MediaUpdate

​Though topics at the listening session ranged from transportation to community engagement, concerns about the quality and safety of Alachua County Road 234 took up most of the conversation.

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​The Alachua County Commission and the City of Gainesville Commission will conduct a Joint meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 1 p.m. The meeting is in the Gainesville City Hall Auditorium (200 E University Avenue, Gainesville).

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​The Alachua County Commission and the City of Micanopy Commission will conduct a joint meeting on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 6 p.m. The meeting is at the Micanopy Town Hall (706 NE Cholokka Boulevard, Micanopy).

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​The new office spaces located at 401 NW Sixth St. mark a major milestone in Gainesville’s efforts to foster programs aimed at preventing gun violence. IMPACT GNV is the third gun violence prevention program to launch in the city since 2018, WUFT reported last year.

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​Other than essential services, all Alachua County offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in observance of Juneteenth.

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​The apparent financial woes for the owners of Celebration Pointe — the upscale shopping and dining development west of Interstate 75 in Gainesville — are starting to pile up.

Alachua County on June 6 sent a notice of default to Svein Dyrkolbotn, principal owner of Viking Companies LLC, the owner of Celebration Pointe, notifying him of both monetary and non-monetary failures as it relates to the operation of the Alachua County Sports & Events Center.

The letter, sent on behalf of Alachua County by Orlando-based law firm Bryant Miller Olive, states that the operator, CP Event Center Operations LLC, whose title manager is Viking Companies, has 30 days to remedy the situation or the county will seek the "right to terminate this Agreement and seek damages and other relief."

"The County expects that the Operator will timely and fully rectify the defaults set forth in this notice," the letter says.

​According to the letter, a special community development district (CDD) assessment placed on the property that accrues at the rate of about $29,600 a month remains unpaid with more than $312,000 owed for fiscal year 2024. An additional $207,000 as of May, 31, 2025, is still owed for fiscal year 2025.

​"The Operator’s failure to pay the CDD special assessment constitutes a material breach of its obligations under the Agreement," the lawsuit says.

Non-monetary defaults, according to the letter, including accounting deficiencies with regard to statements, receipts and other records.

​County Manager Michele Lieberman during the June 10 County Commission meeting told commissioners that with the operator having 30 days to cure, she will be back in front of the commission at its first meeting in July with a "plan moving forward."

The county's letter follows a bankruptcy filing by Celebration Pointe and multiple lawsuits filed against the developer by lenders and investors. Patricia A. Shively, the largest investor in the project, has claimed in a lawsuit that she was scammed into personally guaranteeing dozens of loans totaling more than $319 million to keep the project afloat, in addition to nearly $100 million in personal contributions to the project.

According to the letter, an attempted audit ordered by the county for the year that ended Dec. 31, 2023, could not be completed due to "inadequate documentation and information."

​Among the loans guaranteed by Shively is an $8.4 million loan from Ken and Linda McGurn. The McGurns, who played a major role over the years in the development of downtown Gainesville, filed a lawsuit on May 20 against Shively, Dyrkolbotn and his wife.

Ken McGurn told the Mainstreet Daily News that the money was used to help Viking Companies with its share of the sports center.

​Viking, in a statement to The Sun regarding Shively's lawsuit, denied any wrongdoing.

​"... We are reviewing the allegations in the complaint which are strenuously disputed and remain confident that the legal process will bring clarity to the facts. ..."​

​Alachua County invites private and public employers to the 15th Annual Gainesville-Alachua County Employment Law Seminar on June 25, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon. 

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​“The importance of a loan is that these are tax dollars and that these need to be regenerated so that as the funds are restored to the county, they can be given out to other households. At the same time, by owning a home, the goal is that you’d be able to add to your family’s wealth, as that’s one of the main ways in this country that we build wealth, is through home ownership,” says Claudia Tuck, director of community support services.

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​Alachua County officials have issued a formal notice of default to the company operating the Alachua County Sports and Events Center at Celebration Pointe, citing unpaid assessments and a lack of proper documentation.

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​During today’s county commission meeting, the commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing June as Gun Violence Month, in alignment with the City of Gainesville’s initiative.

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​The Alachua County Commission during its June 10 meeting voted to approve a renovation plan for West End Park and tabled a decision to fund a program meant to increase affordable and workforce housing.​​

West End Park update​

Alachua County Parks and Open Space Director Jason Maurer told commissioners that about 200 people at a recent public meeting provided input on renovations to the former golf course at 12830 W. Newberry Road, including the idea of a play area, sports courts and fitness equipment, walking trails, an arboretum, restrooms and more.

​The two-phase plan for the project includes the hiring of a design team to plan out the property with all funded and non-funded community amenities and facilities. Amenities and facilities approved but not funded will be constructed after funding sources can be identified and/or secured.

According to county documents, for fiscal year 2025, $240,000 will be allocated from Wild Spaces for the funding of professional services. Fiscal year 2026 will include $750,000 for capital improvements from Wild Spaces and $250,000 for capital improvements funded from impact fees for both phases

​By fiscal year 2027, funds will be allocated only toward the project's second phase.

​A nine-hole golf course was among the requested amenities, however, Maurer said he didn't add a golf course to the plan as he felt it would mislead voters.

​Commissioner Ken Cornell said he loves all of the amenities discussed and feels that a driving range would be more ideal for the park instead of a golf course.

Commissioner Anna Prizzia told Maurer that previous procurements were left broad and that she wants county staff to have a clearer understanding of the project.

​"I'm excited about the opportunities and I think we're on the right track," she said.

Commissioners voted unanimously for the plan and will receive future updates on the project.

Living Spaces decision tabled

​Commissioners held a 90-minute discussion on the proposed Alachua County Living Spaces and Thriving Places Program. The program is designed to subsidize developers' costs using funds from the county's Wild Spaces infrastructure surtax in an effort to increase affordable and workforce housing.

According to a presentation by Ralston Reodica, director of housing and strategic development, the goal would be for the county to spend $50 million over 10 years and leverage it into another $500 million of private financing at a unit cost of approximately $100,000.

Several concerned residents, however, asked commissioners via email to vote against using such a large portion of Wild Spaces funding for a down payment assistance program.​

​Jenn Powell, co-chair of the Alachua County Labor Coalition, wrote in a June 9 email to the board that voters don't support funding for the program, albeit 85% of all funds.

"In fact, the Wild Spaces & Public Places campaign told us the money would NOT be spent on down payment assistance," Powell wrote in the email. "How can we trust what the Commission says when we go to vote on the next tax?"

Commissioner Prizzia said the project is something voters would not approve of and that the county already has a repayment program through the county's State Housing Initiatives Partnership, which helps first-time home buyers and promotes affordable housing.

​Calling it a complicated issue, commission Chair Charles Chestnut IV said he supports the idea and that homeownership for residents creates wealth. He is worried, however, that developers will use the program to build apartment units instead of new housing.

"Maybe I'm just another thinking kind of guy but if that rent is going to be high, those folks aren't going to be there long," Chestnut said. "I'm starting to think if we give developers money, they're going to build apartments."

Commissioners voted unanimously to regroup with staff and revisit the topic at the board's next meeting.

"The big gap we see in housing is that 30-60% AMI," Prizzia said. "Honestly, the majority of those people are not going to have those credit scores or the financial capability to even qualify for a loan to buy a house."

​Commissioner Mary Alford said she received several emails from residents who oppose using Wild Spaces funds for the project and said that the program needs a name change as it sounds too much like a financial assistance program.

The letter gives Viking Companies, the owner of Celebration Pointe, 30 days to fix the breaches or else Alachua County will consider the company in default.

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​​Alachua County has sent a Notice of Default to Viking Companies, owned by Svein Dyrkolbotn, warning that a subsidiary’s contract to operate the County’s Sports and Events Center may be terminated if the company fails to pay over $500,000 in CDD assessments and provide missing financial information within 30 days.

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​Alachua County commissioners unanimously approved a three-phase plan to turn the park into something residents want.

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​Alachua County attorneys announced Tuesday that they sent a notice of default for non-payment in the operator’s contract to run the Alachua County Sports Center.

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