Alachua County to run sports and events center directly; commission approves three new positions

Alachua County commissioners voted Aug. 26 to take over operations of the county’s sports and events center and to add three county positions to manage the facility as a tourism asset.

The county will assume full control of the 130,000‑square‑foot building on Oct. 1, 2025, after terminating the prior private operator’s agreement. Tourism and Economic Development Director Jessica Hurov told the board the facility was built with tourist development tax (TDT) funds and that county management was intended to “maximize our oversight of the facility while ensuring alignment with the purpose of the facility as a tourism and economic development investment.” She said the county will pursue an operating model aimed at high event utilization by weekend tourism events and weekday local access for leagues and practices.

The commission approved creation of a dedicated sports and events division reporting to the tourism department. The board approved three new positions: a sports tourism and events manager, a coordinator, and a maintenance mechanic to provide onsite coverage during rentals and events.

County staff said the first priorities are planning for the winter track season, staffing for fall events already on the calendar, finalizing concession models and standard facility agreements and aligning marketing with Visit Gainesville/Alachua County. The county said it expects to recover a large share of operating costs from earned revenues (rentals, concessions, sponsorships), estimating roughly 78% cost recovery in an initial projection for year one.

Commissioners and speakers also discussed adjacent land and parking, which are privately owned. County attorney Dave Forziano said staff is negotiating to purchase nearby lots that currently supply parking and event support space, but that the mortgages and community development district (CDD) liens on those parcels exceed the property value and the parcels lie in an ongoing bankruptcy process. “We are trying to negotiate the purchase of those by the county,” Forziano said; “the value of the mortgages and the assessments greatly exceeds the value of the property.” He described ongoing work to evaluate whether to step into creditor negotiations should restructuring fail.

Commissioners said they want to ensure the facility serves residents while remaining a regional tourism draw; they asked staff to continue working with the property owners, the CDD and Visit Gainesville/Alachua County to secure parking and event logistics for major dates.

Action note: the commission approved staff’s recommendation and the staffing additions; staff will bring back rate sheets, standardized facility‑use agreements and a refined budget as operations begin in October.