City of Alachua receives $50,000 grant from T-Mobile for downtown pocket park

Press release from T-Mobile

BELLEVUE, Wash. — T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) today announced its latest 25 Hometown Grant recipients, each set to receive up to $50,000 in funding from T-Mobile to support local development projects to revitalize their communities. One of the grants will go to the City of Alachua for a downtown pocket park.

The $50,000 grant from T-Mobile will revitalize a pocket park in the heart of Alachua’s historic downtown district, creating a vibrant community gathering space and an outdoor venue for cultural events and performances.

Mayor Gib Coerper said, “The City of Alachua thanks you so much, T-Mobile, for awarding us this grant. This is a huge help in making Theatre Park the best it can be for our citizens and visitors.” 

City Manager Mike DaRoza said, “Our historic downtown district is a cornerstone of our community, much like downtown districts all across America. We are honored to be a recipient of the T-Mobile Hometown Grant, which will help us take Theatre Park to the next level, making it a focal point on Main Street.” 

Michelle Lee, President of the Alachua Business League and small business owner on Main Street, said, “Speaking on behalf of the Alachua Business League, we are thrilled and grateful that the City of Alachua has been selected for this grant from T-Mobile. Revitalizing Theatre Park is pivotal to our collective vision of a dynamic downtown that celebrates our right heritage and cultural exchange.”

The check will be presented at 5:30 p.m. on March 27 at Theatre Park, 14900 Main Street, Alachua.

More than $16 million in Hometown Grants

Since kicking off its five-year commitment to small towns and rural communities in April 2021, the Un-carrier has provided more than $16 million in Hometown Grants to 375 communities across 48 states and Puerto Rico. Hometown Grants has sparked more than 150,000 volunteer hours, bringing people together to uplift their communities in big ways.

“When we started Hometown Grants nearly four years ago, we knew T-Mobile could make a real difference in small towns across the country, but the impact has exceeded all expectations,” said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group. “With this latest round of grants, communities will be able to fund everything from new fire hose technology to expanded food pantry space — creating important, life-changing improvements for the people who call these towns home.”

Here are the next 25 Hometown Grant recipients and their projects:

• Attalla, Ala.: Build a dedicated walking trail at District 2 to foster a sense of community, encourage physical activity and combat health issues related to sedentary lifestyles.
• Calexico, Calif.: Install new fire hose technology at the Calexico Fire Department, allowing more water to be put on a fire while exerting less resistance to the firefighter applying the water.
• Alachua, Fla.: Revitalize a pocket park in the heart of Alachua’s historic downtown district, creating a vibrant community gathering space and an outdoor venue for cultural events and performances.
• Comer, Ga.: Renovate the Perch Community Center, offering a more inviting and useful gathering place for a local Farmers Market and community events.
• Eastman, Ga.: Update Eastman City Park, including resurfacing outdoor courts, providing a place for the community to play basketball, pickleball and tennis without risking injury.
• Mount Vernon, Iowa: Renovate the Bijou Theatre’s indoor and exterior space, adding an outdoor reception and screening area and updating the front façade and more, just in time to celebrate its 50^th anniversary with the community.
• Covington, Ind.: Expand and relocate Marilyn’s Village, adding an enhanced café and a new thrift store, creating more opportunities for adults with disabilities to gain vocational training, foster community connection and provide affordable resources to families.
• Winfield, Kan.: Create The Patio at WPL (Winfield Public Library), an outdoor intergenerational play, learning and connection space designed to provide a safe, accessible, welcoming and connection-building environment for all of Winfield.
• Slidell, La.: Transform an unkempt green space in Olde Towne Slidell into the Carey Street Pocket Park, adding a vibrant community space to gather, relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the park’s landscape.
• Kingston, Mass.: Update Kingston Public Library lobby, replacing 27-year-old furnishings and making the space ADA compliant, providing a welcoming, accessible space to patrons.
• Tupelo, Miss.: Transform the Link Centre Black Box by relocating its primary access to ground level and renovating adjacent restrooms for ADA compliance, while integrating safety upgrades, enhanced lighting, and assistive technology to expand community accessibility and security.
• Drew, Miss.: Design and install seven freedom markers, honoring historical sites and people involved in the Civil Rights movement in Drew, Mississippi.
• Guymon, Okla.: Transform Dale Park into a vibrant, safe and engaging community space with new playground equipment, seating, drinking fountains and improved lighting, providing a much-needed recreational area for Southside Guymon, enhancing community health, cohesion and safety.
• Durant, Okla.: Plant trees and landscaping along Durant’s Main Street District to increase economic vitality, support wildlife and reduce heat islands.
• Silverton, Ore.: Expand the Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA) food pantry and community resource space by supporting their relocation to a larger, fully accessible facility that will provide essential services, new programs, and space for community partners to better serve neighbors in need.
• Bradford, Pa.: Revamp the Historic Downtown District Microgrant program, adding connectivity upgrades, new equipment and professional marketing and promotional activities for participating small businesses to continue to be a vital part of the local economy.
• Hershey, Pa.: Enhance and modernize the learning spaces at Vista Autism Services with upgraded classroom designs, improved walls, cabinetry, flexible seating options, new furniture, and optimized storage solutions.
• Hanahan, S.C.: Revitalize a vacant city-owned parcel into a vibrant hub for the Hanahan Farmers Market, enhancing community engagement, supporting local businesses and providing an accessible space for residents to connect and enjoy the town center.
• Sabinal, Texas: Enhance the Veterans Memorial Live Oak Park by installing a playground to maintain the physical health of the community and provide a recreational area for children to play.
• Zapata, Texas: Transform the Teen Tech Center at the Boys & Girls Club of Zapata County, with updates to paint, furnishings and new technology to engage more teens and tweens in the Club every day after school and throughout the day during the summer.
• Springville, Utah: Install the Art Loops, an interactive public art experience connecting the Springville Museum of Art, Springville Library, and Civic Center, with installations and activities, fostering community connection, enhancing walkability and pedestrian experience, strengthening Springville’s “Art City” identity, and revitalizing the downtown area.
• Brattleboro, Vt.: Expand HatchSpace’s workforce development and trades training programs by adding a workshop classroom and outfitting the digital fabrication lab with a high-tech laser cutter to further enhance the current roster of education programs.
• Vashon, Wash.: Install the Nikkei Public Art Memorial at Ober Park to commemorate and honor the 111 Nikkei residents who were forced to leave Vashon and be imprisoned in internment camps.
• Chippewa Falls, Wis.: Continue to transform the former Masonic Lodge by adding an outdoor learning and development space for the Chippewa Falls Boys & Girls Club by adding fencing, and member friendly representations to electrical equipment and introducing raised garden beds to feed youth in the community.
• Fayetteville, W.Va.: Build a permanent outdoor pavilion to serve as a year-round gathering space for community events, educational programs, volunteer activities and field trips, enhancing accessibility, promoting local food systems and fostering stronger community connections.

T-Mobile teams up with Main Street America — a nonprofit organization that works to advance shared prosperity, create resilient economies, and improve quality of life through place-based economic development and community preservation — to bring Hometown Grants to life.

Grant applications are reviewed based on their level of detail, community impact, feasibility, and other considerations.

“T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants program is bringing critical resources to small towns and rural communities across America,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO, Main Street America. “These investments are transforming local landscapes and creating new opportunities for growth and connection.”

T-Mobile’s Commitment to Championing Rural Communities

T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants commitment goes beyond community development programs. The Un-carrier has awarded nearly $4 million to small businesses through Hometown Grants to support projects like revitalizing farmers markets, launching business incubators and improving main streets.

Beyond Hometown Grants, T-Mobile is focused on many initiatives to make sure no community, big or small, gets left behind. The Un-carrier’s Project 10Million offers free internet connectivity and mobile hotspots to eligible student households to help close the digital divide. And T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights is a competition that’s gearing up for its second year to give one deserving high school a football field makeover valued at $2 million. Learn more about Friday Night 5G Lights and pre-register now for the next round at FridayNight5GLights.com.

As the country’s largest and fastest 5G network, T-Mobile is all about small towns and rural areas. Plus, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and Business Internet give homes and businesses across the country access to reliable and affordable broadband options. And for those in even the most rural areas, T-Mobile Starlink is on a mission to eliminate mobile dead zones in areas unreachable by traditional cell towers.

For more information about T-Mobile’s commitment to small towns, visit www.t-mobile.com/hometowngrants. And to see how Hometown Grants are creating change, go here.

Register for the free T-Mobile Starlink Beta here.

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