Although the square plot of land near the intersection of 13th Street and West University Avenue is vacant, it’s been stirring up dialogue among Gainesville residents for months.
Miami-based development company the Swerdlow Group has been working with the City of Gainesville to legally amend the city’s comprehensive plan to allow construction of a new multi-story residential development called University Corners.
Via two proposals, the company asked Gainesville to adopt two separate ordinances to rezone the property to allow a taller building — something the current zoning wouldn’t allow.
“Under current law, they could do the same project, but not quite as big,” said City Commissioner Thomas Hawkins. “Gainesville is going to grow. We’re trying to make it grow, but we only have a certain amount of space. We need to allow people to build taller buildings to accommodate for that.”
A multi-story building would offer more jobs and more opportunities, Hawkins said.
Because of the location and the number of people that could reside at the University Corners building, Hawkins said, costs such as transportation could be significantly reduced for residents.
However, not all Gainesville residents are ready to support the project.
Lisa Limpert, a 58-year-old Gainesville resident, said she does not support the proposed ordinance.
Limpert, who has lived in Gainesville for 47 years, said the building, which could range from eight to 13 stories, will not only ruin the aesthetics of the area, but also would complicate traffic and pedestrian situations.
“The intersection of 13th Street and University Avenue has traffic issues as it now stands,” she wrote in an email. “Adding a huge retail and residential complex on that corner without considering the impact on traffic is irresponsible.”
Tom Rider, retired owner of Goerings Book Store, agreed the project would be a bad move for Gainesville.
“I’m proud that I live in a neighborhood that’s really come back after years of neglect,” he said. “But I see this project as a step in the wrong direction.”
It’s the wrong direction because of the parking garage included in the plans for the complex, Rider said.
Adding the garage without a “careful look at the impact of parking structure on the traffic that it generates” could interfere with traffic patterns, he said.
The garage could also block sunlight from nearby buildings, he said.
Because some financing for the project would come through the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, Rider said, the project could be risky for taxpayers.
“It’s one thing for developers to decide that maybe something will work, but they’re not taking the risk,” Rider said. “They’re making sure it’s the city, and ultimately city taxpayers, that are taking the risk.”
The City Commission must pass both proposed ordinances so the building can be constructed according to the developer’s plan.
The commission hasn’t determined when it will vote on the ordinances.
If the vote is not in favor of the two new ordinances, the developer must re-evaluate its building plans to comply with current zoning.
But for now, the proposed project remains in the negotiation stage.
“We raised some concerns about sidewalks and building appearance, and (the developers) did a good job responding to requests,” Hawkins said. “We continued the ordinance, which basically means we give the developer time to talk to the neighborhood and come back to us later.”
