Planners to consider major downtown project Tuesday

GAINESVILLE - The mixed-use development planned on the Townview Plaza site in downtown Gainesville, which includes a 13-story hotel, goes before city planners next week.

As we reported Dec. 13, the plans also call for two 11-story office buildings, a conference cent, retail component and parking deck.

Then-Gainesville Mayor Bob Hamrick said at the time "Hopefully this will be a jump start in Midtown's redevelopment."

City View Plaza LLC's plan calls for a 250-room hotel with a 5,000 square foot conference center and 8,000 square feet of street-level retail area plus the two 11-story office buildings and a five-level parking deck.

The site is on five separate land tracts in the Midtown Overlay Zone now occupied by the Town View Plaza shopping center, a small retail strip center and Gainesville Police headquarters and the Gainesville Fire Station building.

According to the Planning and Appeals zoning application, City View Plaza LLC, owned by Gainesville developer Wendell Starke, would be capitalized at no less than $10-million including land at actual cost and would be jointly funded by Starke and James and Lee Caswell of Atlanta.

The application also states the proposed development would have a positive impact on the Georgia Mountains Center and the Municipal Complex by providing accessible hotel rooms, meeting and dining facilities, and retail and office space connected by an elevated pedestrian walkway over Jesse Jewell Parkway.

The rezoning request goes before the Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board Tuesday afternoon at 5:30.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/204847