Gainesville, community partners celebrate east Gainesville milestone

Published on July 18, 2025

A new intersection in east Gainesville is more than a network of streets, sidewalks, curbs and concrete as speakers noted at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new roadway and infrastructure system at the Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative (EHEDI) at Cornerstone.

“Today, we recognize not just the completion of infrastructure but the continuation of a promise–a promise to invest in the people, places and potential of this great community,” said District 1 Gainesville City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker who welcomed area leaders and guests at the event.

The City of Gainesville has transformed an overgrown, 21-acre municipal site west of Hawthorne Road into a gateway location with four construction-ready parcels. A new Regional Transit System (RTS) transfer station is expected to be built on the southwest parcel beginning in mid-2026.

“I can see folks living in the apartments that the Hutchinson Foundation is building just a few blocks from here with the help of the City of Gainesville. I can see people living in existing homes in these neighborhoods around us. I can see people living in the two homes the Bright Community Trust is building with the help of the City of Gainesville just a couple of blocks down the street. I can see them being able to take a short walk to the transit hub and get anywhere they want to go in this community, anywhere they want to go for work, for pleasure or shopping,” said Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward.

With the help of community partners Alachua County and University of Florida Health, the transformational project is designed to bring more economic development and amenities to east Gainesville.

“Projects like EHEDI at Cornerstone represent the kind of collaborative community focus and investment we need–bringing health care, transit, jobs and food access directly to the neighborhoods that need it the most,” said Alachua County Board of County Commissioners Chair Chuck Chestnut. “Together, we can ensure the east side has a future that reflects the full potential of this community.”

The new roadway network includes the extension of Southeast Sixth Avenue and the construction of Southeast 20th Street, which runs alongside the UF Health Urgent Care Center – Eastside, and connects to Southeast Eighth Avenue. The city and county each contributed $2.25 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward the healthcare facility.

“For us, this effort reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to services and help meet the needs of our community,” said UF Health Sr. Vice President and Greater Gainesville Regional President Michael Holmes. “From healthcare to transportation to education and to employment and beyond, it takes all of us to have a healthy community.”

The extensive infrastructure beneath the roadways includes conduits for water, wastewater, stormwater, electrical and street lighting as well as utility connections and preliminary site work ready for new development. The infrastructure investment totaled $3.8 million.

“We have completed the groundwork for additional accessible health care, expanded services, improved transit and walkable connections that support wellness at every level,” said Commissioner Duncan-Walker.

EHEDI at Cornerstone is a major redevelopment effort led by the city’s economic development department – the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area. Creating an equitable community for all–through equity and inclusion to services and businesses necessary for daily living–is a key principle of the city’s strategic plan.