State of the City: Gainesville mayor says gun violence, traffic safety among top issues
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward delivered his 2024 State of the City address at the Santa Fe College Blount Center Tuesday morning, touching on gun violence, traffic safety, sustainability efforts, and entertainment and culture, among other things.
Ward’s speech follows a tumultuous year for the city as the mayor had to grapple with dramatic budget cuts and job layoffs, and the city being stripped of its control over Gainesville Regional Utilities. Ward was even called on by a state lawmaker to resign. Despite the challenges, he said, the city is continuing to make progress.
“As we look back at 2023, I can tell you we are moving forward,” Ward said. “We are improving our technology, our sustainability, our equitable development, our access to the arts and to economic opportunity. We are working to enhance traffic safety and prevent gun violence.”
More: Gainesville receives federal grant to revitalize East University Avenue neighborhood
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Ward said he used emails from residents to guide his speech, touching on topics he felt were most important to citizens, including the improvement of east Gainesville.
Historically, commissions have not prioritized east Gainesville, he said. Now, the city is focused on bringing economic development and new amenities to the area through efforts including the Gainesville Technology Entrepreneurship Center where 22 small businesses are working, road constructing and mitigating wetlands in hopes of attracting a grocery store, office development and local retail opportunities. The city also has partnered with UF health to build a 10,000-square-foot urgent care center in the area.
Ward also used his speech to acknowledge the importance of art and culture in the community. He gave a shout out to the five theater groups in the city, the music scene that involves the annual punk event Fest, and the Pulitzer Prize winning writers that live in the area. At Tuesday's event he awarded the first Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts to four writers.
“Gainesville punches way above our weight when it comes to arts and culture,” Ward said. “Not only as a place to enjoy the art others have created, but as a sought after workplace for artists in every venue. So much so that I've taken to calling Gainesville ‘Florida’s cultural capital.’ ”
Ward’s address was peppered with videos from city commissioners highlighting work being done in the community. Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker’s video celebrated the presence of the Clarence R. Kelly Center in District 1, while addressing the realities of gun violence in the city.
Gun violence has proliferated the nation, Duncan-Walker said, and the city is putting in work to ease the crisis locally.
Efforts to curb gun violence in the past year include declaring it a local public safety crisis, hosting a gun violence summit, collaborating with first responders, and hiring a gun violence prevention and intervention program manager, Ward said. To date, the city has allocated over $53 million to gun violence prevention programs.
Ward also discussed traffic safety issues in the city. The city commission adopted a “Vision Zero” policy in 2018 that aims to completely eliminate traffic deaths within Gainesville. And in January 2023 the commission declared a traffic violence crisis in the city.
One major development on this front will be the redesign and construction of University Avenue. The city of Gainesville received an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation last year to completely redesign University Avenue amid concerns over rising pedestrian accidents on the road. The redesign includes over 4 miles of the roadway and seeks to slow traffic, narrow lanes, add raised crosswalks and resurface and restripe the road.
Gainesville’s lack of affordable housing also was acknowledged Tuesday, with Ward reiterating the city’s commitment to developing more affordable housing in the city. He pointed out that the city was awarded $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of a neighborhood initiative program to transform east Gainesville. With the money the city hopes to transform a 1.5-mile stretch of east Gainesville.
“We are all in this together and none of what we have accomplished or have in us to accomplish is without you,” Ward said. “I know that in the coming year there will be challenges. I know that the water may rise again. But we shall set sail, no matter how the wind blows, the sun will shine on the city of Gainesville.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville mayor talks gun violence, housing in 2024 address
