News

News brief courtesy of Front Street Commercial Real Estate Group  The heart of Downtown Gainesville is getting a new look. After nearly four years of site studies and community discussions, Gainesville’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is leading efforts to turn the historic Bo Diddley Community Plaza into a more iconic destination for locals and visitors...

Yellow caution tape and sandbags spray-painted orange surround the front doors to the Newberry Road Books A Million. But a big, blue banner assures customers “Yes, we’re still open!” Heavy summer rains recently flooded the storefront and caused about $175,000 of damage, but a local contractor hopes to turn the tides. Chris Pickering with Gainesville...

When Hobby Lobby opened Friday in the space formerly occupied by Stein Mart, a group of protestors wanted to make sure it didn’t happen quietly. More than 50 people lined the corner of Newberry Road and Northwest 62nd Street holding signs with hand-painted slogans such as “Trust women” and “My body, my choice.” The group...

A large world map on the wall takes center stage in Pam Purvis’ office. She’s the facility manager at Sandvik Mining & Construction, a surface mining equipment assembly company branch in Alachua. The map represents the company’s global reach as it ships multi-million-dollar machines across the world. But in the last year, Purvis has been...

A new type of corporation rolled out July 1 in Florida, and impacts of this arrangement may cause reverberations in the Gainesville business community. The legislation lets new businesses register as a “benefit corporation” or a “social purpose corporation.” Existing businesses can also convert to the model. “Each of these enterprises will allow entrepreneurs and...

A local car dealership has begun offering free conference room space to nonprofits. Groups can now book meetings at Gatorland Toyota, located at 2985 N. Main St. Spokeswoman Ellen Walther said the facility, available for reservation during the dealership’s business hours,  includes a 32-seat conference room and attached kitchen with microwave, refrigerator and tables and...

Gainesville’s craft beer scene is about to get a little bigger. First Magnitude Brewing (FMB), located off of the Rails to Trails and Depot Park, is preparing for a mid-to-late August opening and is hoping to bring another brewery to downtown Gainesville. Meg The Losen, one of the four founders of FMB, said the group...

A local research lab has received national recognition with General Mills’ stamp of approval. Food testing and consulting facility ABC Research Laboratory, located at 3437 SW 24th Ave., announced its acceptance in early July as an approved testing site for the food-producer giant. That means it “will be noted as a preferred testing laboratory for...

GRU is cautioning citizens to beware of a nationwide scam targeting non-residential customers. Some business customers have received phone calls from someone claiming to be a GRU representative, saying that the customer must make an immediate payment by cash or third-party website to avoid having his or her utility service disconnected. In another version of...

A new state-of-the-art apartment complex with a unique business angle recently opened its doors near Innovation Square. Trimark Properties hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for Savion Apartments, built near the Southwest Fifth Avenue basin improvements adjacent to Innovation Square. Trimark owner John Fleming said the complex was specifically designed for and targeted at students and...