Boulware Springs Nature Park is one step closer to renovation following a neighborhood workshop to discuss the park’s improvements.
Betsy Waite, the director of Wild Spaces & Public Places, called the workshop held on Oct. 15 the “culminating event” for the planning phase of the project.
The next step involves requesting permits, which could take three to six months. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2025.
“The building is due for a holistic renovation,” Waite said.
Water brought the University of Florida to Gainesville.
In 1899, Gainesville purchased Boulware Springs Nature Park and invited the University of Florida to establish its campus in the city, offering free access to freshwater as an incentive.
Over 100 years later, the spring’s history has been largely forgotten, Waite said.
Wild Spaces & Public Places manages construction projects for Gainesville’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, including improvements and renovations to the city’s parks.
“It would be nice to rent this venue in the future for special occasions,” Laurie May, a Gainesville resident, said “I’m looking forward to the renovations.”
May, who is retired, said she wrote an article about Boulware Springs in 1948 which she shared with Waite and the project team.
She said she came to hear questions and opinions from other residents about the renovation plans but was disappointed to find that no formal presentation would be given. Instead, neighbors were invited to view the presentation boards and ask questions to experts individually.
Melanie Barr, a former board member of the city’s historic preservation board, said she was surprised that the building had become unusable by 2019.
"I don't understand how it deteriorated so quickly," she said. "For it to be already boarded up in a relatively short amount of time – surprises me."
Boulware Springs was renovated in 1990 and used for city meetings and weddings, but by 2019, the boardwalks had deteriorated to the point where they were unsafe to use. Without access, the building was closed and later boarded up to stop break-ins.
The building was owned and managed by Gainesville Regional Utilities until it was handed over to the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs in 2022. The department then began making plans to restore it.
Wild Spaces & Public Places has an estimated budget of $3.5 million for the Boulware Springs Nature Park revitalization project, Waite said.
The funding comes from the Alachua County Wild Spaces & Public Places one-cent sales tax and a grant for $500,000, one of the largest state grants in recent years, from the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources Waite said.
The renovations will include restoring the pump house, a building containing water supply equipment, to accommodate school tours. The improvements will also enable the building to be used as a rental venue for weddings and small events.
Ramps will be added for ADA accessibility, and the surrounding area will be stabilized to prevent erosion and improve stormwater management.
A group of residents representing Respect Southeast Gainesville, an organization advocating for the removal of a construction debris dump nearby, came to the workshop to share its concerns with the city’s representatives.
“I think it's wonderful that they are renovating Boulware Springs,” Suzmiché Morris said, “but we need to finally heal this county’s disgrace by allowing this landfill to exist in a neighborhood.”
Morris, who has lived close to Boulware Springs for over 20 years, said the dump, known as the Florence landfill, has been a cause for concern. She said it has negatively affected neighbors’ health, the environment and, potentially, the water in the springs.
Thanks to the group's advocacy, Morris said the water from Boulware Springs is being tested for compounds and contaminants that could be coming from the landfill. She said she hoped the project team would support their mission by advocating for them to the city.
However, the special advisor to the city manager Philip Mann, said the landfill was “outside the city limits so, legally, [it] has zero jurisdiction.”
Morris said Respect Southeast Gainesville will continue to advocate for the landfill’s closure.
The group will host a public forum on Nov. 16 to inform residents about its concerns.
Other residents said they were pleased that the Wild Places & Public Spaces took some of their suggestions into consideration.
During an open house held last year, residents expressed concerns about the size of the proposed parking lot. Waite said project designers tried to find a balance between keeping the site as natural as possible while providing enough parking for the different events.
“We've kind of scaled [parking] back and made it more appropriate for the site and a lot of the neighbors were very appreciative of that,” she said.
“There's just a lot that can be done to further stabilize the site and make sure it's going to be there in another 100 years,” Waite said.
The park, which marks the start of the Gainesville-Hawthorne trail and is popular among runners and cyclists, will remain open during construction.