Alachua County Commission renames Budget Inn and Scottish Inn

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At their March 25 meeting, the Alachua County Commission renamed the Budget Inn and Scottish Inn, the motels they previously purchased to convert to permanent supportive housing.

Gun violence prevention grants

During General Public Comment, a representative from the League of Women Voters thanked the board for a grant for gun violence prevention and highlighted the increasing number of gun suicides. The awards, which were on the consent agenda for the meeting, were as follows:

• Strong-MINDed Mentoring Inc. – $10,000
• The Black On Black Crime Task Force – $10,000
• Star Center Theatre – $10,000
• League of Women Voters Alachua County – $9,800
• Total Life Productions LLC – $10,000
• Gladden Boxing Club – $10,000

Renaming the Budget Inn and Scottish Inn

Since the consent agenda also included a $4 million contract with Gray Construction Services to transform the Budget Inn into permanent supportive housing, the last construction contract in the transformation of the Budget Inn and Scottish Inn, Commissioners were asked to rename the complexes. Director of Community Support Services Claudia Tuck said construction should be completed by the end of September 2025.

Staff provided the following options:

Budget Inn  

• Driftwood Preserve
• Nature’s Edge
• Willow Creek
• Hobbs Manor
• Hobbs Villas
• Hobbs Apartments
• Write-in option

Scottish Inn

• Forest Haven
• Forest View
• Tabor Apartments
• Tabor Manor
• Tabor Villas
• Write-in option

Tuck said, “Some of the names we’ve looked at are related to the environment, and others are historical. The Scottish Inn originally was called Motel Tabor, and it was originally constructed by Frank and Libby Tabor in the 50s or 60s.” She said the grandson of the original builders has been located, and “he’s very supportive, if you would be interested in naming it based on a historical perspective.”

Tuck said the Budget Inn was originally built by Frank and Mae Helen Hobbs, but she has not been able to contact that family or find the original name of the motel. She said the complex was owned at one time by former City Commissioner Harvey Budd and called the Apartment Inn.

Commissioner Mary Alford said, “I have really strong feelings about naming things for some historical perspective, or for something that’s geographically nearby, or for someone or something that was meaningful.” She said a citizen had suggested naming the complexes for Arupa Freeman, who worked with the homeless for many years and passed away in 2019; the citizen thought that “would be a really fitting way to honor the work that she did for decades in our homeless population.”

Alford also suggested Tumblin Creek Efficiency Apartments, since “Tumblin Creek runs nearby.” She also liked “Freeman’s Haven because it’s really not a manor.” She also liked Tabor, “but I’m not married to it… I’d rather have something… more meaningful to the community.”

Commissioner Anna Prizzia favored naming it “after a geographic proximity, like Tumblin Creek,… [which] actually is there, versus Willow Creek.” She said she doesn’t like naming things after people “on the fly,” without doing “a lot of research… And while I’m sure these are wonderful people who did amazing things in our community, we just don’t have that information and that historical research being done.” She said she preferred something in geographic proximity “or a nature-based name.”

Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler said she liked Willow Creek for the Budget Inn “because I like the idea of the creek and Willow has a pretty sound to it,” but she was also fine with Tumblin Creek. She also liked Tabor Glen: “The idea of a glen, to me, is a softer sound – Tabor Glen.”

Commissioner Ken Cornell said he liked Nature’s Edge for the Budget Inn and Forest Haven for the Scottish Inn, but he “could be convinced” of other names.

Chair Chuck Chestnut said he liked Willow Creek and Forest View because he “just wanted to keep it with nature.”

Budget Inn vote

For the Budget Inn, all five Commissioners voted for Tumblin Creek.

After the vote, County Manager Michele Lieberman asked Commissioners “to make that name very clear because there is a Tumblin Creek already.” Arbours at Tumblin Creek, a 55+ community, is also located on SW 13th Street. 

Alford said that was why she had suggested Tumblin Creek Efficiency Apartments, but Tuck said they won’t be efficiencies but will be one-bedroom units. 

Prizzia suggested Tumblin Creek Edge, and the others said they liked that. Wheeler said, “That’s a lot of name for somebody to say where they live,” and Alford responded, “I don’t think so. It could be Forest of the Unicorn.”

Lieberman said the names she found already in use are Arbours at Tumblin Creek and Tumblin Creek Forest, near Depot Park.

Prizzia said, “I think it’s like Sweetwater – there’s a lot of things named that because it’s a landmark.”

Wheeler said, “I’m fine with however you want to do it. I just didn’t want to be associated with somebody, you know, that we may not want to be associated with by using the same name.”

Scottish Inn Vote

For the Scottish Inn, Prizzia voted for Forest View, Wheeler voted for Tabor Glen, Cornell voted for Forest View, and Alford voted for Tabor Glen, leaving Chestnut to cast the deciding vote for Forest View. 

Prizzia made a motion to accept Tumblin Creek Edge for the Budget Inn and Forest View for the Scottish Inn. The motion passed unanimously, with Cornell voting remotely after the board earlier voted to approve his virtual participation due to “extraordinary circumstances.”

Lieberman said, “I was just gonna let you guys know, there’s actually a Forest View Apartments, too, so we give up.” She said her staff would make sure the names are distinct from existing complexes.

Reconsidering Tumblin Creek Edge

During Commission Comments at the end of the meeting, Wheeler said, “I’m still having a hard time with Tumblin Creek Edge; you know, there’s no Tumblin Creekside anywhere… Tumblin Creek’s Edge, for me, is harsh… I’d rather have Creekside because Creekside sounds better than Creek Edge… It’s just more melodic, that’s all I’m saying. You know, it’s easier to come out of your mouth.”

Chestnut said it didn’t matter to him, and Prizzia said she was “fine with Creekside.” She said that “giving staff some ability to do some wordsmithing… that smooths out the name or makes sure it’s not in competition with other names out there, makes a lot of sense. That way, we avoid the issue… of us being mistaken for a different place… and that it rolls off the tongue.”

Wheeler made a motion to change Tumblin Creek Edge to Tumblin Creekside, and the motion passed unanimously.