‘It’s called a good beginning’: City and County Commissions discuss Cultural Arts Center

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At the December 10 Joint City of Gainesville/Alachua County Commission meeting, Gainesville City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker presented her vision for a Cultural Arts Center, and although there are no funds allocated to the project, County Commissioners indicated that they are “all in.”

Gainesville City Manager Andrew Persons said the meeting was “really just an information opportunity, to share information in terms of the work that the City has done to date on the Cultural Arts Center.” He reminded Commissioners that the City Commission declared in February 2023 that gun violence is a public health crisis. That declaration led to the One Nation One Project work that “recognized the role of arts programming in improving community health and preventing gun violence.”

In August 2025, the City Commission approved a motion to continue discussions about and explore funding for a Cultural Arts Center, and in September, Duncan-Walker led a three-city tour in the Miami area to see existing Cultural Arts Centers, research libraries, and performing arts centers; she is planning another tour in February. 

Feasibility study found no suitable buildings

Persons reviewed the results of a Cultural Arts Feasibility Study commissioned by the City (click here for our article on the March 2024 presentation from the consultant); the consultants told Commissioners that they were unable to find a suitable building for a Cultural Arts Center and recommended partnering with other organizations and using existing facilities in the community to provide arts programming.

Persons said City staff has formed an internal working group, and the plans are still “a work in progress,” but the joint meeting with the County Commission was an opportunity to continue discussing the topic with partners in the community.

Mayor Harvey Ward: “We are not sitting on a pot of money, ready to say, ‘Let’s go do a thing.'”

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said, “We were very, very clear at the City that we need to find outside funding mechanisms to make this happen. We are not sitting on a pot of money, ready to say, ‘Let’s go do a thing.'”

After watching a video about an arts center in Liberty City, Duncan-Walker said, “A Cultural Arts Center of this type obviously presents opportunities to cultivate the arts in young people, but… it also presents the opportunity for workforce programming… [and] the much-needed opportunity for economic development in east Gainesville, as well as community development.” She said she had always “envisioned this as a public-private partnership.”

September trip to Miami

Speaking about the September trip, Duncan-Walker said she “spent [her] City budget” to pay for it “because it was important that I was not dipping into City coffers to move this idea forward.” She said the attendees only had to pay for their food. 

The attendees on the trip were John Alexander (City Manager’s office), Roxy Gonzalez (Parks and Recreation Director for the City), Kali Blount, Duncan-Walker, Lajoie Renaud, Carla Lewis, Mike Powell, Carol Velasques-Richardson (Cultural Affairs Manager for the City), Terrell Jenkins, and School Board then-Member (now Chair) Thomas Vu. Documents provided by the City of Gainesville show that they traveled in a City van and spent $1718.73 for hotel rooms and $1304.60 for tickets. The funds came out of Duncan-Walker’s $5,000 FY2025 Commissioner budget for travel, training, and conferences.

Gonzalez said the African American Heritage Center gave her goosebumps, and “sometimes it’s hard to give me goosebumps.” She said it was “very impactful,… and just looking at that, it really did hit a core that I didn’t know existed within me.”

Velasques-Richardson also said she was “really just moved by the trip” and was impressed by “how intentional the cities and counties were in building their arts.” She said Gainesville has “so many wonderful places, but it was really nice to see it all housed on one campus so that you can get that complete experience.”

Current status

Duncan-Walker said the Hippodrome Theatre will partner with the City this summer in a pilot program, supported by Santa Fe College. She also said she had toured the vacant Jones Edmunds building, and she asked the owner to come on the next trip to Miami “because right now, it seems as though there is some interest in helping to see this through from that perspective.” She said the Community Foundation of North Central Florida “has expressed the desire to come aboard and help to move this forward. So it is an exciting space that we’re in, and it’s called a good beginning.”

Duncan-Walker also pushed back against a media story about using the Duval Elementary building: “No, no, no, no, no, no. In fact, this agenda doesn’t say anything about that… We’re quite a distance away from that.” However, she said that she had spoken with “pretty much all” of the school board members, “and they are in support.” She said her goal for the meeting was to “kind of set the table today for this conversation and really begin to bring it back to the forefront.” She said she would like to discuss the topic again at the next joint meeting.

Jones Edmunds building

County Commission Chair Ken Cornell said the County Commission had not discussed the Cultural Arts Center, but they’d made comments “in passing” about purchasing the Jones Edmunds building. He said this was a good opportunity for County Commissioners to comment.

County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler said she’s been “pushing” the Jones Edmund building for this purpose for a while because “it’s a big piece of property” with “a lot of space there, [with] lots of opportunities. The parking there is amazing.” She also pointed out that it’s “right in the same vicinity” as the 8th & Waldo “area that the City was talking about developing, anyway.” She said it made sense for the County to “invest with the City to make sure that [property] got into that compound… We just have to repurpose it.”

County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler: “I’m all in and have been, from the very beginning.”

Wheeler said that, as a retired art teacher, “That’s the way that we engage kids, particularly at that age where they’re trying to decide which gang to join, which church to join… And so I’m all in and have been, from the very beginning.”

Pointing to the example of the Hippodrome Theatre, County Commissioner Mary Alford said they should “start with the work, and hopefully the space and the vision will come with that.”

County Commissioner Anna Prizzia: “For me, the idea of creating a safe space for our children to realize their value is really what it’s about… There’s no real dollar value you can put on that, right?”

County Commissioner Anna Prizzia said she is “all in. For me, the idea of creating a safe space for our children to realize their value is really what it’s about… There’s no real dollar value you can put on that, right?” She said the City’s “tight” budget is a factor, though, and “it may be the same situation for us, given what’s happening in Tallahassee with property taxes, but at the end of the day,… with private partners, with philanthropy, with institutions, I think we can make something like this happen.”

Prizzia said the Waldo Road area provides “not just a cultural destination, but an economic destination,” with the Cultural Arts Center as “an anchor and an opportunity… to begin to create what we’ve always talked about, which is truly creating vibrant energy and economic opportunity in east Gainesville… And so, to me, it just makes sense.” She added that she could see “the links, too, to the work that we’re doing around food… I mean, food is culture, and food is art, and there’s a lot of opportunity to work with the organizations like Working Food and the Cultural Arts Coalition and Greater Duval who have been at the forefront of thinking about how we train our youth to be leaders in our food system and how we help them understand both the economic, cultural, and artistic ways they can do that.”

Cornell said the signs at the county line say, “‘Where nature and culture meet.’ It’s literally the ethos of Alachua County. And… it start with all of the programming,… and much of what you all are… doing… ties right in with our gun violence initiatives of the County. I’d like the County to be a part of that and to build on that.” He said he wanted to invite the School Board into the discussion to talk about the Duval facility. 

County Commission Chair Ken Cornell: “Who’s against this?… It is literally the most bipartisan issue; whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, everyone cares about our kids… I don’t know of anyone in our community that actually is not for this, and if we’re all for it, let’s figure out how we can make it happen, sooner rather than later.”

Cornell said Santa Fe College and UF “are all in on this initiative, so… who’s against this?… It is literally the most bipartisan issue; whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, everyone cares about our kids… I don’t know of anyone in our community that actually is not for this, and if we’re all for it, let’s figure out how we can make it happen, sooner rather than later.” He said it also “builds right into the moonshot of literacy that we have over the next three years.”

Other potential sources of funds: Children’s Trust, Tourism Development Tax, Truth and Reconciliation Project

Marsha Kiner, Executive Director of the Children’s Trust of Alachua County, said, “I concur… We are supportive, we will be happy to sit at the table and hear what the collective comes up with,… and I can’t imagine that we will not be a part of this work.” She added that there “may be some funding that we can lend to support.”

Alford said she thought “such a facility would have a regional impact” and that they should think of it as a “tourist draw,” which could lead to using some tourist development funds. 

Prizzia pointed out that the Miami center is “an African American Heritage Cultural Arts Center — like, it has a real identity and a root in a diaspora, and a conversation about a lot of things that are challenging but need to be talked about. And I feel like our Truth and Reconciliation Project… has really been focusing on that, as well… I think that there is some opportunity to think about how this space is truly that cultural heritage center that is not just about the arts or about economic development or about community, but to the tourism side and… storytelling and education,… being able to have a space that is an anchor for all of those conversations, and a place where we can root those in a physical destination is really, really exciting to me.”

Alford agreed that while it is “really good” to have the Jones Edmunds building as a starting point, “I think that the larger goal should be something bigger and better.”

Duncan-Walker thanked the Commissioners for “dreaming big, because that is actually the entire goal here…. The idea of regional impact is definitely something that is part of the vision.” She said she couldn’t pay for a large contingent to go on the next trip to Miami, but she encouraged people to come. She said one of the facilities they toured was part of the library system in Broward County, so a representative from the Alachua County Library District is going on the next trip. Cornell pointed out that five City and County Commissioners are also on the Library Governing Board. 

City Commissioner Ed Book: “[The arts community will] buy into the vision. Just like you said, Commissioner, is anybody going to say they’re against it? Can’t imagine that’s the case.” 

City Commissioner Ed Book warned against focusing too much on the Jones Edmunds property because “every time we mention [it], all that happens is that the price goes up by another $100,000.” He suggested gathering the “very robust arts community” for a workshop: “The question would be, tell us what you do and tell us what you can do, and tell us what you’re willing to do… They’ll buy into the vision. Just like you said, Commissioner, is anybody going to say they’re against it? Can’t imagine that’s the case.” 

County Commissioner Wheeler: “I am all about putting this thing at the Jones Edmunds [building], getting it going now… I’m all about this, and I’m about doing it right now, because the prices of everything are going to go up, no matter what.”

Wheeler said, “Those arts organizations are all struggling to stay alive, so they don’t really have anything to offer but personnel… I am all about putting this thing at the Jones Edmunds [building], getting it going now,… so that the kids across 8th Street can walk up there… and get musical instruments put in their hands… I’m all about this, and I’m about doing it right now, because the prices of everything are going to go up, no matter what.”

City Commissioner Casey Willits said he didn’t want to be a “party-pooper,… but it does cost money.” He said the feasibility study pointed out that the City didn’t have the infrastructure or organizations needed to run a Cultural Arts Center: “We literally don’t have the staff, time, and money to keep some of our centers open.”

City Commissioner Duncan-Walker: “I want to make it very, very clear: This is not Commissioner Duncan-Walker asking her colleagues at the City for a dime right now.”

Duncan-Walker said, “I don’t want any of my colleagues at the City to think that this is our project… This is a partnership, [and] we’re still trying to determine what it looks like and who brings what… That is why it is so important to bring in the County. That is why it is so important to bring in our other institutional partners. And right now, we’re at the very beginning stages of this… Right now, what we have is a group of individuals in the community who are coalescing to the point of forming a nonprofit organization that helps to drive how this moves forward… I want to make it very, very clear: This is not Commissioner Duncan-Walker asking her colleagues at the City for a dime right now. I’m asking you, simply, if you see the vision and to consider what the City’s level of participation will be on this project.”

Gainesville Sun building

Willits said, “I will say, selfishly, I’m looking at the Gainesville Sun building down on SW 13th… It’s not for sale. I’m sure it’s gonna be too expensive. I know my neighbors don’t want that developed into really dense housing… If I had magic money, I would buy that Gainesville Sun building, because then it would be very centrally located for kind of the whole county.”

Duncan-Walker reminded him that the Cultural Arts Center was “put forward as something in east Gainesville.”

City Commissioner James Ingle said, “I want to make sure that… we are taking care of the artists, as well… I’m pretty tight with a couple artists, and this is a very hard town to make a living as an artist, and if we really want a decent arts culture, we can’t expect artists to starve on our behalf to have it.”

Mayor Ward said the City has been hosting programs at TB McPherson and Oakview Park: “We are using our spaces that currently exist.” He also suggested doing an inventory of existing programs in the community and mentioned that the new Dance Alive building at the intersection of NW 34th Street and NW 39th Avenue “is right down the street from probably the neighborhood that needs help and support more than any other neighborhood in the city of Gainesville — Pineridge.”

Mayor Ward: “Let’s not lock into one tax-revenue-producing facility… We’ve got to talk about that… When we talk about taking something off the tax rolls, we’re taking it off the tax rolls.”

Ward pointed out that there are music programs in all the Alachua County public schools, “so we need to make sure that the arts and music teachers at Alachua County schools are part of whatever we do.” He added that making the Jones Edmunds building usable as a Cultural Arts Center would “cost two or three times the sale price.” He also advocated building something at the EHEDI (Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative) site on Hawthorne Road: “Let’s not lock into one tax-revenue-producing facility… We’ve got to talk about that… When we talk about taking something off the tax rolls, we’re taking it off the tax rolls,” and Prizzia added, “especially in east Gainesville.”

County Commissioner Prizzia: “I think sometimes we want to be… expansive and collaborative and inclusive, but in doing that, we sort of limit our ability to actually be the thing that is our primary goal, which I think in this instance is about culture, African culture, cultural heritage, and youth programming and support for our young people.”

Prizzia said that an inventory was unnecessary: “We know what we’re already doing. We maybe didn’t mention everything here, but we know what we’re doing… I don’t think we need to do an exhaustive search around the community.” She agreed, however, that it was worthwhile to have a conversation with existing arts organizations and communities “because it gets more buy-in… I think we also have to be careful about trying to be all things to everybody… I think sometimes we want to be… expansive and collaborative and inclusive, but in doing that, we sort of limit our ability to actually be the thing that is our primary goal, which I think in this instance is about culture, African culture, cultural heritage, and youth programming and support for our young people.”

Cornell interjected, “Two out of three African American kids are not reading at grade level. That’s the essence of the literacy movement. We’ve got to change that.”

Duncan-Walker said that while programs are being offered in existing spaces, those spaces “are not equipped to do this art.” She mentioned springboard floors for dance classes as one example. 

Cornell ended the agenda item by saying, “I think we’ve given this at least a great start. I’ll just end with, ‘Courage is feeling the fear and doing it, anyway.’ I wrote that one down and circled it, because that’s where hopefully we will go, as united boards.”

Commissioners moved on to their second agenda item: food system initiatives. Click here for our article on that agenda item.