City and County Offices Close May 25 for Memorial Day; Trash Pickup Delayed

Gainesville city offices and Alachua County government offices will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. Residential curbside collection of garbage, recycling, and yard waste will not occur on the holiday and will shift back one day for the remainder of that week. RTS bus service is also suspended for the holiday.

Sources: City of Gainesville · Alachua County

Gainesville’s Streatery outdoor dining district takes shape on SW First Avenue

Construction is underway on the Streatery, a pedestrian-only outdoor dining corridor being built along Southwest First Avenue between 2nd Street and Main Street in downtown Gainesville. Workers have removed the street’s existing brick paving and are regrading the ground, with a construction fence currently closing off the block since work began in April. Neighboring businesses remain open and reachable via the sidewalk.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Alachua residents pack meeting to oppose possible AI data center on U.S. 441

Dozens of Alachua residents spent hours speaking against a potential large-scale data center on a 104-acre parcel along U.S. 441, a site that once housed an Energizer battery plant near San Felasco Tech City. The concerns were sparked by an online real estate listing whose URL referenced a high-megawatt data center development, though the listing’s title has since changed. Residents raised worries about environmental risks and the effect such a facility could have on nearby property values, even though the matter was not formally on the meeting agenda; the city is expected to take up the site in a rescheduled joint Board of County Commissioners meeting.

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Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20

Gainesville moves ahead on stormwater billing without GRU after split vote

Gainesville will pursue stormwater billing through tax rolls rather than through Gainesville Regional Utilities, following a divided vote that broke the two entities apart on the issue. The split decision signals an impasse between the city and GRUA over how stormwater fees should be collected and administered.

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Sources: The Gainesville Sun

GRU awarded $43 million federal grant to strengthen electric grid

Gainesville Regional Utilities has been awarded a $43 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy aimed at improving the reliability and resilience of its electric grid. The funding represents a significant infrastructure investment for the city-owned utility serving Gainesville residents.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun