CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Sheila Flowers name.
The Gainesville City Commission unanimously approved renovation plans on Thursday for the T.B. McPherson Center, a recreational complex in southeast Gainesville.
The 10-year project, funded in part by the Wild Spaces & Public Places surtax program, is estimated to cost nearly $10 million. It includes $3.5 million toward building renovations and upgrades to the complex’s grounds, including demolition, signage and street lighting, according to plans presented at the meeting.
The renovation was previously approved by the commission in December 2025.
During Thursday’s meeting, commissioners directed city staff to contract Monarch Design Group, a Gainesville-based architectural firm, to provide professional services for the renovation.
The renovations are expected to include an updated kitchen, new multipurpose rooms and dedicated outdoor patio areas. They will also add new walking trails to the site, improve basketball courts and renovate its existing playground.
The project is expected to begin in phases over the next five to 10 years, and the first phase will focus on improving the parking lot and walking paths, according to Rachel Mandell, the director of Wild Spaces & Public Places.
The planned improvements are meant to incorporate community feedback from meetings that began in late 2025, she added.
“Our community engagement was also really grounded in access and transparency,” Mandell said. “We wanted to be sure that anyone who wanted to be involved could be involved.”
During public comment, East Gainesville residents spoke in favor of the project and urged commissioners to support it.
Sheila Flowers, a 56-year-old Gainesville resident, grew up in East Gainesville. She noticed the area hasn’t seen much development or investment in decades, she said.
“I think T.B. McPherson has always stood as a pillar in that community where people could go, and you could have fun with your family,” Flowers said. “You can just hang out there, but it looked like it did about 20 years ago when I was here.”
Before voting, commissioners expressed concerns about a lack of East Gainesville development and balancing new projects with prior community investment commitments, such as the Thelma Boltin Center, which the city voted in September 2025 to demolish and replace with a trailhead.
Commissioner Casey Willits said allocating more money for renovation and restoration projects could create competition for existing and future projects, especially if improvements exceed projected costs.
“In essence, you can call it musical chairs. There are not enough chairs, and so it does put things in competition for lamented dollars,” Willits said. “Right now the music is playing, but at the end of our Wild Spaces & Public Places [funding], the music stops, and there's not nearly enough chairs for all of our dreams.”
Other commissioners said development dollars should continue to go toward improvements in East Gainesville, which is home to several historically Black neighborhoods.
The city recently opened a new multiuse trail in northeast Gainesville, and both city and county commissions have announced plans for infrastructure, residential development and road improvements.
Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker, whose district includes the T.B. McPherson Center, said continued development in East Gainesville is important to address community needs, but commissioners will need to stay aware of costs.
“As we continue to move East Gainesville forward, I think that it is going to be very important … that we are mindful of how we consider reprioritization,” she said. “Those are going to be really good and important conversations to have in the future because we also understand that East Gainesville needs the economic development.”
Contact Olivia Lofaso at olofaso@alligator.org. Follow her on X @OLofaso77652.
Olivia Lofaso is a senior journalism student at UF and the Fall 2026 City and County Commission reporter, a role she previously held during the summer. She enjoys gushing about her cocker spaniels to anyone who will listen and playing the cello in her free time.
