Gainesville officials broke ground Friday on a new Regional Transit System transfer station in East Gainesville, aiming to reinvest in an area the mayor said has been “largely forgotten about” for decades.
“Much of our community had given up on the folks who live in southeast Gainesville,” said Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward. “But the city of Gainesville and the people who live here did not give up, and that's why we are here today.”
Officials said construction will begin as early as this week, and the transfer station is expected to be done by late 2027.
The proposed facility, located off Hawthorne Road near Southeast 20th Street, is supported by $5.5 million in federal funding and will feature a central building for people to wait for buses and as a community meeting space. Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker, who represents East Gainesville, said residents have been asking for a place like this.
“ This space will be able to accommodate those who want to come in and sit down, host small meetings, and that's something that we're really excited about,” Duncan-Walker said.
For years, East Gainesville residents have faced limited public transportation options compared to other parts of the city. According to the city’s 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan, about one in four residents in parts of East Gainesville live below the poverty line.
But beyond being a community meeting space, Duncan-Walker said the transfer station will connect traditional bus routes with specialized ones like RTS's mobility-on-demand service, which allows passengers who cannot easily reach bus stops to request rides. She said it will make transfers “simpler and more comfortable” than waiting at a stop on the side of the road.
During the groundbreaking, Naima Brown, a Santa Fe College representative, noted the importance of accessible transportation for students who rely on buses to get to places like school, work and home. She said improved transit access can help remove barriers to education and employment.
RTS also announced it is adding 27 new buses to its fleet. The majority of the buses are hybrid diesel-electric, while others are fully electric. RTS said these were completely funded by federal and state grants the department received.
Officials said passengers should see quieter and more comfortable rides, noting the fleet will also lower operational costs. Ward said the buses are geared toward a greener future.
"Whether they're 100% electric or hybrid or just very, very efficient diesel buses, we are serious about our commitment to the environment,” he said.
The transfer station sits within a 21-acre redevelopment site owned by the city. It is part of the Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative, a project beginning in 2022, in partnership with Alachua County to reinvest in the area.
In 2024, officials opened a University of Florida Health urgent care center, and in the summer of 2025, city workers completed a road infrastructure project, adding streets, sidewalks and utility connections. City officials said the improvements will make it easier to further develop the property.
“We have hopes for some of the developable parcels that we have,” said Andrew Persons, interim city manager. “This transit hub will literally be a hub for all of that activity and an anchor for everything that's yet to come.”
The transfer station is one of several investments in Gainesville's public transportation system. Ward said the city received more than $37 million in federal funding for RTS projects beginning under the Biden administration, and continuing through today.
“I remember what this was before, and I see what it is now with my eyes and with my heart,” Ward said. “I can see what it's going to be.”