Officials on Friday broke the ceremonial ground on a new multi-use building in Downtown Gainesville at the corner of Main Street and Broad Street.
Carroll Daniel Construction is planning to occupy the top three floors of the four-story building, with the lowest level containing a still-to-be-determined mix of office, retail or restaurant establishments.
"Our business has experienced a lot of growth in the last few years, and we're committed to keeping our business here in Hall County," said Brian Daniel, president and CEO of Carroll Daniel Construction.
"With all the excitement of the Downtown area and Gainesville, we're just excited to be a part of this."
The building will take over an existing parking lot — saving 45 spaces — with construction set to start early in 2018, wrapping up in approximately a year's time.
The new building is part of a larger plan to develop the downtown area into more of a destination are where residents and visitors can combine their "live, work, play."
It will include a new park area on the "fourth" side of the Gainesville Square, plus a new building near the Gainesville Midland train, said Bryan Lackey, city manager.
Those projects can be expected in the new few years, said Lackey.
