The Point

The Point, April 17, 2019: Developer Reveals Plans For Apartment Complexes That Would Change Gainesville's Midtown

WUFT | By Precious Polycarpe

Published April 17, 2019 at 11:50 AM EDT

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Today's top stories

• By January, The Swamp Restaurant and other businesses near University Avenue in Gainesville could be no more. A development group presented plans last night for a pair of midrise apartment buildings on those lots in the city's Midtown area. Swamp and other businesses there will have a chance to lease space in the buildings' first-floor retail and restaurant areas — similar to those nearby at The Standard. (WUFT News)

• Alachua County Public Schools fired Chad Purdy, an Oak View Middle School activity leader, after discovering past inappropriate behavior with female students. The school system is admitting it needs to further review its background check process. (Gainesville Sun)

• UF researchers predict that as a result of climate change, there's a greater possibility of more disease-carrying mosquitoes. By 2050, mosquitoes will start moving to Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. (The Alligator)

• Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to a crowd of 50 people at the University of Florida about his environmental concerns. This includes the state’s water quality, the Everglades, coral reefs and last year’s red tide algal outbreak and Florida’s springs. DeSantis said the state is on track to receive $625 million this year for projects on water quality and Everglades restoration as a part of a billion-dollar increase for these projects over the next four years. (The Alligator)

•Residents of The Villages met with the Marion County Commission on Tuesday for the second time this month to discuss their frustrations with a continuing sinkhole issue. This had led to damaged roads, homes and drainage pipes. “We need your help to move this project along,” neighborhood spokeswoman Barbara Gaines told the commission. (Ocala Star-Banner)

• Florida officials are continuing to complain about the lack of financial assistance from Washington after Hurricane Michael. Sen.Bill Montford wants lawmakers to provide relief to 11 counties that suffered damages. Officials say repairs for the damage could be as much as $16 billion. (Tallahassee Democrat)

• Florida Keys teachers are expected to demonstrate in front of schools to protest inadequate state funding for public education. “State lawmakers have starved our public schools of desperately needed funds for more than a decade, and children are paying the price,” said Holly Hummell-Gorman the president of United Teachers of Monroe and the teachers’ union. (FLKeysNews)

• It was Science, Engineering, Math and Technology (STEM) Day at the Capitol yesterday, allowing students in the Tallahassee Lego Robotics Club to bring their robots. The theme for the event: space. (Tallahassee Democrat)

• The Florida Department of Education wants to give parents the option to remove their child from parts of health education they dislike.This includes classes on mental and emotional health, nutrition, personal health, prevention and control of diseases, internet safety and “awareness of the benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of teenage pregnancy.” The amendment was approved on Tuesday by the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee. (News Service of Florida)

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