A relationship between the UGA Institute of Government and the City of Gainesville is paying off as downtown growth and economic development continue to boom.
Over the last five years, Gainesville has received approximately $318 million in private investment for the downtown and midland sections of the city, allowing area officials to capitalize on a “unique strategic planning process” developed by the University of Georgia Vinson Institue of Government, UGA Today’s Margaret Blanchard reports.
The area more recently received $4.4 million from the governor’s office in support of projects included in the “Vision for the Athens Street and 129 South Corridors” plan. The community-driven proposal aims to increase green space and overall connectivity and was created by the UGA Institute of Government.
Both Gainesville and Hall County are set to receive $2.2 million each as part of a $225 million package. Statewide, that larger chunk of funds is intended for 142 projects to improve neighborhood parks, recreation facilities and sidewalks in communities that were “disproportionately impacted by the pandemic,” Blanchard said Monday.
These improvements follow a 10-year relationship between the UGA Institute of Government and the City of Gainesville after the city reached out for expert assistance for its downtown master plan. The Downtown Gainesville Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan (RSVP) was the result of that union, setting the tone for progress seen throughout the city today, Community and Economic Development Director Rusty Ligon noted.
“The visuals that they created for what could be in our downtown really help sell it to the community, whether it’s redevelopment or green space or streetscaping,” Ligon said.
Gainesville’s housing growth has seen approximately 800 new residential units since 2015, which accounts for nearly $300 million in private investment and $25 million coming from public sources.
“People have seen what we’ve done and said, ‘We’re going to match that; if you’re investing in the community here, we want to be there too,’” Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey said.
RSVP program manager Danny Bivins believes the developments seen in Gainesville follow best practices for economic growth while integrating an approach that both strengthens the downtown area and bolsters commercial districts.
“Downtowns are the heart and soul of our communities,” Bivins said. “Making them more inviting, lively and functional is part of the formula for success in 21st-century economic development.”
One example used by the UGA Institute of Government as evidence of their success is their work on the Solis development at the south end of the Gainesville pedestrian bridge. After plans for the 6.5-acre lot fell through years ago, the institute created a concept for a residential complex, including green space and retail locations. That parcel, now known as Solis, is now a mixed-used development connecting downtown Gainesville with the Midland Greenway area.
Officials indicate Solis has also helped “spur development in the surrounding area” as additional residential complexes, single-family homes and restaurants are set to open later this year.
A major champion for the UGA partnership is Gainesville councilman and former two-term mayor Danny Dunagan.
“We’ve controlled some of our growth and made sure it was good growth,” Dunagan said. “The city council and county commissioners work well together because we know what’s good for Gainesville and Hall County. We’re all in this together.”
The UGA Institute of Government has been working with public officials since 1927, both in the state of Georgia and around the world. Their overall goal is to improve the quality of life in communities by promoting effective, efficient and responsive governance.
