Photos show neighborhoods enriched by having more neighbors in them
As the city of Gainesville considers ending exclusionary zoning, one of the common complaints expressed by opponents of inclusionary zoning is that changes to land-use laws will create chaos and anxiety.
They claim that the character of neighborhoods will be ruined by apartments springing up next to detached homes. It’s an odd argument to make in Gainesville, where renters and owners have coexisted in the same neighborhoods for decades.
I set out to take photos of a sampling of Gainesville’s apartment buildings that are tucked in neighborhoods, from older two-story units to some of the larger, more modern ones. I wanted to see if those neighborhoods were irrevocably destroyed by the presence of renters and students.
What I found was the opposite, an incredible diversity of housing and styles, some plain and some funky. I also found neighborhoods that are enriched by having more neighbors in them.
More from Jason Sanchez:
As Gainesville's population grows, more density is needed to prevent sprawl
Inclusionary zoning would help Gainesville reduce its affordable housing problem
In the historic Duckpond, apartments have long been a part of the fabric of the neighborhood. Two apartment buildings stand near Sweetwater Branch creek, which runs through the heart of the neighborhood.
At the edge of the Duckpond, Oak Park stands out as one of the larger public housing buildings in all of Gainesville. I pass by it daily and have never once thought it ruined the character of the Duckpond. Oak Park gives more people a chance to live near downtown and near great amenities like Roper Park and the Thomas Center.
At the other end of the Duckpond, Regents Park is a collection of townhouses that give a bit of urban living to the neighborhood. After Regents Park was built in 2004, Gainesville zoning laws changed to restrict the maximum building height allowed near a historic neighborhood so these type of tree-lined homes can’t currently be built elsewhere near the Duckpond.
Tucked away in a part of Grove Street, Oak Village blends in almost seamlessly with the detached housing around it. The tree-covered, two-story complex adds a little density to the mostly detached housing neighborhood and allows more people to walk to nearby amenities such as Publix, Cypress & Grove and Afternoon.
Since 1960, University Park Studios has been adding gentle density to the Oakview neighborhood.
Shortly after Union Street Station was built in 2000, some locals thought it might be a failure after a few early commercial tenants left. Now it’s a core part of downtown, housing people and iconic restaurants such as Mark’s Prime Steakhouse and Dragonfly.
Deco 39 feels like something out of art deco Miami. Striking blue with curvy accents, the luxury apartment building brings a bit of funk and weirdness to the Innovation District.
Savion Park Apartments stand at the northwest corner of Cora P. Roberson Park, giving the mostly student tenants inside convenient walking access to one of Gainesville’s finest greenspaces.
Built in 2005, Taylor Square Apartments add a gentle density to one of Gainesville’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Beyond the abundance of greenery, the listed amenities for the complex include frequent buses and a short walk to campus.
Near the corner of Southwest Ninth Street and Depot Avenue are some of the most attractive tall housing buildings in town. Originally built in 1955, each of these homes has been remade into apartments to accommodate people who want to live near campus and Cora P. Roberson Park.
When people say you can’t put an apartment complex next to a detached unit, show them this apartment building on Southwest 12th Ave. The building has been made to fit around an old detached stone house. Despite the differences in height and age, the two buildings complement each other on a tree-lined stretch of 12th near Norman Hall.
Jason Sanchez lives in Gainesville.
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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Jason Sanchez: Photos show diversity of housing in Gainesville
