Alachua County Commission approves RFP for 13-acre single-family development at SE 15th St and SE 8th Ave

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At their August 27 Regular Meeting, the Alachua County Commission approved a Request for Proposal for a single-family development on 13 acres that were purchased by the County after the board voted to withdraw local match funding for a workforce housing project at the site, killing that project.

Candie Nixon from Community Support Services reminded the board that they had asked staff on May 28 to initiate source selection for development of workforce and market-rate single-family housing on a 13-acre site; the property consists of two parcels accessible from the north by SE 8th Avenue and from the west by SE 15th Street and is the same site where a project from Ability Housing was rejected in 2023.

Goals of the project

The Scope of Service for the proposed Request for Proposal (RFP) for the East Gainesville Legacy development states that the County may choose to provide the property to the developer at no cost, and the goals are to provide workforce housing at various income levels that will remain affordable in the future. The development should be walkable, with safe routes for walkers and bicyclists, and it should have diverse architectural styles and highly energy-efficient construction and integration of solar where possible, as well as heat pumps for heating and cooling. The buildings and landscaping should be durable and low-maintenance.

Nixon said that in community engagement meetings, the most votes went to single-family homes and the lowest number of votes went to multi-family homes (mixed use, recreational use, and public/institutional facility use were in the middle). The attendees also wanted market-rate homes, as opposed to subsidized homes.

Commissioner Ken Cornell said he liked staff’s recommendation and outlined the process: The County hopes to get four to six proposals back that identify a developer’s idea for a single-family residential community, including green space, parks, and other amenities for the entire community; their community engagement process; and how it would work from a financial standpoint. An evaluation committee including two community members will consider proposals that are considered to be responsive and will rank them, and then the board will award the contract in a public meeting.

Motion

Cornell made a motion to approve staff’s recommendation, and Commissioner Anna Prizzia seconded the motion.

After public comment from a number of people who mostly said they live in east Gainesville, County Manager Michele Lieberman suggested that multiple developers could be allowed to split the award or perhaps the board could award the contract to one developer who will hire multiple other developers as subcontractors.

Points for small businesses and minority-owned businesses

Chair Mary Alford asked whether they could add points for minority and women contractors, and Procurement Manager T.J. White said the County’s policy only adds points for small businesses; he said the Small Business Enterprise program “is an inclusive program that addresses both small businesses, minority, and local business.” He explained, “If we have a lot of local contractors that can make sure that they are certified as a Small Business Enterprise, and they could team up with a large developer or multiple developers, then they have an opportunity to have better power to bring [the proposal] forth to the County as an application.”

Prizzia said she would like to add language to the RFP that the County is interested in seeing collaborative proposals with different developers.

Cornell also supported enabling multiple developers to present a joint proposal, saying, “You know, Haile Plantation was developed, but when it started, it was 10 different builders. And all we’re looking for is what they have over there, over here.”

Amendments to the motion

Cornell asked to add the following to the motion: “Collaboration with local providers will be given additional points under the RFP.” Prizzia agreed.

After a discussion about whether state statutes allow the County to give extra points to businesses owned by minorities and women, Prizzia asked staff to review the statutes and bring back options for additional points for minority-owned businesses in their procurement policies.

Cornell said, “Especially for this transaction. I mean, we have heard loud and clear: we want local businesses. We want local contractors. We want minority-owned businesses. If we have the opportunity to include that in this RFP and state statute allows that, please do.” He added that to the motion.

Types of housing

Nixon said the mix of housing would be different in each proposal, but she expected a “diverse community with different types of single-family homes. Some areas may be detached, some may not… This is the County’s first time doing this type of project, so we’re not certain what it’s going to look at. We’re going to really depend on communicating with our developers and also the developers communicating with the community.”

Cornell said the County has added significant value with 13 acres of land and the community engagement work that has been done and added, “I’ve never seen a County contribute 13 acres of land, all this staff time, all this effort. So there’s a lot going into making this a successful project. Look, Heartwood has its challenges. They’re priced too high, okay?… It’s 300 or 400 grand of tax dollars in each of those lots. It’s just too much; it isn’t working. So we’ve learned a lot, we’ve observed a lot, and I think this is the right step.”

Commissioner Chuck Chestnut said he had “some concerns right now… because I’m hearing different things here. I’m hearing the community say they want single-family detached. Now I’m hearing that there is a possibility for detached and attached… What are we talking about? Are we still with single-family detached housing? Are we talking about condos?” He said he would only support detached houses.

Nixon said, “They are single-family detached.”

Although the RFP specifies diverse architectural styles, Chestnut said, “One of the other most important things… [is] that it’s not going to be a cookie-cutter type of housing. I do not like that. That destroys a neighborhood… It reminds you of an apartment complex instead of a neighborhood.”

Lieberman interjected, “To be clear,… right now, the scope is left open to allow for flexibility in housing types. They would all be owner homes, but that may not come back as all detached unless you specify that.” She pointed out that Haile Plantation has a mix of different types of housing.

Will these houses be affordable?

During a discussion about whether this would be affordable housing, Cornell said, “What I’ve heard the citizens say is, we want it to be market-rate. So a smaller house that’s 1,200 square feet, and it’s a 3/2, or even a 2/2, would be market rate, but it would also qualify as workforce housing. That’s what I think the community is fine with. What the community is not fine with is… subsidized housing, that’s what we’re hearing they don’t want there, and we actually have a policy of not supporting [that] east of Main Street.” He said that if the County donates the land, that helps the developer make it financially feasible to build lower-cost housing.

Alford said, “As someone that has helped design neighborhoods. I love to hear ‘diversity of housing.’ I love to hear ‘no cookie-cutter.’ I love to hear ‘energy efficiency.’ I love to hear ‘quality development,’ and that’s what we’re talking about. So I’m very excited about this.”

Restated motion and vote

Cornell restated the motion: “It’s staff’s recommendation [for the Scope of Service in the RFP], adding… that additional points will be given for collaborative efforts [between] local builders and developers and additional points will be given, if possible, for minority-owned businesses.”

The motion passed unanimously.

Alford concluded by thanking the people who had attended the meeting: “Thank you all for caring about your neighborhood. And I look forward to this being a really, really great project, and I’m really proud of what we’re doing. I really am. So thank you all.”

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