Gainesville

The City of Gainesville has a comprehensive plan to guide development in downtown Gainesville. New and recently completed developments include connecting downtown with a pedestrian bridge, enhancing greenways, streetscaping, establishing an entertainment district, re-purposing historic buildings, developing high-density urban housing and leveraging private investments to develop a state-of-the-art hotel and conference center.

Reasons to Invest in Downtown Gainesville

  • Existing, Historic Downtown Square: Gainesville already has what new cities are paying to create – a four-sided square. Gainesville’s downtown serves as the central business district for the over 40,000 city residents and an estimated 150,000 commuters that work and shop in the county seat.
  • Walkability: The Midtown Greenway, Pedestrian Bridge and Wilshire Trails provide pedestrian connectivity throughout the city.
  • Restaurants and Cafes: Options for dining include: Luna’s, Avocados, Sweet Magnolias, Cotto, Taqueria Tsunami, Atlas Pizza, Standard Service, Scott’s, Hopscotch, 2 Dog, Alpha Gyro Grill, ChopBlock, Inman Perk, Boarding Pass Coffee, Meadowlark Coffee, The Collegiate, Diletto Bakery and more.
  • Retail Center: Downtown Gainesville is a major center for local, independently-owned retail businesses.
  • Access to Healthcare: Gainesville is central to world-class healthcare service providers, which employ 16,000 people in the region.
  • Proximity to Art: Brenau University’s Campus Collection, the Manhattan Gallery, Gallery on the Square, the Quinlan Visual Arts Center and Vision 2030’s Public Art collection offer various collections for the community to enjoy.
  • Performing Arts Venues: The Arts Council, Brenau Downtown Center Theatre, the Historic Pearce Auditorium, The John Burd Center for the Performing Arts and the Northeast Georgia History Center provide additional opportunities for the community to enjoy the arts.
  • Traffic Counts: 73,000 vehicles per day pass under the Pedestrian Bridge on Jesse Jewell Parkway, 59,000 vehicles per day pass by the Greater Hall Chamber on E.E. Butler Parkway and another 21,000 on Academy Street. Downtown Gainesville also offers free parking to its visitors.
  • Much of the Downtown area is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which provides potential tax incentive opportunities.
  • The City of Gainesville also includes areas eligible for Federal New Market Tax Credit Financing and Federal Opportunity Zone benefits on qualified projects.
  • Tax Allocation District: The TAD in Gainesville offers funding support for public infrastructure improvements.
  • Gainesville has a new Downtown Development Plan with a vision for the future.

Population: 45,282
Gainesville Community Development Department
Main Street Gainesville