The Alachua County Commission addressed a proposed development near Paynes Prairie and set a transition date for Celebration Pointe’s Sports and Event Center at a meeting Tuesday.
Paynes Prairie development response
During the meeting's first public comment session, several attendees and callers commented on a proposed development to build 134 single-family homes near Paynes Prairie State Park.
Caroline Love, a 20-year-old UF psychology senior, urged the commission to consider the prairie’s multifaceted importance. Love said she admired Alachua County for protecting Paynes Prairie and urged the commission to continue doing so.
“No matter how much environmental protections there are, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Love said. “We’re asking, when you do make a decision on this, to keep in mind that the majority of us are really against this idea.”
Kathryn Pastor, a 37-year-old Volusia County resident, called in remotely to comment. Volusia County used to have more open spaces and parks, but constant rezoning led to 50 square miles of new homes, she said.
“I see what might happen to Paynes Prairie as like what’s happening in Volusia County,” Pastor said. “I’d hate to see it happen to you guys.”
Commissioner Ken Cornell said the commission couldn’t discuss the specifics of the proposal at the meeting because it’s quasi-judicial, meaning it hasn’t been reviewed by staff and commissioners.
Conserving Florida is “front and center” throughout the state, Cornell said. He’s heard more community debate following the proposal than he has in “all three terms,” he said.
“The communications the public has given this commission have been heard as much as I’ve ever heard any other issue,” Cornell said. “I will remember this day…I hear my community loud and clear.”
County Manager Michele Lieberman said the application process has just begun. The board won’t hear about the proposal until at least September, she said.
Sports and Event Center
The Alachua County Commission filed a notice of default against Celebration Pointe about the operation of the event center.
A notice of default, often used in foreclosures, informs that a loan borrower has failed to meet the terms of a contractual agreement.
The default letter, which was sent to Viking Companies, a Gainesville-based construction firm, said Celebration Pointe failed to provide data to the county for audits and didn’t pay special assessment fees to the community development district. Special assessment fees are annual charges property owners pay to maintain public infrastructure and amenities.
The company didn’t fulfill contractual obligations, according to the letter. The company has 30 days to correct the situation before it’s placed in default. The company could face financial or legal penalties as a result of defaulting.
The company received the default June 10.
The county discussed transitioning control of the facility from Viking Companies to the county.
Michele Lieberman said the county will return in August with management options for creating a project scope and finding new vendors will take time while the county controls the facility, she added.
“The county has to operate this facility, at least for probably the next foreseeable budget year,” Lieberman said. “We’re either going to have to operate it for the next six months to a year…or we’re going to have to close the doors until we get an operator.”
She wants the facility to remain open so summer camps and children’s programs can continue to operate, she said.
Staff will return with further details and a recommendation for operating the facility in the commission's August meetings. Commissioners voted to set a transition date of Oct. 1.
The next Alachua County Commission meeting is Aug. 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.
