Commission approves local historic designation for Florida Theater to aid restoration

The Gainesville City Commission voted unanimously on first reading to add the Florida Theater, 233 West University Avenue, to the city's local register of historic places, approving ordinance 2024-879 and placing a historic preservation conservation overlay on the property.

The designation was presented to the commission by Kathleen Kaufman, the city's historic preservation officer, who described the theater's origins in 1928, its later life as the Great Southern Music Hall, and decades of alteration and deterioration. Kaufman told commissioners the local designation would preserve surviving historic fabric and enable access to preservation grants and incentives.

The vote follows a short presentation, questions from commissioners and public comment from neighborhood and preservation stakeholders. Julie Carmine, speaking for owner Bill Bryson, said the full renovation to return the building to an operational live-music venue would likely require about "$3 to $5,000,000." Carmine said the local designation is required for certain matching and tiered grant programs and noted an available $150,000 matching grant through the GCRA that would be easier to access with the local listing; she also said a National Register application has…