Around 70 people attended a public workshop hosted by the City of Gainesville Thursday for the Citizens Field Revitalization project.
The workshop was the third of its kind for the project.
The project, led by NV5 Infrastructure Florida, includes proposed renovations to the MLK Multipurpose Center, Citizens Field, Dwight H. Hunter Pool, fields and Gainesville Fire Rescue facilities.
Three speakers from the NV5 team delivered a presentation, followed by community questions and comments.
Some attendees questioned why the proposed plans for the residential pool would replace the current pool, deeming it effective as is. Others were adamant about maintaining green space on the site, feedback NV5 often gets during workshops, project manager Danika Oliverio said.
Shu-Mei Chan, a 51-year-old New Jersey native, said she’s been keeping an eye on the direction of the revitalization project and the pool’s outcome because she’s looking to build a life in Waldo.
“I’ve been going to open houses to look for property to buy that’s close to this pool, so this pool is very important to me,” Chan said.
Proposals that place the pool next to Waldo Road aren’t appealing because of traffic noise, she said.
Crossing Waldo Road could be another problem, she said. Chen suggested creating a tunnel or an underpass for pedestrians and bicyclists to avoid the busy road.
Some also voiced their disapproval of replacing the recreational pools with competitive ones.
NV5 landscape architect Laurie Hall said future plans might include both competitive pools and a recreational pool. The current pool’s equipment and plumbing systems are outdated, Hall said, referencing feedback NV5 received from maintenance workers.
Alachua County resident Brian Harris said the property needs revitalization, but he wants to see improvements for sports, including changes to the stadium.
“I played football on that field, my two other brothers before me,” Harris said. “It’s one of those things that the city just needs.”
The proposed multi-purpose fields are important to him as a parent, he said. It’s stressful for parents of young athletes to drive to cities like Jacksonville because of the lack of home fields in the Gainesville area, he said.
NV5 Project Manager Dakota Oliverio said the Alachua County School Board is discussing the future of the stadium with the city commission.
“There’s a lot of community pride in these facilities,” Oliverio said. “We know that the facilities are well used, but they need enlargement and improvement.”
A new proposal for the project's future will be presented to the city commission June 12.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @LoganDMcBride.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Summer 2025 city commission reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
