The Gainesville City Commission authorized its city manager to enter talks with the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) on how to partner on the Citizens Field renovation project.  

The unanimous vote came at Thursday’s General Policy Committee meeting. On Wednesday, the SBAC met and voted to try to own Citizens Field as a path forward, a concept that met mixed reviews at the city’s meeting.  

The City Commission is scheduled to have a larger discussion on the project after consultants bring back options in the coming months, but commissioners spoke to the entire project at the meeting, getting out their hopes and concerns.  

Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut said Citizens Field is not for sale and opposed the idea, however, commissioners Bryan Eastman and Casey Willits said they wouldn’t dismiss the idea out of hand.  

If SBAC owned the property, the district could invest capital funds in the renovation and assist the city of Gainesville in making the entire NE 8th Avenue project a reality. Just the stadium portion would cost between $10 million and $35 million, with options ranging from a renovation of the existing structure to a brand-new stadium with a full track included.  

The school district currently leases Citizens Field from the city for $1 a year and takes care of the maintenance. That contract expires in 2026.  

The schools are also the largest user of the stadium; Gainesville High School, Eastside High School and Buchholtz High School all consider it their home field for football, soccer, lacrosse and other sports. Elementary schools also host field days on site and band competitions.  

But SBAC said their general funds are limited, and funding designated for capital projects are limited to properties owned by the district. 

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said the city doesn’t have a football team and doesn’t have a real use for the stadium besides supporting the local schools. If SBAC decided not to lease the stadium and find their own space for football, commissioners said the city wouldn’t need to revitalize the stadium. Removing the stadium could even give the city more room to work with on the site. 

The direction to City Manager Cynthia Curry is to have those discussions with Superintendent Kamela Patton and look for solutions, including how to get the school district involved, perhaps without selling the stadium. 

Without knowing the level of partnership with the school district, the city has a tougher time deciding how to renovate the 36-acre property and knowing the cost. 

The City Commission must also decide what to do about Fire Station 3 and the fire training grounds located on site. If the facilities could be moved somewhere else, the city would have three more acres of space to work with for the NE 8^th Avenue Project, which includes the MLK Jr. Multipurpose Center and the Dwight H. Hunter Pool.  

Curry said city staff is actively looking for a way to move the fire station.  

Robert Walpole, the city’s consultant for the project, said the fire station and training grounds don’t belong on the site. With the fire station removed, he said the consulting team would have different plans to present to the commission.  

The city originally planned to move the fire station to the Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative on Hawthorne Road, the same site as the new UF Health Urgent Care Center — Eastside. But those negotiations with UF fell through, Curry said.  

Commissioners worried about the cost and scope of the project.  

Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker pushed for the city to look big, envisioning a regional facility that could attract outdoor youth sports competitions. She and Chestnut said a facility of that caliber could drive economic growth in the area.  

The consultants will bring a range of plans to the commission, but the project could hit $150 million if the city wanted everything to be brand new and phased the project out. However, commissioners said that price tag wouldn’t be feasible, and the city is still evaluating what its budget might be for the project.  

Ward made clear, though, that the commissioners were dedicated to renovating the area to suit the citizens. How the city gets there, and the exact scope might mean some split votes and disagreements, he said, but the outcome will arrive.