City of Gainesville, Alachua County

Introduction

Infill and redevelopment are major themes of the City of Gainesville Comprehensive Plan. The City feels that redevelopment, defined as the publicly financed rebuilding of urban, residential or commercial areas, is one of the most effective ways to breathe new life into deteriorated areas of the city. Through redevelopment, a target area will receive focused attention and financial investment to reverse deteriorating trends, create jobs, revitalize the business climate, rehabilitate and add to the housing stock, and gain active participation and investment by citizens which would not otherwise occur. The City has adopted specific goals, objectives and policies that promote infill and redevelopment as well a Transportation Concurrency Exception Area, Enterprise Zone, and a Community Redevelopment Agency.

Transportation Concurrency Exception Area

Gainesville adopted a Transportation Concurrency Exception Area that promotes infill, urban redevelopment, and transportation choices within a specifically defined area of the City. The Transportation Concurrency Exception Area provides trip credits and minimizes transportation requirements for a potential development in the areas targeted for infill and redevelopment within the City. The Transportation Concurrency Exception Area establishes a set of pedestrian- and transit-friendly design features based on the magnitude of motor vehicle traffic impact and of development to create transportation choices. The design features are implemented through a flexible system that allows the developer to select the design features that are most feasible and appropriate for a particular site. The features include elements such as bus shelters, transit payments, enhanced landscaping to increase pedestrian transit appeal, improved sidewalks and crosswalks, and bicycle lanes.

Community Redevelopment Agency

Gainesville established a Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency in 1981 to foster redevelopment and re-invest and concentrate on targeted areas. The original purpose of the Community Redevelopment Agency was to create a redevelopment framework in which the Central City District would evolve into a more dynamic office, service, financial, entertainment, residential, and governmental area. By 2001, the Community Redevelopment Agency was operating in four four Community Redevelopment Areas of the City. Each area has a separate development plan. These plans, created with political, business, and community participation, provide guidelines and strategies for removing physical and economic blight and provide a vision, goals, and timetables for generating growth and new opportunities. Community redevelopment agency projects are funded through tax increment funds, which are collected from the four redevelopment areas.