Though later than planned, a property purchase in Melrose is moving forward with the goal to create a live music venue and event area.
The purchase could be finalized next week with local supporters financing the project. The property was originally envisioned as a home for the GrassRoots organization’s winter festival, replacing the Miami festival that closed, but marketing director Russ Friedell told Mainstreet that the board voted against pursuing the Melrose property.
Friedell said the organization had no current plans to return to Florida with a festival.
However, former GrassRoots director Jordan Puryear continues to lead the project with a group of local residents, including former Alachua County Commissioner Robert Hutchinson. Along with Puryear’s experience setting up music festivals in New York and North Carolina, Hutchinson said locals are bootstrapping the project.
The property owner has also lent support, he said, offering to finance a portion of the project.
“The fact that you’ve got a land seller who’s that committed to the project, to be willing to do that, is a good sign,” Hutchinson said.
The purchase will cost around $2.6 million, accomplished through Wildflowers Music Park Finance LLC. Hutchinson said a local donor has dedicated $1 million to the project that will come through the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
He said the foundation has tools like charitable remainder trusts and staff to handle day-to-day operations like grant agreements. Hutchinson said the donor also wants to spur more investment into the local art and culture scene since state funding has largely stopped.
Puryear and Hutchinson both said the project has a high likelihood of going forward next week—over 85%. Even if this project falls through, Hutchinson said something will happen on the land, with backup plans already thought through.
“If they don’t come through fully, they’ll come through partially and then we just have to make up that difference,” Hutchinson said of the financing. “I’ve been in much deeper funding holes than this one, numerous times, and managed to claw my way out.”
Once purchased, a nonprofit will form and create a name, mission statement and future goals. The nonprofit will start a feasibility study and get community input on the proposed music venue.
Puryear said after buying the land, the nonprofit would spend around $100,000 for maintenance and starting infrastructure. He anticipates the first music event would happen on the property in the fall of 2025.
“I know how much work it’s going to take to get from a raw piece of land to a festival and a community event, but I think this community is incredibly supportive and got a lot of very interested people,” Puryear said.
Hutchinson said the project likely wouldn’t need a major zoning change, since it is currently zoned agricultural. Alachua County already allows rural event centers by right, and he said that would likely be the designation they used for the site with some special exceptions.
Alachua County’s Unified Land Development Code requires Development Review Board approval for rural event centers and certain exceptions by the Board of County Commissioners for overnight stays, multi-day events, and events happening from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Puryear said the group had a meeting in Melrose with community members and anticipates that some will oppose the project. However, he said the project has also garnered support from neighbors.
“It’s expected when you propose something like this, people’s imaginations go crazy, like ‘Oh, you’re going to have a Woodstock or you’re going to have a whatever,’” Puryear said. “But the reality of it is that it’s very low impact.”
If modeled after past festivals he’s helped start, Puryear said many attendees of the multi-day event would camp on the site. The group plans to have the space available for other community groups to use for events.
I don’t hate it and I don’t love it. I’d like to know all the names involved and who is behind any shell company putting up money. Coming from St. John’s County, I know the kind of hell county commissioners can create. Hope it’s not in sleepy Melrose
Where is this property?
I don’t think it’s a good idea to put this project in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood. Would love it out on a wide open country road with some pasture land nearby.
Happy to see this project move forward. A very good fit for the grits and granola area that is Melrose.
Melrose does not have the infrastructure to support this. Roads are already overwhelmed with people who moved to the area. Melrose is a small town and the majority of its longstanding residents do not want something of this nature.
I don’t think this is a good site for a festival that will attract thousands of people. The roads can’t handle 2000 vehicles. It should be placed closer to 441 or Waldo Road which are designed for heavier traffic. Tiny Melrose can’t deal with thousands of people. It is too long a drive for nearly everyone who would attend it with no major roads nearby.
People trying to go to work or get to the hospital for an emergency won’t be able to get through the cars sitting at a standstill or driving ten miles an hour trying to get in and out of the festival.
I am very much against this festival. I live on Quail Street and have enjoyed a restful, quiet life here in Melrose since the mid 40’s. Our street is narrow and additional traffic would not be good. Also, I would be able to hear music from my house which would be invasion of my privacy. I did not vote for this. In addition I would not feel safe having strangers walking up and down the street in front of my home at all hours of the night.
This has less to do with art and culture and more with developing this specific plot of land, talking about backup plans if the project falls through… these people dont care about the local community, it seems to me they just want to take advantage of a profitable opportunity they came across at the expense of the locals…