At a joint county and City Commission meeting Monday, officials and citizens brainstormed ideas for what a proposed homelessness resources center housed in a former jail might look like.
Fred Murry, assistant city manager, said negotiations with the Department of Corrections for the purchase of the former Gainesville Correctional Institution, located at 2845 NE 39th Ave., are moving forward.
To get ideas for the types of programs the renovated complex could offer, Murry said city representatives recently visited Gateway Center, a four-story complex in downtown Atlanta, to see how it offered services to about 500 needy or homeless people.
“The facility is very similar to what we’re trying to do,” Murry said.
Gateway, he said, met basic needs with food and shelter, offered amenities such as washing machines, and also provided case management and rehabilitation services for mental or substance abuse cases.
County Commission Chairman Mike Byerly said the city must consider how to make the former corrections facility accessible to not only bus riders but also to pedestrians and bikers.
“I want to make sure we don’t lose track of that,” he said.
County Commissioner Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson suggested the proposed centers should partner with local law enforcement to screen arrestees before sending them either to jail or the proposed center.
A pre-booking process committee would help decide what direction people should be sent in order to help them best, Hutchinson said.
“The primary way we deal with the mentally ill is by putting them in jail,” he said. “Jail sometimes isn’t the right place for them.”
During a public comment session, citizens voiced their ideas for the proposed center.
David Reed, chairman of the Alachua County Nutrition Alliance, suggested using part of the property for farming.
“Historically, people who needed rehab turned to agriculture,” he said. “We can just imagine greenhouses and people learning new technology like aquaculture. This would be a great place to do this.”
City Commissioner Randy Wells said it’s important that the facility doesn’t feel isolated. He suggested connecting it to the city via bike trails and bus routes, but he said he’s at a loss for how to do it.
“I certainly spent a lot of time losing sleep thinking about it,” he said. “I hope we’ll be creative in looking at some of those opportunities.”
Contact Kelcee Griffis at kgriffis@alligator.org.
Fred Murry, a Gainesville assistant city manager, addresses the City Commission on Monday evening. During the meeting, building a center for the homeless population was discussed. Read the story at alligator.org.
