Clarence R. Kelly Community Center and Park Construction Update

Press release from City of Gainesville

We’re halfway there!

The City of Gainesville’s Wild Spaces & Public Places program and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department are excited to provide a progress report on the Community Center and Park!

Work began in April including demolition of the existing building and preparing the surrounding land for the improved outdoor space. We are happy to report that progress on the new community center and park site is going as expected and the work is anticipated to complete in the spring of 2022.

The new center will have two large multipurpose event rooms, a catering kitchen, offices, a game room, activity rooms, computer lab, reception area, lobby, and storage. 

Improvements to the outdoor space include a new playground, adult fitness equipment, an event lawn, walking trail, community garden, full-sized, lighted basketball court, and landscaping.

A copy of the final plan set for the Clarence R. Kelly Community Center and Park can beviewed here.

Blackwater Construction Services, LLC, a small, local business, is the general contractor for the project. The approximate construction cost of the project is $2,292,276.00.

Funded by the Wild Spaces & Public Places half-cent sales tax, the Clarence R. Kelly Community Center and Park project is the culmination of a collaborative effort between the City of Gainesville and advocates for the Duval community. After three years of planning, outreach and focus group meetings, the Community Center and Park are finally becoming a reality.