are no major concentrations
other than downtown. Tuskegee
does not have large concentrations
of industrial land uses and to date
the industrial park is vacant. Small
industrial land uses appear to be
integrated with both residential and
commercial uses without buffers
and without primary vehicular or
trucking access.
As shown on the Existing Land
Use Map on the following page,
it would appear that Tuskegee
has considerable room for future
growth. Tuskegee’s existing
physical characteristics in the
undeveloped areas, however, will be
determining factors in the amount
of growth and types of development
that are likely to occur.
Page 23
Existing Land Use, 2010
LAND USE
PARCEL COUNT
AREA (acres)
PERCENT
2,685
4,558.4
55.3%
Agricultural
7
190.7
2.3%
Commercial
194
601
7.3%
46
133.2
1.6%
8
25.2
0.3%
Institutional
88
535
6.5%
Residential - Multi-Family
96
108.2
1.3%
114
127.4
1.5%
2,506
1,676.3
20.3%
1
1.4
0.0%
16
144.8
1.8%
210
137.4
1.7%
5,971
8,239
Not Surveyed
Civic
Industrial
Residential - Manufactured Housing
Residential - Single Family
MI (FID 601)
Recreational/Open Space
Public Housing
Total
Source: South Central Alabama Development Commission Windshield Surveys, 2010 and 2011
Natural Resources Function as Buffers
Page 24
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Tuskegee Existing Land Use, 2010
LEGEND
Single Family Residential
Industrial
Agricultural
Multi Family Residential
Utility
Undeveloped
Commercial
Institutional
Streams
Downtown/ Mixed Use Commercial
Recreational/Open Space
Corporate Limits
Source: South Central Alabama Development Commission, Windshield Surveys 2010 and 2011
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 25
Development Concepts
Community discussions led
to the creation of three citywide
development concepts:
• Corridors and Wayfinding,
• Activity Centers, and
• Neighborhoods Connections.
When merged together, the
development concepts form a
strategic development model as
shown below.
Development concepts are
graphic tools utilized to illustrate
ideas in a generalized format. The
development concept illustrations
are deceptively simple to convey
the ideas clearly. In actuality,
each development concept includes
several development projects that
will take considerable time and
effort to implement. These actions
are outlined in the Tuskegee
Development Strategy.
In addition to the citywide
development concepts and strategic
development model, a more detailed
concept diagram was created for
the downtown area. As with the
strategic development model, the
downtown diagram is based on
three primary concepts:
• Make downtown a destination;
• Make Tuskegee a great place to
live and retire; and
• Strengthen town/gown
interactivity and support.
The downtown development
concepts are also available as a
separate poster. Recommendations
for implementation of these
concepts is included in the
Development Strategy.
Tuskegee Strategic Development Model
Page 26
Corridors and Wayfinding
The corridors and wayfinding
development concept is focused
on images that meet residents and
visitors as they enter Tuskegee
and as they move around the city.
The intent is to visually welcome
travellers and guide them into
Tuskegee with downtown being
the primary economic destination.
There are four components to the
corridors and wayfinding concept:
• Gateways
• Wayfinding at Decision Points
• Image Corridors
• New Routes
A municipal gateway is
more than an entrance. It is a
combination of structural and
natural clues to inform a traveller
that he or she has arrived at a
place, whether that place is the City
of Tuskegee or an activity center or
district within the city.
Corridors and Wayfinding
Downtown
Major and Minor Gateways
Decision Points/Wayfinding
Image Corridors
Proposed Roads
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Gateways convey a lasting image
to residents, business and industry,
and passersby. They should be safe,
legible, inviting and interesting.
Attractive gateways are not simply
a matter of aesthetics; the economy
of the city is tightly linked to its
physical character, and its image
must be enhanced and maintained
to remain competitive.
Major gateways are proposed
at the six locations marking
the entrances to Tuskegee from
different directions. Two gateways
are proposed on Interstate 85: one
at Exit 32 (Alabama Highway 51/
Pleasant Springs Drive) and one
at Exit 38 (Alabama Highway 81/
Notasulga Road). Other major
gateway locations include the
intersection of Pleasant Springs
Drive (CR 51) and Franklin Road
(CR 30) leading to Tuskegee
University; the intersection of U.S.
Highway 80 and Pleasant Springs
Drive, arriving in Tuskegee from
the west; the intersection of U.S.
Highway 80 and Chappie James
Drive, arriving in Tuskegee from the
east; and on U.S. Highway 29 at it’s
intersection with County Road 10,
arriving in Tuskegee from the south.
Proposed internal gateways
include the intersection of
Notasulga Road and Chappie
James Drive in the northeast part
of the city, and the intersection
of Franklin Road and Greenwood
Drive leading to CAVHCS and
Tuskegee University. Critical
decisions are made at each of these
junctures -- whether it is locational
or a decision to stop and visit or to
pass on through. Therefore, it is
imperative that Tuskegee invest the
necessary care in the development
of these primary gateway assets,
such as appropriate signage,
road improvements, structural
development and landscaping.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
The proposed improvements
should not, however, be purely
aesthetic improvements. It will take
careful design and implementation
to turn the improvements into a
clear system of wayfinding.
The concept of wayfinding is an
important part of any well designed
environment. Wayfinding is the
organization and communication
of our relationship to space and
the environment. When visiting a
strange new place, viewers need to
be able to find their way to their
destination. A good wayfinding
system will allow them to reach
their destination easily, quickly and
(hopefully) with as few headaches as
possible. A good wayfinding system
should not only guide a traveler to a
destination, but lead them to areas
that you want them to visit.
Successful wayfinding design
allows people to: (1) determine
their location within a setting,
(2) determine their destination,
and (3) develop a plan that will
take them from their location to
Components of a
Wayfinding System
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Easily Navigable
Consistent Design
Clear Organization &
Designation
Information is
Understandable, Legible
and Well Designed
Ease of Orientation
Visible and Recognizable
Functional, Interesting and
Accessible to All Audiences
Simple and Concise
Provide a Map or Directory
Solid Research and
Strategic Foundation
Source: Arrows and Icons Magazine, Issue
003, 6 October 2009; What Makes a Good
Wayfinding System? by Ryan Lascano; http://
www.arrowsandicons.com/articles/whatmakes-a-good-wayfinding-system/
Page 27
their destination. The design of
wayfinding systems should include:
• identification and marking of
spaces;
• grouping spaces; and
• linking and organizing spaces
through both architectural and
graphic means.
It should be clear that a system
of wayfinding is much, much more
than signs at a gateway. The
wayfinding system should continue
throughout the city, beginning with
the street corridors that lead into
Tuskegee.
In the development concept,
Tuskegee’s major thoroughfares are
proposed to be transformed into
image corridors that set the tone
for the city. They should be unique
to Tuskegee and reflect the city’s
individual assets, attractions and
even its history.
The proposed image corridors
include Interstate 85 between Exit
32 and Exit 38, U.S. Highways
29 and 80, Alabama Highways
51 and 81, Franklin Road, and
Old Montgomery Road along with
Interstate Gateways
should be interesting
and inviting.
any new roads proposed in the
downtown area. Development of
the image corridors must consider
not only the roadway, but also the
following:
• ease and clarity of access to that
roadway;
• relationships between the route
and adjacent land uses;
• relationships between the type
of roadway in the corridor to
structural development;
• other users of the roadway; and,
• the safety of all travelers.
Together, the corridor elements
translate a message to the traveler.
Tuskegee must work to ensure that
the translation means, “Welcome,
we are a special place.” To do so,
Tuskegee must make certain that
development along the corridor is
aesthetically-pleasing, appropriate
for the area and inviting. Further,
each of the proposed image
corridors must portray its own
unique assets while meshing with
the overall image for Tuskegee.
In addition to the development
of image corridors, Tuskegee
must facilitate circulation around
the city by resolving two major
transportation conflict areas.
The first area is located at the
intersection of U.S. Highways
29 and 80, also known as the
intersection of Main Street and
Martin Luther King Highway.
This intersection is too narrow to
allow trucks and large vehicles to
make right turns from Highway
80 turning south onto Highway 29
and from Highway 29 turning east
onto Highway 80. As a result, this
The pictures below compare welcome signs in Tuskegee and Willis, Texas where more investment
has been put into lighting and simpler, more legible sign design. The signs are of similar size, shape
and material and both have plantings at their base; however, the Willis sign is located in a larger
planting bed that visually lifts and separates the “welcome” from the ground below.
Page 28
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Activity Centers
Downtown
Churches
Recreational Activity Centers
Municipal/Institutional Activity Centers
Industrial Activity Centers
Commercial Activity Centers
City Limits
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee National Forest
intersection is frequently blocked by
stuck vehicles. It is proposed that
a truck route be constructed from
U.S. Highway 29, at the intersection
with County Road 26, to connect
with Chappie James Drive at U.S.
Highway 80. The proposed truck
route will lessen congestion at a
critical intersection in downtown
Tuskegee while also facilitating the
flow of industrial traffic.
The second major transportation
conflict occurs north of downtown
Tuskegee and is related to the
volume of traffic going to and from
Tuskegee University and CAVHCS,
especially during peak worker rush
hours. It is proposed that work
flow traffic be rerouted along a new
road connecting Old Montgomery
Highway with U.S. Highway 29 near
its intersection with County Road
21/Ashdale Road and an extension
of Old Montgomery Highway from
Main Street to Spring Street at its
intersection with Crawford Street.
Activity Centers
The activity centers development
concept is based on the need to
define and promote existing activity
centers or to create new activity
centers in strategic places. Activity
centers give people a reason to
go to a location -- something is
happening there! Four types of
activity centers are proposed in the
development concept:
• Commercial;
• Industrial;
• Institutional; and
• Recreational.
An activity center is a focal point
or central node, usually within a
distinct area or district, that serves
as a formal or informal gathering
place. Activity centers can often
incorporate several functions into
one place and can serve a variety of
population segments.
The nodes shown on the Activity
Centers Concept Diagram are all
based on existing facilities and
sites. The development concept is
to expand and define these sites
and facilities into a system of
coordinated activity centers that
can function both independently
and as part of a greater whole.
Some of Tuskegee’s existing
activity centers that can be further
enhanced include the historic
downtown, Tuskegee University,
CAVHCS and Tuskegee Lake. While
each of these is a separate site that
attracts a high volume of people,
each one does not yet function as a
true activity center. For instance,
does the downtown district support
nighttime activity? And, does it have
distinct edges or boundaries so that
you know when you have arrived
there and where you are when you
get there? Are there complementary
health care services or other land
uses near CAVHCS that would
cater to the hospital’s visitors or
employees? Are any of the activity
centers linked to surrounding
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
land uses by any means other
than vehicular? Does Tuskegee
University support civic activities
as well as its primary educational
function?
Strong and successful centers
of activity do not just happen.
They require a coordinated plan
for development and they require
dedicated maintenance over time.
A list of design considerations for
activity centers is included in the
sidebar to the right; however, not
all of these considerations will be
applicable to every activity center.
Two proposed activity centers,
one in downtown and one at
Lake Tuskegee, take advantage
of underutilized sites to provide
a variety of community amenities
while creating community places.
The downtown proposal is a
commercial activity center (shown
at the bottom of this page) that
utilizes an existing parking lot and
a flood prone vacant lot to create
a gateway to downtown. The
design incorporates commercial,
institutional and parking uses and
provides open space for community
Page 29
Design Considerations
for Activity Centers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A proposed recreational activity center at Lake Tuskegee
includes informal open space, a small event setting, access to the
lake, and commercial uses for boat rentals and concessions.
•
Direct pathway connections to
other community amenities
Complement and enhance the
adjacent land uses or mix of uses
Enhance street connectivity
Enhance or frame focal points and
view corridors
Easily accessible and visible open
spaces located near a center of
pedestrian activity
Active uses throughout the day
Incorporate uses for young and old
Street frontage should be primarily
buildings; and parking should be
located near the rear or side of
buildings
Primary entrances of nonresidential buildings should face a
public sidewalk or open space
Include shaded areas
Include public art elements, water
features, and/or landscaping
whenever possible
Include outdoor eating areas
adjacent to proposed restaurants
Provide easily accessible bike racks
or other non-vehicular storage
Provide wayfinding signals in high
activity areas
Provide resting areas, such as
benches, and trash receptacles at
reasonable intervals
The proposed activity center in downtown Tuskegee replaces a parking lot and an empty flood-prone lot. The new design provides a
focal point and a defining boundary upon entrance to downtown and serves as a connection between county and municipal structures.
The design includes an amphitheater that can be used for scheduled events, social gatherings and informal resting. The proposed
structure includes commercial and institutional uses as well as an elevated parking deck.
Page 30
events and informal gatherings.
The site is accessible by both
pedestrians and automobiles, but
encourages increased pedestrian
activity in downtown. Furthermore,
the proposed site development
will assist the City in resolving a
recurring flooding problem near the
intersection of U.S. Highway 80 and
Fonville Street.
The second proposal (shown on
the previous page) is a recreational
activity center that utilizes about 12
lots and incorporates the existing
land uses. The recreational design
includes recreational amenities
such as playgrounds, walking trails,
ball fields and courts, small-scale
golf facilities, a beach area and
increased access to Lake Tuskegee.
The proposal also includes
commercial uses for concessions,
a golf shop, boat rentals, and
institutional or civic uses for an
Neighborhood Connections
Downtown
Existing Neighborhoods
Recreational Activity Centers
Schools
Proposed Neighborhood
Centers
Proposed Trail and
Neighborhood Connections
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
amphitheater, the YMCA and the
Boys and Girls Club. Finally, the
design protects an environmentallysensitive site by turning it into an
educational wetland discovery park.
Neighborhoods and Trail Systems
The neighborhood connections
development concept focuses on
linking neighborhoods internally
and to other parts of the city
through the development of
neighborhood centers located on a
citywide trail system.
The proposed neighborhood
centers are small-scale public
spaces that are civic in nature.
While they may incorporate
recreational uses, they do not
include other land uses as the
proposed activity centers do. The
neighborhood centers are not
intended to bring additional traffic
to the area, but instead are to serve
the population of the neighborhood.
These centers might be used for
neighborhood meetings and social
events, after-school tutoring, and/
or to house library and technology
resources.
The proposed trail system
provides linear connections within
the neighborhood and to other
locations such as schools, parks,
churches and downtown. In doing
so, the linear connections provide
a safe alternative to automotive
transportation. Additional
benefits of the trail system are
an increase in healthy activity
levels among residents and the
appropriate utilization of existing
environmentally-sensitive sites such
as flood plains.
The proposed neighborhood
and trail systems development
concept meets the need for direct,
accessible and convenient pathways
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
to destinations that satisfy daily
recreation and transportation
needs. Development plans should
encourage walking and biking with
connections to city sidewalks and
bicycle routes. Pathways should
connect neighborhoods to common
destinations such as schools and
community activity centers.
The following are design and
implementation considerations for
community trail systems:
• Connections to existing
pathways;
• Maintain continuous routes;
• Direct connections from building
entrances to sidewalks/paths;
• Quality and durability in
construction;
• Tree canopy over sidewalks and
paths;
• Limited curb cuts disruptions
on sidewalks and pathways; and
• Accessibility ramps as needed.
Page 31
Downtown Redevelopment
Downtown is the heart of any
community and investment in
downtown strengthens the entire
community - particularly as it
gives citizens a point of pride and
identity. Making downtown easy to
find and easy to use will also ensure
that visitors have the opportunity to
stop, spend time and spend money
in Tuskegee.
Tuskegee’s downtown is located
on two major highways - US 29
and US 80. Both routes create the
potential to bring visitors and locals
to the heart of the community; but,
without an array of niche retail,
restaurants, cafes and galleries,
there is not the critical mass of
business that can make downtown
a destination.
Downtown lodging can be
an important component of this
critical mass contributing to a
sense of vitality on nights and
weekends. A downtown hotel can
be marketed not only for local
activities and events but also for
regional events including football,
graduation and festivals. It is also
important to create campaigns,
festivals and promotions to (1) help
build the habit of local patronage
to downtown and (2) that attract
visitors from throughout the region.
These tools, along with linking
downtown to other community
amenities, will help make downtown
Tuskegee a destination by giving
people a reason to go there!
With its exceptional location and
significant institutional partners,
Tuskegee has the potential to
become the kind of small city that
is sought out by families, empty
nesters, professional and retirees.
It is important to provide a range
of good housing options to ensure
Downtown Redevelopment Concept Diagram
Page 32
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
an ability to attract a wide array
of new residents. It is particularly
important to consider new housing
options that are in walking distance
of downtown, Tuskegee University
and the CAVHCS.
Finally, the relationship between
the Tuskegee community and
Tuskegee University is synergistic
-- the mutual town/gown support
and interactivity will benefit both
institutions. The University’s
potential to attract and retain
top-notch faculty, researchers
and students is enhanced by a
thriving distinctive downtown,
good housing and neighborhoods,
and a strong sense of pride
evidenced in the local community.
The city of Tuskegee is equally
enhanced by cooperative programs
between the University and local
schools, civic organizations and
institutions, as well as by students
and faculty who patronize cafes,
bookstores, restaurants and retail
establishments. Working together
as partners leverages the potential
of many mutual assets including
Moton Field, Tuskegee National
Forest and an exceptional location
along Interstate 85.
A summary of suggestions and
recommendations of the downtown
redevelopment concept include the
following:
• Link downtown to schools,
neighborhoods and other
historic sights with good
sidewalks and greenways.
• Capture the potential of the
Main Street model, through
their four point approach of
organization, promotion, design
and economic restructuring.
• Develop the components of
good neighborhoods and small
towns that transcend housing:
neighborhood parks, local
recreation, good sidewalks and
lighting, neighborhood watch
programs, community centers
and connectivity.
• Create a campaign that recruits
new residents seeking out
historic African American
towns and/or African American
University towns as well as
those who work in Tuskegee but
reside in nearby cities.
• Pursue engagement with, and
the strengthening of, Tuskegee’s
schools as a means to encourage
housing and population growth.
•
Engage Tuskegee’s local
churches as champions of
community amenities and
programs.
• Redevelop the historic square:
create partnerships/incentives
to renovate, reinvest, recruit.
• Reorganize parking and traffic
movement patterns. Create a
truck/bus alternate route for
U.S. Highways 29/80.
• Landscape large parking lots
near downtown and create a
parking shuttle for court day.
• Protect strong residential
gateways along Main Street.
Create design review to
protect historic districts and
provide economic incentives
for reinvestment in historic
properties.
• MLK is an important image
corridor that creates many
first impressions -- landscape,
improve signs, reduce curb cuts,
and create a distinct character.
Additional downtown diagrams,
sketches and recommendations can
be found in the Auburn University
School of Architecture Urban Studio’s
illustrative poster for Tuskegee,
which is available at City Hall.
Downtown Redevelopment: Proposed Street Facade Improvements
Courthouse Square
Looking East
Courthouse Square
Looking West
South Main Street Looking East
South Main Street Looking West
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 33
Development Strategy
Vision
We, the people of Tuskegee, Alabama envision a well managed,
well maintained, healthy, and safe community that is aesthetically
pleasing to both our citizens and visitors. We wish to retain our
existing population as well as attract new residents by fostering
unity and communication among all ages, races, and cultural groups.
It is our goal to develop and promote excellent schools; quality
healthcare; governmental cooperation; protection of our environment;
and quality places to live, worship, and recreate. It is our desire to
grow and diversify our economy and to promote tourism for the joy of
sharing our heritage.
Change will not come overnight
to Tuskegee. Nor will change
occur just because the citizens
of Tuskegee have reaffirmed and
expanded on a vision for the future
and completed a comprehensive
plan. Instead, positive change will
only occur as a result of one person
and one action at a time. But,
when all citizens remain steadfastly
accountable to themselves for their
actions regarding the health and
vitality of their city, great changes
can and will occur.
As evidenced by the proposed
development concepts, all life
revolves around a center. A state
revolves around a capital and a
county around a county seat. Even
the quality of a baseball or a golf
ball can be gauged by the quality
of its center. The same is true for
a city. Quality centers of activity
must be developed to attract and
retain quality businesses, services
and residents.
The development strategy
outlined here is a culmination of
the general development concepts,
citizen comments and suggestions,
and information gained through the
review and analysis of the existing
conditions and resources. In the
2000 comprehensive plan, goals
were established for each individual
element of the plan and objectives
and actions were developed to
attain the goals. During the
2010 comprehensive plan update
planning process, Tuskegee
citizens reaffirmed those goals and
a summary is provided on page
34. For details on the goals and
objectives, the 2000 plan should be
referenced.
This update goes a step
further than the implementation
plan included in the previous
document. At the request of the
City of Tuskegee and citizens, a
development strategy has been
developed. As it is used here,
a strategy is an elaborate and
systematic plan of action designed
to achieve a particular goal.
The development strategy is
based on the existing goals but is
organized by ten major projects, or
strategies, and addresses future
development holistically rather than
by individual plan elements. It is
intended that the recommended
actions impact multiple planning
elements and goals simultaneously.
Each identified strategy provides
a brief description of the strategy,
a list of the actions necessary to
carry out the strategy, and in some
cases, graphic examples of actions
that have been taken in other areas
2025 Missions:
•
Pride, Trust and Cooperation
•
Become a “University Town”
•
Celebrate Diversity
•
Innovation
•
Promotion and Utilization of
Community Resources
The development strategies are not
listed by order of priority because
each of the strategies includes both
immediate and long range actions.
Additionally, many of the actions
must occur simultaneously. A list
of priority actions is provided at the
end of this document for quick and
easy reference.
Although the development
strategy format has been simplified
from the implementation plan in the
2000 comprehensive plan, carrying
it out will not be a simple task. It
should, however, be an organized
and systematic approach to the
transformation of Tuskegee into
a place that caters to its people,
not just to cars, parking lots and
available store fronts.
In the end, the transformation
of Tuskegee will be dependent upon
its citizens and their willingness
to commit their talents, time and
services to the community. Each
person and organization has a role
to play and must be accountable
to themselves and the community
in carrying out that role. While
historical lessons are crucial, and
especially from Tuskegee’s great
history, the time has come for
Tuskegee to look forward and to
move forward -- together.
Page 34
Future Land Use and
Development
The Future Land Use and
Development Map is a hybrid
graphic that shows proposed future
land uses within the context of
the development concepts and
strategies. Future land uses
were derived from the combined
analysis of proposed development
and natural resource conservation.
Flood prone areas are delineated
and reserved for recreational
amenities to support neighborhoods
and provide pedestrian and bicycle
linkages from neighborhoods to
activity centers throughout the city.
In addition, highly erodible areas
area delineated and reserved for low
density, or limited, development.
These areas also serve as buffers
between land uses and form an
organizational framework for the
city’s land uses.
Access to Tuskegee is provided
by redeveloped image corridors that
are both attractive and inviting.
The appropriate development of
these corridors, however, is more
than just aesthetic; it is directly
linked to economic development.
The image portrayed by these
corridors will impact how well
Tuskegee is able to capture traffic
from Interstate 85 into Tuskegee.
Increased traffic flow will assist
in the recruitment of additional
business and industry. Design
elements that are essential to
the image corridors include
functional and attractive gateways,
a consistent wayfinding system,
appropriate landscaping and
screening and well-developed
circulation routes and options.
Traffic flow in Tuskegee will be
facilitated by road realignments and
new roads to minimize congestion
from Tuskegee’s largest traffic
generators, which currently are
CAVHCS and Tuskegee University.
Anticipated traffic generators
in the same vicinity include
Tuskegee Airmen Museum and the
Tuskegee Industrial Park. It is also
proposed that a connector road be
constructed between US Highway
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
80 and US Highway 29 to intersect
with Chappie James Drive. The
purpose of this connector road is
to facilitate truck and large vehicle
traffic through Tuskegee, increase
access to the industrial park and
minimize traffic conflicts in the
downtown area.
Future industrial development
is concentrated in the Tuskegee
Industrial Park and at the junction
of U.S. Highway 80 and Pleasant
Springs Road. Light industrial
development may also occur near
the interstate interchanges at
Interstate 85 Exits 32 and 38.
Commercial development is
anchored by the redevelopment
of a vibrant downtown core. The
downtown area should include
both daytime and nighttime
activities and should serve both
as a shopping/service resource for
residents and a tourism attraction.
It includes an outdoor public space
for events and casual relaxation.
Downtown resources should
include retail support for tourism
development with restaurants and
cultural amenities.
A transitional commercial area
is planned, extending north from
downtown to Tuskegee University.
This area should cater to university
students and faculty by focusing
specifically on the retail, lodging,
service and entertainment needs
of that population. While the
transitional commercial area will
have a different character from
downtown and serve a different
population group, it should still
carry the attention to structural and
aesthetic design as downtown.
Local commercial development
is planned for both major and minor
gateway areas. These areas should
function to provide convenience
services to travelers and to slow and
funnel traffic to downtown Tuskegee
and tourism assets.
Commercial development is
often intermingled with institutional
land uses in Tuskegee to provide
retail and service amenities to high
volumes of working population.
With Tuskegee University, the
Central Alabama Veterans Health
Care System and two national
historic sites, Tuskegee has a much
higher percentage of institutional
land development than most
communities. These employment
centers and tourism assets should
be linked to other parts of the city
with non-vehicular transportation
options.
Residential land uses are
located throughout Tuskegee and
include a wide variety of housing
types. Primary considerations for
future residential development
include housing choice;
redevelopment of strong, identifiable
neighborhoods; downtown housing;
and residential safety. Each
residential node should include a
neighborhood activity center that
is linked internally with sidewalks
and externally with pedestrian and
bicycles paths.
Proposed gateway development
at Interstate 85 Exit 38.
Source: VAST - Value Added Systems and Technoloogy, April 2011
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 35
Page 36
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Long-Range Goals
Economic Development
• Promote economic growth and
development through:
• industrial and commercial
recruiting
• tourism development
• resident business retention
programs
• entrepreneurial development,
and
• special programs to increase
skill levels.
• Full-employment with
opportunities at all skill levels
• Effective and efficient support to
business
• Address emerging economic
opportunities
Education
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduce the high school dropout
rate by 50 percent
Reduce adult illiteracy by 50
percent
Strengthen early childhood
education
Well-rounded, rigorous
education for every child
Partnerships to support public
education
School performance at all levels
to surpass state averages
Occupational, technical, and
vocational skills – adults
Housing
•
•
•
•
•
•
All utilities and facilities up to
state and federal standards
Transportation System:
• Vehicular and pedestrian
facilities
• Ease of access to points of
interest
• Improve circulation
New interchange on I-85 to
Downtown Tuskegee
Expand Moton Field
Evaluation of facilities –
consolidate, renovate, replace
Safe and attractive places of
assembly
Community Enrichment
• Increase community
involvement
• Improve physical appearance
and aesthetic character
• Variety of recreational facilities
• Residents and visitors feel safe,
secure and welcome
• Coordination / consolidation of
government:
• Improve quality of life
• Efficient use of tax dollars
• Seamless system of health care
• Intergenerational health care
Land Use
•
Best distribution of land uses to
meet physical, social, cultural,
and economic needs
Balanced and efficient use of
land
•
Adequate, safe and sound
housing affordable to all families
• Housing maintenance and
awareness program
Note: Reference the 2000 Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan for detailed goals
and objectives. They are not repeated here, except as they relate to the
development strategies.
•
Highway 81 Corridor, Tuskegee
Credit: http://maps.google.com
Future Development
Strategies
Facilities
C&O Canal Corridor, Virginia
Credit: www.contextsensitivesolutions.org
1.
Improve access to
Tuskegee.
2.
Redevelop Downtown
Tuskegee into a vibrant
hub of activity.
3.
Recreate Tuskegee as a
tourism center and as a
destination.
4.
Protect and promote
Tuskegee’s existing
environmental resources
and amenities.
5.
Forge a mutually
beneficial relationship
between the City of
Tuskegee and Tuskegee
University.
6.
Pursue and create a
wide spectrum of local
economic development
opportunities.
7.
Create image corridors
that portray the spirit of
Tuskegee.
8.
Clearly define and
improve Tuskegee’s
circulation patterns.
9.
Invigorate Tuskegee’s
neighborhoods.
10. Ensure an exceptional
quality of life to all
Tuskegee citizens.
Not all improvements must be made on a
grand scale. As shown in the pictures to the
left, simple screen fencing and appropriate
landscaping can transform a neglected and
unsightly transportation corridor into
an attractive and inviting parkway. The
improvements in the C&O Canal corridor are in
context with the rural environment of the area
-- even the guard rails are rustic wood rather
than shiny metal. All improvements have been
made within the existing right-of-way and
function to eliminate roadside distractions and
visual conflicts while guiding the traveler to a
location further down the road.
Future Development Strategies
The following ten development
strategies are broad initiatives to
create the environment desired by
Tuskegee residents. The strategies
are not organized by development
priorities or by planning elements,
but instead, are based on a
similar purpose to achieve a goal
or group of goals. Together, the
ten development strategies bridge
the gap between what Tuskegee
residents want to see accomplished
(vision) and how those visions can
be obtained.
•
•
•
•
•
Page 37
Construct a connector road
between US Highway 80 and
US Highway 29 to intersect with
Chappie James Drive.
Improve circulation and parking
around the courthouse square.
Improve and increase public
transit.
Investigate potential for distance
rail connections.
Continue development of
airport facilities at Moton Field
to improve accessibility and
promote economic development.
Strategy 2:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Protect/promote historic
resources through local/state/
federal preservation programs.
Pursue residential infill
development in downtown
neighborhoods.
Increase opportunities for
cultural and performing arts.
Actively encourage adaptive
reuse of vacant buildings,
particularly historic structures.
Increase opportunities for
cultural and performing arts.
Develop an open space
amphitheater/activity center
that maximizes flood prone
area between Fonville and Oak
Streets.
Update the 2005 Tuskegee
Downtown Redevelopment
Plan with the 2010 Downtown
Redevelopment Schematic
Outline and implement
a downtown aesthetic
improvement program.
Redevelop Downtown Tuskegee
into a vibrant hub of activity.
Improve access to Tuskegee.
Downtown Tuskegee offers a
•
unique experience that cannot be
The term ‘access’ includes not
replicated anywhere else -- not on
only the means by which a person
Interstate 85, not in Auburn, and
enters and leaves a place, but also
not in Montgomery. Only Tuskegee
the ease in which he or she is able
•
to do so. Tuskegee is accessible by offers its personal history and local
influences. Likewise, Tuskegee
five major routes: AL Highway 81
should not try to duplicate services
from the northeast, County Road
Adaptive reuse of a train depot in Foley.
and shopping downtown that are
51 (Pleasant Springs Road) from
commonly
offered
in
other
more
the northwest, US Highway 80 from
the east and west, and US Highway generic locations. Instead, the
focus should be on making a visit
29 from the south. Although the
to Downtown Tuskegee a unique
functional access is present, none
of the routes act to guide a traveler experience in and of itself.
The purpose of Strategy 2 is to
to specific destinations. And,
build
the critical mass of shopping
there exists traffic conflicts along
traffic
necessary to fully support the
several of the routes and confusing
turns to several of the city’s largest area as a central activity hub. This Credit: Cheryl Morgan, AU Urban Studio
includes local entrepreneurship,
traffic generators. The purpose
downtown housing opportunities,
of Strategy 1 is to minimize traffic
aesthetic improvements, unique
conflicts, streamline traffic flow and
shopping and services, and
to increase traffic flow to the heart
linkages to other parts of the city.
of the city. Further, improved
It will take more than downtown
access includes the ease with which
merchants to redevelop downtown
a person can move out of and back
Tuskegee. It will also take the
into the traffic flow to encourage
commitment of citizens to support
increased visitation at Tuskegee’s
downtown merchants, investment
businesses and local attractions.
of both public, private, and nonprofit funds, and local and regional
Actions:
promotion and marketing.
• Make necessary street repairs
and improve street maintenance. Actions:
• Realign the intersection of
• Concentrate on downtown
Alabama Highway 81 and
re-investment.
Chappie James Drive.
• Fully support and implement
• Realign intersection of AL
the Tuskegee Main Street
Urban design elements such as outdoor cafe
Highway 81 and Hospital Road.
Program.
• Develop a connector road from
• Promote mixed-use development seating, lighting, landscaping, sidewalk and
crosswalk treatments, and decorative flags
AL Highway 81 to AL Highway
that encourages high activity
enhance the shopping experience in this
126.
levels both day and night.
downtown area.
Strategy 1:
Credit: Cheryl Morgan, AU Urban Studio
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 38
Strategy 3:
Recreate Tuskegee as a tourism
center and as a destination.
Tuskegee has an abundance of
tourist attractions and often has a
captive audience, but does not yet
function as a tourist destination.
First and foremost, Tuskegee has
limited lodging facilities that would
encourage overnight visits. The
overall appearance of the city does
not provide the safe and welcoming
atmosphere that visitors want to
enjoy during their trips. And, the
existing tourist resources are not
effectively marketed. Further, many
potential tourism opportunities are,
for the most part, ignored.
The purpose of Strategy 3 is to
develop an overall tourism program
in partnership with Macon County
and nearby communities. It will be
important to maximize the potential
to ‘capture’ tourists while they are
in the general vicinity for whatever
reason. Secondly, Tuskegee must
reach beyond their historical assets
and broaden their tourism base by
offering a variety of attractions that
are of interest to all ages, interest
area and demographics.
Actions:
•
•
Partnership with Macon
County Economic Development
Authority to provide countywide
tourism development - Macon
County Tourism Council.
Develop small scale, local
lodging facilities.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
•
•
•
•
•
Continued tourism development
based on promotion of historic
resources.
Continued tourism development
based on promotion of
recreational resources.
Promote agri-tourism based on
Tuskegee’s history.
Pursue stronger relationship
with the National Park Service to
continue attraction development
and promotion.
Work with Chamber/Tourism
Council to develop a hospitality
training program.
In Strategy 4, the effort is to
revise the local perspective from
that of undevelopable lands to one
that embraces the potential that
can be found in the environmental
amenities. These areas should be
viewed as a natural infrastructure
system that supports the city and
that is as necessary as Tuskegee’s
water and sewer systems. To this
end, Strategy 4 focuses on the
identification and appropriate use of
Tuskegee’s natural resources for the
long-term benefit of residents.
Actions:
•
Strategy 4:
Protect and promote Tuskegee’s
existing environmental resources
and amenities.
Every city has some degree of
land space that is not appropriate
for structural development due to
environmental limitations. This
does not mean that the land is
not usable or that it is not an
asset to the community. To the
contrary, those environmental
features are often the hallmark
of the community. On a much,
much larger scale, think of what
the Grand Canyon is to, and does
for, the entire southwest region of
the United States. Furthermore,
environmental resources often
serve a vital underlying role in
the community, from stormwater
retention to wildlife habitat to visual
and audio buffers.
Natural areas can be used as public gathering amenities and also provide opportunities for
increased tourism development.
•
•
Increase “green” aspects of
infrastructure.
Utilize natural resources for
development of non-vehicular
circulation paths.
Construct bicycle and
pedestrian facilities to provide
access throughout Tuskegee and
to points beyond.
Strategy 5:
Forge a mutually beneficial
relationship between the City
of Tuskegee and Tuskegee
University.
For many years, the City of
Tuskegee and Tuskegee University
have coexisted in the same location,
but have not reaped the full benefits
of that locational relationship.
The City has not invested in the
facilities, shopping resources
and other amenities necessary to
support both faculty and students,
as well as the visitors they bring;
and, Tuskegee University has not
always included the City in its long
range research and development
plans. Therefore, a true town-gown
relationship has never evolved.
As a result, students travel to
nearby locations for shopping and
entertainment; their visitors stay
in other cities; faculty commutes
into Tuskegee for work and leaves
at the end of the day; and the
City of Tuskegee has not provided
the infrastructure to enable the
University to further its research
and development beyond the
campus boundaries.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
The focus of Strategy 5 is to lead •
the effort is forming a synergistic
relationship that benefits both the
City and the University.
•
Actions:
•
•
•
Formal partnership with
Tuskegee University to further
promote HBCU assets and towngown relationships.
Recruit industries that are
compatible with and support
Tuskegee University degrees and
students.
Support each other through
open door policies and
attendance at significant events.
Develop city-university
educational mentoring program.
Establish Chamber of
Commerce - University Relations
Task Force.
Outline University based
community service projects.
•
•
•
Page 39
Strive to develop and promote
a positive image for Tuskegee
in terms of safety, employment,
tourism, education and housing.
Coordination between localstate-federal funds.
Hire a full-time economic
developer.
Investigate “green” economic
development that does not
place a burden on the city’s
infrastructure.
Diversify economy.
Strategy 7:
image opportunities and ensuring
that they produce a positive return
for the city.
Actions:
•
•
Amend zoning ordinance to
include overlay districts for
image corridors along Interstate
85, US Highway 29, US Highway
80, AL Highway 81, Chappie
James Drive, Franklin Road and
Pleasant Springs Road.
Develop a master street tree urban forestry plan to preserve
local character and natural
resources.
Develop attractive and scale
appropriate gateways at all
decision points that invite
travelers to Tuskegee.
Install screening and
landscaping as necessary to
produce desired image.
Create image corridors that
•
portray the spirit of Tuskegee.
•
In the future land use and
development
map, Tuskegee’s major
•
entrance routes are designated
•
as image corridors. These
corridors include Interstate 85
•
between Exit 32 and Exit 38, U.S.
Highways 29 and 80, Alabama
Strategy 8:
Highways 51 and 81, Franklin
Clearly define and improve
Strategy 6:
Road, and Old Montgomery
Tuskegee’s circulation patterns.
Pursue and create a wide
Road, along with any new roads
While Strategy 1 addresses
spectrum of local economic
proposed in the downtown area.
increased access to Tuskegee and
development opportunities.
These transportation corridors
Strategy 7 addresses the images
With an astronomically high
convey a lasting image -- good
portrayed while traveling into
unemployment rate and a very low
or bad -- to residents, business
and around the city, Strategy 8
per capita income, the creation
and industry, and passersby. As
addresses how travelers move
of job opportunities for both the
such, they should be treated as
around the city in all different
unemployed and underemployed is
viable community assets, not just
modes of transportation.
paramount for the City of Tuskegee.
infrastructure.
Circulation is more about the
All leaders in Tuskegee (elected and
Currently, the identified image
movement within the city, the
non-elected) must be cognizant of
corridors are missed opportunities
visual clues that lead a traveler
recognizing economic development
for Tuskegee. Strategy 7 is focused in a particular direction and the
and job opportunities on a daily
on regaining those development and conflicts that cause a traveler
basis. It is already clear that
Attractive, appropriate and legible signage is a required component of gateways, image corridors,
Tuskegee is missing out on tourism and wayfinding to provide clarity of circulation paths for both vehicular and non-vehicular traffic.
development, university related
support services and recreational
development. The purpose of
Strategy 6 is to put the resources in
place to capture the opportunities
once they are recognized.
Actions:
•
•
•
Develop Interstate 85 Exit 38 at
AL Highway 81.
Develop “visible” and accessible
industrial park.
Develop transitional commercial
area to serve Tuskegee
University student and faculty
needs for retail shopping and
entertainment.
Page 40
not to use an intended route
or mode of transportation. For
instance, residents may not
shop in or visit an area because
parking is inconvenient; however,
sidewalk improvements and/or the
installation of pedestrian paths
strategically linked to parking areas
and destinations could encourage
residents to not only to shop in
the area but to stay longer or
visit more often. Clearly defined
circulation patterns (whether by
vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian)
and an organized system of visual
directional signals are essential to
the development of an area that can
handle high volumes of traffic with
minimal congestion.
Actions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Develop a sign ordinance based
on a wayfinding system and
integrate into zoning ordinance.
Develop consistent signage that
“leads” to Tuskegee.
Work towards implementing
cohesive and sustainable
patterns of development.
Develop a network of safe
and accessible non-vehicular
transportation paths.
Invest in an access management
plan for downtown/corridors.
Construct bicycle/pedestrian
corridors to serve both students
and serve residential areas.
Good signage should be both directional and informational. Whenever possible, signage should
also be used to promote area assets.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Strategy 9:
Invigorate Tuskegee’s
neighborhoods.
A neighborhood is more
than a group of houses located
close together. It is more than
a subdivision. The concept of a
neighborhood has both geographic
and social components. As such,
Tuskegee’s neighborhoods should
provide a safe haven similar to that
of a home. Just as our personal
homes portray our individual
personalities, a neighborhood
should be reflective of the people
who live there. And, just as a home
almost always has a ‘center’ where
family and friends gather most
often, so should a neighborhood.
To invigorate a neighborhood,
all of the social and geographic
components must be in place
and working effectively. Strategy
9 is an effort to ensure that each
resident of Tuskegee has a true
neighborhood that he or she calls
home. Further, the neighborhood
effort should extend to future
residential development as well.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Work with non-profits to develop
home ownership programs for
local residents.
Re-invest in existing residential
areas.
Work with local developers to
broaden housing options to
attract new residents.
Develop housing opportunities
in the downtown area to
increase housing choice.
Reclaim tax-lien properties and
dedicate them for neighborhood
“community” uses.
Construct sidewalks in existing
neighborhoods where possible to
encourage pedestrian traffic and
community connections.
Develop a volunteer system to
encourage local participation in
civic activities.
Strategy 10:
Ensure an exceptional quality of
life to all Tuskegee citizens.
Tuskegee has been slowly losing
its population base over the last
30 years. To reverse this trend,
Actions:
Tuskegee must be able to offer
• Delineate and designate historic
amenities not found elsewhere
residential areas.
that will attract lost residents and
• Discover and promote heritage
also bring new residents. In doing
of individual neighborhoods.
so, small quality of life details
• Continue implementation of
community clean-up programs. will become vitally important to
• Preserve small-town atmosphere the larger picture of economic
prosperity.
through active watch of
The purpose of Strategy 10 is
neighborhood events.
to
identify
missing quality of life
• Institute active condemnation
features
that
should be included
program to eliminate
in the framework of available
substandard housing units.
resources. Additionally, those
• Utilize abandoned and
quality of life features that are only
undeveloped lots to construct
community food gardens and
available in Tuskegee should be
neighborhood recreational areas. promoted on a large scale.
Good neighborhoods have a strong identity to which residents relate and call home. Good
neighborhoods should also promote safety and a high level of activity among residents.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 41
Actions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the Tuskegee development strategy.
The following list outlines the roles
Improved stormwater system
Institute local volunteer program and responsibilities of these key
groups of stakeholders.
for park maintenance and
construction.
Local Government:
The Tuskegee community must
always advocate for local schools Mayor, City Council, Departments
• Chief policy and decision
and programs that increase
making
educational development
•
Adoption of comprehensive plan
Actively seek top high school
update
graduates in Macon County to
attend Tuskegee University with • Zoning ordinance and map
amendments
a local scholarship program.
•
Day to day management of
Tuskegee University Outreach
the comprehensive plan and
Programs to support local
development strategy
education initiatives.
•
Staff for planning and economic
Develop benchmarks to measure
development
school progress.
Increase recycling opportunities. Planning Commission, Zoning
Join Alabama broadband
Board of Adjustments
initiative to improve broadband
• Appointed city board with
service and develop local
planning authority
technology centers.
• Approval of comprehensive plan
Renew focus and efforts to
updates
improve libraries and learning
• Coordination, management and
centers.
scheduling of existing plans
Strongly support police and fire • Zoning and subdivision
departments to ensure safety for
approvals
residents and businesses.
• Interpretation of plans
Increase local health care
• Design review
facilities and options.
Existing Plans
Working Together and
Accountability
As stated at the beginning of
the Development Strategy, change
will not come overnight. But, with
the steadfast commitment and
accountability of Tuskegee citizens,
great changes can and will occur.
Positive change will require the
concentrated effort of local elected
officials, local government agencies
and departments, educational
resources, businesses and
industries, civic and faith-based
organizations, and all Tuskegee
citizens working together in a
coordinated manner. There are,
however, three key groups of
stakeholders that will be held
more accountable than others:
local government, non-profit
organizations and the private
sector. These three groups must
come to the table as committed
partners to successfully implement
•
•
•
•
•
2010 Comprehensive Plan
Update
2010 Downtown Redevelopment
Schematic
2000 Comprehensive Plan
Tuskegee Tourism Plan
2005 Tuskegee Downtown
Redevelopment Plan
Land Use Regulations
• Zoning ordinance amendments
• Subdivision regulation
amendments
• Design guidelines
• Consistency between regulations
and long-range plans
• Voluntary design guidelines
Non-Profit Organizations:
Tuskegee University
• Private not-for-profit education
resource
• Promote research and
development in the area
• Source of knowledge, data and
implementation tools
Apply for and receive federal,
state and private grants
Community service resources
Community Development
Corporation
• Not-for-profit development
authority
• Promote housing and
neighborhood development
• Receive funds and finance
housing and neighborhood
commercial development
• Park and recreation
development
• Apply for and receive federal,
state and private grants
Macon County Economic
Development Authority
• Appointed board with economic
development authority
• Promote industrial and
commercial development
• Finance industrial and
commercial development
• Apply for and receive federal,
state and private grants
Tuskegee Area Chamber of
Commerce
• Membership organization
• Serve as advocate for business
development
• Promote industrial and
commercial development
• Promotion and events
Land Trust
• Not for profit corporation
• Receive easements and land for
open space conservation and
recreational development
Private Sector:
Property Owners, Developers and
Investors
• Zoning ordinance amendments
and updates
• Subdivision regulations
• Design guidelines
• Project development and
implementation
• Project financing
• Land resource
Page 42
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Priority Actions
Immediate
• Make necessary street repairs and
improve street maintenance.
• Conduct an access management
study for image corridors and
downtown circulation.
• Improve and increase public transit.
• Continue development of airport
facilities at Moton Field to improve
accessibility and promote economic
development.
• Fully support and implement the
Tuskegee Main Street Program.
• Protect and promote historic
resources through local, state and
federal preservation programs.
• Partnership with Macon County
Economic Development Authority
to provide countywide tourism
development - Macon County
Tourism Council.
• Formal partnership with Tuskegee
University to further promote HBCU
assets and town-gown relationships.
• Establish Chamber of Commerce University Relations Task Force.
• Develop “visible” and accessible
industrial park.
• Strive to develop and promote a
positive image for Tuskegee in terms
•
•
•
•
of safety, employment, tourism,
education and housing.
Amend zoning ordinance to include
overlay districts for image corridors.
The Tuskegee community must
always advocate for local schools
and programs that increase
educational development
Re-invest in existing residential
areas.
Invest in an access management
plan for downtown/corridors.
One to Two Years
• Install screening and landscaping as
necessary to produce desired image.
• Improve circulation and parking
around the courthouse square.
• Promote mixed-use development
in downtown that encourages high
activity levels both day and night.
• Actively encourage adaptive reuse
of vacant buildings, particularly
historic structures.
• Update the 2005 Tuskegee
Downtown Redevelopment Plan with
the 2010 Downtown Redevelopment
Schematic.
• Re-invest in downtown.
• Outline and implement a downtown
aesthetic improvement program.
• Continued tourism development
based on promotion of historic
resources.
• Pursue stronger relationship
with the National Park Service to
continue attraction development and
promotion.
• Utilize natural resources for
development of non-vehicular
circulation paths.
• Develop Interstate 85 Exit 38 at AL
Highway 81.
• Develop attractive and scale
appropriate gateways at all decision
points that invite travelers to
Tuskegee.
• Develop sign ordinance based on a
wayfinding system and integrate into
zoning ordinance.
• Discover and promote heritage of
individual neighborhoods.
• Develop housing opportunities in the
downtown area to increase housing
choice.
• Join Alabama broadband initiative
to improve broadband service and
develop local technology centers.
• Tuskegee University Outreach
Programs to support local education
initiatives.
• Develop a volunteer system to
encourage local participation in civic
activities.
• Renew focus and efforts to improve
libraries and learning centers.
• Construct bicycle and pedestrian
facilities to provide access
throughout Tuskegee and to points
beyond.
• Recruit industries that are
compatible with and support
Tuskegee University degrees and
students.
• Develop a network of safe
and accessible non-vehicular
transportation paths.
• Utilize abandoned and undeveloped
lots to construct community
food gardens and neighborhood
recreational areas. Work with local
developers to broaden housing
options to attract new residents.
• Construct sidewalks in existing
neighborhoods where possible to
encourage pedestrian traffic and
community connections.
• Reclaim tax-lien properties and
dedicate them for neighborhood
“community” uses.
Three to Five Years
• Realign the intersection of Alabama
Highway 81 and Chappie James
Drive.
• Realign intersection of AL Highway
81 and Hospital Road.
• Construct a connector road between
US Highway 80 and US Highway
29 to intersect with Chappie James
Drive.
• Pursue residential infill development
in downtown neighborhoods.
• Promote agri-tourism based on
Tuskegee’s history.
Tuskegee Comprehensive Plan Update
Notes:
Page 43