City asks attorney, manager to review school lease and capital commitments at Citizens Field after school board moves to draft letter of intent

The Gainesville City Commission on Tuesday directed the city attorney and city manager to review the long‑standing lease with the School Board of Alachua County covering Citizens Field and related property and to report back on capital‑improvement obligations, maintenance, insurance and other compliance items.

Commissioner Mike Chestnut moved the directive after describing a review he said he had requested of the lease’s capital‑investment and maintenance clauses. “The lease requires the school board to make specific capital investments in the property,” he said, and he asked the city attorney and manager to “identify any services not delivered that the school board committed to” and return to the commission with their findings.

City Manager Andrew Person told commissioners the school board at a May 6 meeting had voted unanimously to direct its staff to draft a document of intent for a proposed Citizens Field redevelopment. Person said the school board’s document would be returned to the board for approval before being sent to the city.

Parks and Recreation Director Roxy Gonzalez briefed the commission on prior amendments and on information the city has already received about the school board’s investments. Gonzalez said the city has compiled a list of capital projects and spending going back to July 1984 through June 30, 2024, though backup records for some years are incomplete. She said the last major turf work and drainage pieces were done to maintain playability and that the city had required maintenance on the turf during prior amendments.

Commission discussion pressed three themes: ensuring the city’s reserved uses and public‑access rights are enforceable, confirming required maintenance and insurance coverage, and separating stadium decisions from improvements to other facilities at the complex. Mayor Harvey Ward reminded the commission that Citizens Field comprises multiple assets—the stadium, Fire Station 3, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, the pool and adjacent fields—and that the city can proceed on repairs and improvements to the non‑stadium parcels while inquiries about the stadium continue.

City staff said they have already directed facilities crews to prepare to remove a deteriorated, vacant fire administration building on the site. Bridal Singleton, special adviser for infrastructure, said the administration building demolition will be prioritized and that the city is scheduling the required remediation and cleaning for Station 5, which crews temporarily vacated after an infestation issue.

Commissioner Chestnut’s motion directed staff to review: the lease’s required capital improvements and five‑year benchmarks; records of maintenance and complaints; proof of insurance and whether the city remains named as additional insured; and records of notices and event coordination tied to use of adjacent city property for parking. Commissioners asked that the review be completed and returned to the commission at a high‑priority meeting following the summer recess (date to be determined) to allow discussion before the school board’s next requested amendment.

Public commenters urged timely review and action. Donald Shepherd, representing a neighborhood group, called the condition of the complex “flatlined” and urged the city to act to protect safety and public assets.

Where it stands: The commission approved the directive unanimously, giving the attorney and manager authority to examine records and return with findings and recommendations about lease compliance, maintenance obligations and next steps for the property. Commissioners also said they will continue separate work on other parts of the complex (courts, pool and community facilities) to avoid delaying projects that are not contingent on stadium negotiations.