On Wednesday, the Alachua County Local Planning Agency and Planning Commission will consider two developments along Archer Road near the intersection with Tower Road, with other projects for the area in the pipeline.  

Southwest Gainesville and unincorporated Alachua County, along the city’s boundaries, continue to be a fast-growing area. The two projects before the Planning Commission would increase density on an 8-acre parcel by 75% for multi-family units, while the second would rezone a 1.2-acre parcel for an automotive-oriented business.  

The multi-use development would be for an empty parcel (7816 SW Archer Rd.) just west of The Mayfair and UF Health Emergency Center – Kanapaha. The owner is Covefield LLC.  

The property is zoned for single-family residential (4 to 8 units per acre), but the owner is asking for multi-family residential (8 to 14 units per acre). The land use is currently medium-density residential and would change to medium-high-density residential if approved. 

According to the county staff report, the change in land use and zoning would allow the property to increase from 64 possible units to 112 units. Staff noted that this parcel is within the Archer/Tower Activity Center. These activity centers are typically areas where the county tries to focus development. 

“Activity centers shall contain vital, walkable centers with diverse residential, retail, office, and civic uses organized in close proximity, and interconnected through a network of streets, sidewalks, and paths,” county codes say. 

The county report also notes that any development would be required to connect to the roadway stubs within the Park Lane development to the north and east, allowing more access than just Archer Road.  

County staff is recommending approval of the application, and the Board of County Commissioners would also need to give consent.  

The rezoning and new land use to allow an automotive business is just across Archer Road from the above project. The land is located in front of and is owned by Kanapaha Presbyterian Church. The property is currently zoned agricultural and would, if approved, become commercial BA (for an automotive-oriented business).  

The application doesn’t list what type of business might develop the property.  

Immediately northwest of the Covefield property is another development that is currently under review. Called Chestnut Townhomes, the preliminary development plan calls for 72 townhomes on 10 acres. A current building on the property would be converted into a clubhouse.  

This project would be built behind the existing Chestnut Village subdivision. The preliminary development plan was submitted in December and resubmitted in February with additional details asked for by county staff.  

A fourth future development is the Publix Super Market at Tower Square, at the intersection of Tower Road and Archer Road.  

Alachua County is reviewing a plan to demolish the supermarket and build a new 54,964-square-foot Publix in its place. The grocery company redeveloped its store on the corner of SW 34th Street and University Avenue in the same way, demolishing and building a new store within the last five years.  

The plan was submitted to Alachua County in January.  

Changes are also in the planning stages for Archer Road. The county is moving forward with expanding the four-lanes further west past Chestnut Village and to SW 122nd Street, a 3.8-mile stretch. 

County staff told the Archer City Commission that phase 1 design work is already finished and three public input sessions are planned before summer 2027, when the next step of design should be finished.