The City of Gainesville will soon be cashing a $34 million check from the federal government. City leaders are still brainstorming how it should be spent.
On May 10, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced its $350 billion plan to provide economic relief to cities and counties across the country. This money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, a stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in March. At Thursday’s policy meeting, Gainesville city staff unveiled a written form for commissioners and residents to propose relief projects with a due date set for two weeks.
Anyone interested in submitted ideas is asked to email the city s equity and inclusion office at equalopportunity@cityofgainesville.org.
Gainesville sister city program pursues statue construction after initial rejection
Students from Gainesville and Duhok, Iraq, worked together on an art submission through a virtual exchange program Graphic by Alex Brown
Alachua County called on artists to design art centered around the concept of a megaphone.
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners received 19 submissions. All were rejected, and a Martin Luther King Jr. statue is now the new artwork concept for the west lawn of the Alachua County Administration Building.
An anonymous citizen offered to match up to $50,000 if the county chooses to have a Martin Luther King Jr. statue created for the west lawn, according to Gina Peebles, Alachua County assistant county manager and chief of staff. The proposed statue concept contrasts a prior requirement that the project could not honor a person, according to the county’s website. Peebles said the current budget with county and donor fund