Southwest Gainesville is sprawling with development, even beyond Haile Plantation, which used to define the outskirts of the city. There are so many new residential developments on the horizon for the area west of I-75, that concerns have arisen regarding overcrowding, traffic, schools and more.
Major new real estate development is on the horizon for East Gainesville at the corner of Southeast Hawthorne Road and Southeast 8th Avenue. The 13.6-acre site will ultimately be the home of lots of new businesses. Development of the area is going to first begin with the construction of the infrastructure required to support all that will eventually go up there, and the project broke ground this past Tuesday.
Gainesville is officially getting a full-size Whole Foods market at 3490 SW Archer Road at a location that was once going to be one of their smaller, typically more urban-focused 365 Whole Foods Market stores. But, with a recent building area increase to over 88,000 total square feet giving the new Whole Foods over 40,000 square feet of space, the company decided to proceed with a full-size store.
There's a new homegrown beer on the market, and it truly has a unique selling point that no other beer has.
Gainesville brewer First Magnitude Brewing Company has a freshly crafted beer that is made with hops grown in and harvested from Florida. Apopka Hop Pale Ale features a label that reads "Brewed with 100% Fresh From Florida Hops." Consumers are used to seeing the 'Fresh from Florida' logo on produce in grocery stores all over the country, but it is definitely a new tagline for a beer.
The much loved Cilantro Tacos restaurant that is located in Newberry is going to be opening up a brand-new second location on SW 4th Avenue near SW 6th Street in downtown Gainesville. While the new store will be opening in August, it doesn't mean that the two Cilantro Tacos food trucks will be going away. They will still make regular appearances at the farmers market at Bo Diddley Plaza as well as at the High Dives Food Truck Rally.
Gainesville Modern Weekend, an annual showcase of the town's mid century homes, begins this weekend. Events throughout the weekend are intended to help "preserve the history of modern style and to promote the future of design and architecture."
Ride-hailing is not new to Gainesville residents, as Uber has been in town for a little while. But now, Gainesville residents have another option, as Lyft officially began providing service in Gainesville last week.
Just like Uber, Lyft users find drivers, order rides and pay for the service using the downloaded app on their smartphone.The app allows users to see what their final cost will be (only an estimate if it's a shared ride) before confirming the pick-up, and riders as well as drivers rate each other via the app.
As one of a handful of firms that serves both the Gainesville & Ocala markets, we like to compare the two from time to time. Let's take a look where we are in the spring of 2017.
Duckpond is a charming historic neighborhood in Gainesville, and it is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. It was established in the late 1870s and is comprised of eight subdivisions in approximately a half square mile of land. This desirable neighborhood is very walkable and is conveniently located adjacent to the desirable restaurants, parks and dining of Gainesville's downtown.
The neighborhood is home to the Thomas Center Gallery and features homes that range from small bungalows to Queen Ann style Victorian homes. With so many homes in the neighborhood designated as historic landmarks, this neighborhood is definitely full of character.
Forest Ridge is a beautifully established neighborhood featuring character-laden homes on generously sized tree-lined lots. Forest Ridge offers a strong sense of community and is conveniently located only a mile north of the University of Florida campus and it is only an easy five minute drive from the great shopping, dining and entertainment on NW 13th Street (SR441). Forest Ridge is also home to Ring Park and is only a short walk to Loblolly Woods, if you need to get your nature fix.
Charlotte-based restaurant franchise Bojangles will be opening in Gainesville in April, and the city is pretty excited about the chicken and biscuits it will be offering. Bojangles will also have food trucks located all over the city and has plans to participate in a variety of tailgating events. The company will also offer coupon books with $70 worth of coupons that can be used for fundraising for different groups. Bojangles will also offer discounted meals in order to assist fundraising efforts by a variety of college organizations. The brick-and-mortar Bojangles location will be at 3100 SW Archer Road, and there are plans to open more franchises in the Gainesville area in the future.
Arbor Greens is a charming community in Gainesville conveniently located between I-75 and Jonesville on Newberry Road. It offers easy access to local shopping, healthcare, dining and entertainment, as well as to Tioga Town Center and West End Golf Club, a public 18-hole golf course.
The community combines a variety of builders as well as architectural styles, and neighborhood amenities include a pool,a clubhouse, neighborhood arbors, a children's playground and a carefully planned streetscape with plenty of sidewalks.
New jobs are coming to Gainesville, as a new Rural King retail location is set to open in July. Rural King Supply is based out of Mattoon, Illinois and was founded in 1960. The company has 85 stores all over the country, and is opening new locations, not just in Gainesville, but also in Ocala and Zephyrhills.
Let's check in with Stillwind, an established neighborhood located near Archer Road at the southern end of Tower Road. It is conveniently located near Haile Plantation, Haile Village, and the plethora of shopping and dining options that line Archer Road. It is also within walking distance to the local elementary school.
Stillwind provides a quaint community with approximately 120 homes ranging in size from just over 1,200 square feet to over 2,800 square feet, and they were built between 1997 and 2003. Many homes feature fenced backyards, and the neighborhood offers homebuyers affordable, practical and desirable home options.
With two homes currently on the market, Stillwind has 4.8 months of inventory available, representing a slight shift toward a seller's market.
Let's check in with Ellis Park, a fantastic family-friendly neighborhood located in Northwest Gainesville, conveniently located near the great shopping and dining on Newberry Road, including Town of Tioga as well as all of the amenities near the Oaks Mall.
Community amenities include a clubhouse, pool and playground, as well as plenty of green space. The neighborhood features new construction homes as well as more established properties, and range in size from approximately 1,800 square feet to over 3,300 square feet.
With development booming in Gainesville, there is certainly no shortage of new restaurants, bars, or retail options. However, new family-friendly entertainment options are also cropping up, with new spaces like Depot Park for both kids and adult alike to take avnatge of. Well now, weekend fun, kiddo play dates and children's birthday parties just got even better, now that Gainesville is getting a brand-new trampoline park. Get Air, located on Northwest 23rd Street will have its grand opening on Friday, January 20.
Gainesville's airport is undergoing some change with upgrades and renovations on the way.
The Gainesville Regional Airport recently broke ground on what will be the new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) building. The brand-new facility will total 8,700 square feet, which is significantly larger than the old building totaling only 5,600 square feet and that was built in 1979.
The past year has been full of development projects for Alachua County, with many projects still in the works and on the rise.
There have been plenty of new residential developments that included apartments, townhomes, single-family homes and senior living options. There have been many new office buildings, new and upgraded medical facilities, new parks, and other development projects that are truly changing the landscape of the Gainesville community.
Let's check in with Portofino, a newer-construction community of single-family homes located near the intersection of SW 24th Avenue and Tower Road. The neighborhood is conveniently located near the University of Florida, Shands Medical Center, North Florida Regional Medical Center and the Oaks Mall. This community offers great amenities such as a basketball court, neighborhood pool, cabana and playground.
New restaurants and other commerical development projects seem to be cropping up all over Lake City and the surrounding region.
Captain D's Seafood Kitchen just opened its newest corporate location in Lake City, which is the 30th Florida location for the brand. The company has aggressive growth plans for the state and this is evidenced by the recent Central Florida store opening.
