Clint Bryan has spent 19 years tending to the same patch of grass.
Bryan, the plant manager at Gainesville’s famous Citizens Field, has taken care of the almost 60-year-old stadium for 19 years. He said the natural grass field hasn’t been replaced since he was hired.
He said he has been fighting for greater resources and a larger budget for the field but hasn’t had success. Neither the city of Gainesville nor the Alachua County school board has complied.
“It’s like a forest fire, and they give you a 5-gallon bucket of water and say, ‘Do the best you can,’” Bryan said.
However, his wishes regarding the field’s upkeep may soon come true. The stadium, located at 1400 NE Eighth Ave., is finally getting some love from the city.
Cynthia W. Curry, the city manager, circulated a document across city departments in late August detailing a project management plan for the area around Northeast Eighth Avenue and Waldo Road. The project’s total funding is expected to be $18 million, taking $5 million from the Wild Spaces and Public Places fund and $13 million from the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area.
Not all of the budget will be used on Citizens Field, but Mayor Harvey Ward said he expects the condition of the stadium to improve when the work is done.
The concrete seating is stained, no parking is available and the scoreboard is obsolete. Bryan said if the scoreboard were to break, he wouldn’t be able to fix it because the parts aren’t available.
Citizens Field is home for Gainesville High School, Eastside High School and Buchholz High School and is used for multiple sports and other school activities.
Buchholz football coach Mark Whittemore stressed the need for improvements to the field. When asked to elaborate, he hesitated before declining to comment on the condition of the field.
“It just needs to be updated,” he said. “You can quote me on that.”
Some possible improvements Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut mentioned included a parking lot, revamped press box, a concession stand and “state-of-the-art seating” with overhead coverage.
“It has not had a major renovation, not even a minor renovation, and needs to be rehabbed,” she said.
Chestnut mentioned she would like the seating capacity to increase from its current 2,500 seats to somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000.
Chestnut has been working on the project since her term started in 2022. She said she considers it a passion project and hopes it can bring economic development to East Gainesville.
She said the project is something that has been talked about for a long time, but no one has put it in motion. Her influence as the commissioner is what she feels has finally gotten the project up and running, Chestnut said.
The commissioner said she hopes Citizens Field will not only become a sports venue but host concerts and other events as well. She said she envisions restaurants and other businesses opening around the stadium to create a social hub in East Gainesville.
“The area [East Gainesville] needs an economic boom, and people there need jobs, and I think this is certainly going to be an avenue to provide that,” Chestnut said.
The project is still in its planning stage, and details aren’t finalized. Chestnut said she is waiting on the opinions of architects as to whether the project will be a full-on demolition of the stadium or only an update.
“The architects will be returning to us by May with proposals,” she said, which will help make their decision.
According to the plan, construction is set to be completed in April 2028.