City of Gainesville seeks contractors, lenders for resource fairs

Press release from the City of Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GCRA) is seeking licensed contractors and area lenders to participate in upcoming resource fairs. The events are designed to connect them with property owners who are eligible to apply for funding through the 8th Avenue & Waldo Economic Development Incentive Program.

The incentive program provides grants to assist homeowners, business owners, and nonprofit organizations along the 8th Avenue and Waldo Road corridors with interior and exterior renovations, including painting, fencing, structural repairs, roofing, and upgraded lighting and accessibility, among other improvements. The initiative is designed to help anchor economic activity in the corridor and attract new jobs, services, and commercial expansion to the area.

The resource fairs are scheduled from 6-8 p.m. on four consecutive Mondays: April 20, April 27, May 4, and May 11 at the City of Gainesville’s MLK Jr. Multipurpose Center (1028 NE 14th Street).

The events will help eligible property owners obtain quotes for their projects to include as part of their applications. (Information about property criteria, a map of both corridors, and an explanation of grant categories are posted online.)

The GCRA is a 10-year program (2019-2029) administered by the City of Gainesville and funded by the City and Alachua County with the goal of enhancing economic development through long-term and place-based projects and programs.

The Gainesville City Commission approved $2 million in funding for the incentive program to support revitalization along the corridors as part of the City’s Eighth and Waldo transformational project to renovate its sports and recreation facilities.