The Gainesville City Commission approved more than $9.3 million in city renovations on Thursday. The funding will support projects that will restore historic buildings, improve the city’s emergency operations facilities and renovate community spaces throughout Gainesville.
The first renovation approved was for the Wilhelmina Johnson Center restoration and renovation project.
The building was built in 1927 and was named after Wilhelmina Johnson, a community leader and educator in Gainesville who taught music to children for more than 40 years and advocated for neighborhood improvements.
The building previously operated as the county’s health department and later transitioned into the fire station. It continued as the fire station until 1976 and has been used by the Cultural Arts Coalition since the 1980s as rehearsal and arts programming space.
City officials described the renovations as a “full refresh.” The project will restore elements of the original building such as the tall Spanish roof, front porch and exterior doors and windows.
In addition to these restorations, the project will replace major building systems and address structural and foundation repairs. The project will also include new bathrooms, updated lighting, refreshed flooring and paint and drainage improvements. The building will be made ADA accessible and have new landscaping, a new connection to the public sewer system, and repaved parking lot.
“I am really excited to see this funding move forward. It’s a really neat old building and this project inspires me to make sure we stay on top of preventative maintenance to protect some of the real gems we have,” said City Commissioner James Ingle during the meeting.
The guaranteed maximum price agreement with J.E. Decker Construction Group, LLC was approved for about $1.86 million. Construction is expected to begin within two to three months and be completed by early 2027.
The second renovation approved was for the Catalyst Emergency Operations Center (EOC) parking lot and generator site expansion.
The project will include preparing the site, paving, upgrading drainage, and adding new utilities to make sure the facility is ready for emergency operations under a guaranteed maximum price agreement with Ajax Building Company, LLC.
City officials emphasized that this is not only a parking lot. The project will also prepare a pad for a future EOC, with underground stormwater walls and utility connections installed at the same time.
The total cost of this project is about $1.79 million, funded through the Streets, Stations & Strong Foundations (SSSF) Fund.
The third renovation approved was for the Porters Neighborhood Community Center. The project will renovate and improve a city-owned building to better serve the Porters neighborhood. The well-known pink building has been vacant for over 15 years. The project will allow community groups to meet throughout the day when the Porters Community Center is closed to the public.
Under a guaranteed maximum price agreement with The Flanagan Companies, Inc., the work will include updates to the building’s structure, interior and exterior spaces, and surrounding site to make it more functional and welcoming for community programs.
The project is planned to be completed and opened by November. The total cost of the project is about $545,000, funded through the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GCRA) allocation for Porters Neighborhood Improvements.
“I am very happy to see this building come online and particularly because it is going to have meeting space,” said City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, before confirming that the space will be open to anyone in the city.
The final project discussed was the GTEC Center Building project. The project will renovate the Gainesville Training, Entrepreneurship, and Community (GTEC) Center to modernize its facilities and improve support programs. Under a guaranteed maximum price agreement with D.E. Scorpio Corporation, the work will include structural repairs, interior and exterior updates and improvements to the surrounding site. Planned upgrades include new flooring and paint, updated lighting, enhanced ADA accessibility, better drainage, and refreshed landscaping.
The proposed guaranteed maximum price for this project is about $5.15 million, funded through Interlocal funding for the GTEC Center.
City officials said the renovations will enhance the center’s ability to serve as a space for training, entrepreneurship, and community programs, benefiting residents across Gainesville.