Gainesville City Commission hears update on 8th & Waldo plans, approves loan for GPD property and evidence building

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – During the afternoon session of the December 4 Gainesville City Commission meeting, Commissioners reviewed an updated site plan for the 8th & Waldo property, approved a loan for a property and evidence building for the Gainesville Police Department, and approved limited property tax exemptions for two historic properties.

8th & Waldo

City staff presented a revised site plan for the 8th & Waldo property (click here to see the full presentation), and City Manager Andrew Persons said he believes the City and the School Board of Alachua County are “on the same page” regarding the transfer of the stadium property to the School Board for about $5.5 million; the money will compensate the City for part of the infrastructure work to support the stadium.

Chief Operating Officer Brian Singleton said that for about $29 million, the City can do remediation and stormwater work on the site and build two multi-purpose fields, trails, a competition pool, a community pool, and an aquatics center. That work would also include utilities for the stadium, the stadium parking lot, demolition of the existing pool, and a building pad for a future Senior Center. It does not include the Senior Center itself or the renovation or replacement of the MLK Center.

Singleton said that after this phase is complete, Commissioners could decide to build a Senior Center for about $9.5 million or renovate the MLK building for about $12 million. Singleton said there are still a few unknowns with the funding, but about $36 million has been identified. 

The identified funding includes $10.9 million from Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GCRA) funds, $5 million from Wild Spaces Public Places, $2.5 million from the County’s Wild Spaces Public Places funds, and $5 million from the City’s excess fund balance. Additional potential funding could include $5.5 million from the School Board, $7.2 million from a HUD loan, and unknown sponsorships. 

The $5.5 million from the School Board, assuming that is the final price, will pay for 50% of the remediation costs, 50% of the stormwater costs, 75% of the stadium parking lot costs, and 100% of the costs for the utility stubs to the stadium. The School Board is still going through the due diligence process, which includes a requirement for two appraisals. The purchase agreement would include a reverter clause and preserves the right of the City to use the stadium, which must be built by 2028, for eight events a year. 

City only needs about $3 million more to build the Senior Center

Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut said she was disappointed that citizens would not immediately see a Senior Center or renovations to the MLK Center, but Mayor Harvey Ward said they’re only about $3 million away from having the funds for a Senior Center, “so given that we are still [two or three years] away from having the capacity to build the Senior Center, I am 100% confident we find $3 million in that time, one way or another.” He said that once the first phase is complete, the City could ask the legislature for money to renovate the MLK Center because it is also used as a storm shelter: “You may call me a dreamer, but I really don’t think that’s out of the question… I want to get everything on the list done.”

Persons cautioned that a HUD loan would have to be repaid with General Fund or CDBG dollars, so “my recommendation is to really try to expend the funds that we already have allocated” and wait until it’s necessary before borrowing money.

Stadium and competition pool are top priorities

Ward pointed out that the reason the infrastructure for the stadium, the competition pool, and the aquatics center are at the top of the list is because the stadium and the current pool “are on the verge of being broken and unusable.”

$21.5 loan for GPD property and evidence building

The next agenda item was the approval of a $21.5 million loan for the construction of a property and evidence building for the  Gainesville Police Department; the loan will be repaid from infrastructure sales tax revenue. 

Commissioner Casey Willits made a motion to approve a resolution for the loan agreement, and Commissioner Bryan Eastman seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Actions on historic properties

Commissioners also voted unanimously to add the Gainesville Lodge (413 W. University Avenue) to the City’s local register of historic places. 

The next item was an ordinance granting an exemption from property taxes for certain improvements over 10 years for the property at 1021 NE 4th Street. Staff explained that the exemption is not for all property taxes, but an exemption on improvements provides an incentive for doing work on a historic property without an immediate increase in the valuation of the property. After 10 years, the property will go back to being valued at the amount set by the Property Appraiser. The ordinance passed unanimously.

The next ordinance was similar, but for the property at 425 NE 3rd Street. This house, which was built in 1858, was on the City’s dangerous buildings list before an owner was found to restore it. That ordinance also passed unanimously.