Title
GTEC Area: Master Plan (B)
Explanation
The largest undertaking of the Eastside Redevelopment district is the redevelopment of the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center (GTEC) area and the former Kennedy Homes site. The sites are located within a quarter mile of each other, about one mile from downtown Gainesville and two miles from the University of Florida. The 13.5-acre GTEC Area Master Plan site is located between SE Hawthorne Rd and SE 8th Ave, and SE 20th St and SE 24th St.
In 2011, CRA staff created a conceptual master plan for the site, which included an office and retail focused mixed-use development, aiming to retain GTEC graduates in east Gainesville and attract new businesses to the area. CRA Boards approved the plan in 2011 and it served as the basis of design for the area’s current Master Plan. In Dec. 2013, CRA was granted a Partial Release of two mortgages encumbering unimproved sections of the GTEC parcels, making the land available for redevelopment. In Dec. 2013, CRA contracted JBrown Professional Group (JBPro, formerly Brown & Cullen Inc.) via the GRU 2008 Continuing Services contract, to lead the GTEC Area Master Plan design project. The same month, a joint kick-off stakeholder meeting for the GTEC Area Master Plan and the Former Kennedy Homes projects was held. In Feb. 2014, a 30% Master Plan was presented to the public and approved by the CRA Board. In April 2014, a 60% Master Plan was presented to the public and approved by CRA Boards. In August 2014, the 100% Master Plan was approved by Eastside Advisory Board and will be presented to the CRA board this month.
CRA has been also working on transforming the master plan into construction documents as well as creating private sector partnerships for commercial building construction on site. In March 2013, CRA Staff issued an RFP seeking qualified developers interested in constructing new commercial or office buildings on about 9.3 acres of the total master plan area, located e...
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