east University Avenue neighborhood plan

Gainesville, Florida

Client

Gainesville Housing Authority

Description

The 1.5 square mile East University Avenue Neighborhood includes numerous assets that can be connected and leveraged to improve the quality of life for local residents. The neighborhood is strategically located approximately 1 mile to the east of Downtown Gainesville and less than 2 miles east of the University of Florida. The East University Avenue CN is about 3 miles south of the growing Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV). The Neighborhood features a mixture of single and multi-family residential areas supported by commercial and service uses including local restaurants and a newly opened Walmart Supercenter, just north of the boundary. The East University Avenue Neighborhood sits directly adjacent to the beautiful Morningside Nature Center, which includes more than 7 miles of trails. Other significant open spaces include Fred Cone and Duval Parks. Despite these numerous assets, the community shows signs of significant distress, due to many challenges related to economic and social segregation and the lack of sufficient investment in housing or neighborhood amenities. COLLABO is working with the Gainesville Housing Authority and a selected Steering Committee to create a foundation for community revitalization and change in the area.