The Gainesville City Commission authorized staff to return in July with plans for how the city could spend $18.7 million earmarked for its 8th Avenue and Waldo Road Complex site to get the project rolling.  

The City Commission asked that staff return with loan options that could help pay for the rest of the project—estimated at $85 million, not including changes to Citizens Field stadium. 

At 8th Avenue and Waldo Road, the city aims to redevelop the site and existing amenities like the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center, Dwight H. Hunter Pool and Citizens Field.  

NV5’s Laurie Hall, a contractor hired by the city, presented two scenarios: one that included Citizens Field and one that contemplated a site without the stadium. Both scenarios include a new multipurpose center with more than double the current square footage (from 19,000 square feet to 55,000 square feet) and a new pool facility.  

Hall said the cost to renovate the current multipurpose complex nearly equaled the cost of a new and larger facility. The new center would have two basketball courts, an expanded senior center, a stage, a wellness center and administrative staff space. The center would also remain an emergency shelter during storms.  

The cost for the center would be $35 million. It’s the most expensive part of the project, except for a potential brand-new stadium.  

Hall said the pool, built in the 1970s, is also near the end of its useful life. She said a lot of different groups use the pool since it’s the only one around with a diving platform used in competitions. She said the programming from swim lessons, water polo and other groups leaves less time for open community swimming.  

She said the city could look at another competition-style pool or more of a community pool with splashpads and shallower depths for children. There’s also an option to have both. She said other cities build both pool types at the same location 

The price for a competition pool was listed at $4.5 million, while the community pool was $2.5 million. A pool support facility with bathrooms, locker rooms and an entrance would be another $5 million.  

The site work for the entire 36-acre complex, with trails and stormwater facilities, would cost $8 million.  

The city plans to keep Fire Station #3 at the property but move the fire training facility off-site. The cost for the station would come from Streets, Stations and Strong Foundation funding, part of the one-cent infrastructure surtax.  

The city currently lacks funding to tackle the entire project at once, but the City Commission said it wants to move forward, looking at a phasing approach, building a new multipurpose center, for example, while the old one remains open for use. Then they acquire the funds for the next piece.  

However, Citizens Field remains a question mark and the only project that might not get funded by the city, with the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) intent on acquiring the property. The stadium project could be a combination of funding between the city, who currently owns it, and the school board, who has a lease to use it.  

Hall said the costs for the stadium project could range from $35 million or more for a brand-new stadium to $20 million for a major renovation and $11 million for a minor renovation.  

Commissioner Ed Book said he’d like to see how the city could use the $18.7 million already in hand to get a project or two underway. He said it would be good to see progress. Other commissioners added that showing progress will prove the city’s commitment and perhaps open the door for a general obligation bond, which would need citizen approval.  

Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut proposed a motion to have the city manager return on July 17 with options for moving forward with the current funding under scenario 1 (including space for Citizens Field). The motion passed unanimously.  

A subsequent motion by Commissioner James Ingle asked staff to also return with options surrounding a general obligation bond or other loan option. The motion also passed.