The Solis development on the other side of the pedestrian bridge in downtown Gainesville is moving right along.
The site connected to the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere" is a mixed use project, with about 220 multi-family units currently under construction, according to Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey.
"The middle building, a sort of U-shaped building - which will be the signature building of the project - that comes out right from the pedestrian bridge as you come over the bridge from Jesse Jewell Parkway, you'll see that prominent feature in the middle," said Lackey. "There will be two other buildings in the back that they've started framing on that this week. You can see from the road the two concrete walls that are on either side of the bridge that will be working soon to finish out that commercial space."
Lackey said windows went in on the first floor, some plumbing work has also been done, and most of the dirt that needed to be moved has been moved.
The residential portion will begin leasing in the first quarter of 2022, in the building we can see going up now, Lackey said. Retail will follow in the summer of 2022.
"They're trying to balance it by having a few residents there a few months ahead of the other retail going in, so 2022 should be an exciting year," he said.
Lackey said stakeholders in the 2015 Downtown Gainesville Development Plan wanted more people living in the downtown area.
"I think this certainly is the first step towards accomplishing that," he said. "You're talking 220 units of people who will be there all the time, not just getting in their cars and going home, they're going to be right there. Add to the vibrance, if you will, of our downtown."
In November 2019, the city gave unanimous approval for the sale of the 6.8 acre site, and in September of 2019 it had been announced that Terwilliger Pappas would be the city's partner in the development.
