Gainesville leaders tout work on housing, crime prevention and more at annual State of the City address

Safer streets. Housing the homeless. Gun violence prevention. Lowering utility bills.

That and more were among the topics of discussion by Gainesville’s elected officials Tuesday

In his first State of the City address as Gainesville mayor, Harvey Ward stood in the center of the Cade Museum before a host of community leaders to celebrate much of the work being addressed around the city by its more than 2,000 employees.

Still, he added, there’s still more to be done.

“I do believe the state of our city is strong,” Ward said. “We have challenges, as all cities do. One of the things I’ve discovered as a new mayor talking to and learning from other mayors around the country is that our challenges are similar to those faced by so many other cities. But I’ve also found something else − the truth is that we’re closer to solving those challenges than a lot of other cities are. We’re moving forward more steadily here in Gainesville because of the quality of our community, the dedication of our partners and the good ideas and participation of our neighbors.”

The event brought out some of the biggest names in local government and community activism, including local NAACP branch President Evelyn Foxx and Police Chief Lonnie Scott. Even recently ousted state attorney Andrew Warren, who was born and raised in Gainesville, was in the crowd prior to the release of news that he filed a new appeal to be reinstated to his former position.

As each took their seat, they found a sheet of paper with cut-out Valentine's Day cards that featured different aspects of city government. One card showed a picture of a transit bus and read, "Gainesville wouldn't be bussin' without you!" Another card, showing a computer, asked "Do you have a permit to be that awesome?"

GRU

Unlike similar addresses in the past, Ward started the event off by addressing one of the most controversial subjects head-on: Utility bills. Ward said the city has been working to find ways to help those struggling to afford their Gainesville Regional Utilities bills and that at the next City Commission meeting will unveil plans to assist those most in need.

He later discussed how the city is the leader in Florida for renewable energy, averaging about 29% of its usage in 2022. Later in the week, he said the commission will consider a solar proposal that could help that number rise to roughly 50%.

East Gainesville

Throughout the speech, each of the other six commissioners shared updates on a topic they are helping to tackle, including making Gainesville the cultural capital of Florida.

District 1 Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker highlighted the importance of the A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center and how it serves as a destination to bring people together to spark conversations about history that inspire and educates locals.

“Cultural art centers just like these have been proven to address root causes of violence,” she said. “We understand that that is a critical need in our city right now. With the city of Gainesville recently having declared gun violence as a crisis, this space is more important now than ever.”

The commission’s recent decision to also create a new arts and cultural center, she said, means the city can further address the root causes of systemic issues.

Following up on the investment in east Gainesville, Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut spoke about her desire to transform Citizens Field into an economic staple that will “change the tone” of the area with help from Wild Spaces Public Places funds.

Following the renovation, which includes new locker rooms, pressbox and track around the field, Chestnut said she hopes to lead the charge in expanding the Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-Purpose Center by doubling its size.

Complete streets

One of the most deadly issues facing local residents is the rise in deaths of people traveling the streets in Gainesville.

Ward highlighted a recently announced $8 million federal investment to solving some of the traffic problems around the University of Florida campus. While the funding provides just a portion of the overall project’s scope, Ward said it fast-tracks getting some of the work done quickly.

“For the past several years, we’ve seen far too many pedestrians and cyclists die on streets in our city,” he said.

Commissioner Bryan Eastman said making the city safer for walking and bicyclists will result in Gainesville becoming more sustainable and more vibrant.

Housing the homeless

Ward also spoke about the need for caring for all residents and how the shortage of affordable housing has only made the goal more difficult.

In 2022, he said Grace Marketplace − a city-funded homeless service center − helped house 429 people and reach another 107 people through street outreach. While the figures are impressive, the mayor added, they fall well short of ending homelessness for all in the city.

“I am committed, and I believe we are all committed, to making Gainesville a community where chronic homelessness is a thing of the past,” Ward said. “We will need all of our institutional partners to be true partners in this … We will not achieve greatness as long as we step over our sisters and our brothers who sleep on our streets and in our woods.”

Toward the end of the event, Ward talked about how fans often celebrate wins in sporting events and championships but rarely what makes Gainesville special.

“I want us to do more of that,” he said. “I want us to recognize the days that we get it right, we get it right a lot. I want us to get better at celebrating each other, to spend a little more time doing victory laps around the things that bring us together, and maybe less time on what drives us apart.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward delivers first State of the City address