In The News- August 2023
Same Chomp, New Swamp
The University of Florida has announced that they are planning to renovate Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in hopes of modernizing the space. Renovating The Swamp will be the largest facility project in the history of the department. The University Athletic Association (UAA) will began the formal process of selecting an architect for the project in July.
Some of the renovations that are to come include an upgraded sound system, seating, concessions and entry gates. This new look will change the way that fans and players experience the stadium. The cost of the project is estimated to be around $400 million.
Et, Voilà!
Le Macaron celebrated the relocation of its store to a larger space in Celebration Pointe by hosting a grand opening. The original location first opened in Gainesville in March 2021. The store offers a variety of pastries, including French macarons, tiramisus, croissants and gelato.
The café’s owner, Pete Amato, continuously strives to bring the community together. The relocation of the store puts it in an area of Celebration Pointe where members of the community are commonly found to be engaging with each other and relaxing.
I Got a Pocket Full of Sunshine
The Alachua City Commission approved a new solar power purchase agreement with NovaSol that would bring a new source of energy to Alachua. The city will provide the land for this project and NovaSol will oversee designing, permitting, constructing and running the plant.
This 30-acre plant is expected to produce around 10,000,000 kilowatt hours per year for the next 30 years. The solar plant will increase the amount of clean energy produced by taking advantage of the Florida sunshine.
Food, Glorious Food
A food bank merger between Gainesville’s Bread of the Mighty, and Jacksonville’s Feeding Northeast Florida seeks to improve resources across the area. This merger will be a realignment for nine counties in North Florida.
Bread of the Mighty will gain access to Feeding Northeast Florida’s training programs, truck fleets, employee benefits and new data capabilities. The merger will not impact the trusted community resource that Bread of the Mighty has already built for itself and will continue to staff locally.
Top Ten
U.S. News & World Report ranked the UF Children’s Hospital diabetes and endocrinology program as number 10 in the nation. This is the eighth time being nationally ranked, but also the highest ranking that the diabetes and endocrinology program has achieved. Commitment to caring for patients and advancing research are just a few of the factors that played a role in the ranking decision.
Across the 15 specialties being evaluated, only 164 hospitals performed well enough to be nationally ranked. In order to be considered for national ranking, a hospital must care for the most medically complex patients. With 30 years of advancements in the research of diabetes, the program has earned itself a spot amongst three other top-rated programs at UF Health.
Beaver Fever
The world’s largest Buc-ee’s is set to open in Ocala, Florida. Since 1982, Buc-ee’s has been committed to providing “a clean, friendly and in stock experience” for their customers. The new location will be 80,000 square feet with 120 gas pumps and 750 parking spots. The beaver-themed gas station chain is known for its many stations with must-buy products including their brisket, beaver nuggets, beef jerky and souvenirs.
State funding will also be directed towards accommodating the highway traffic that Buc-ee’s will bring in from I-75. This will be the third Buc-ee’s location in the state of Florida.
Calling All Gainesville Travelers
Gainesville Regional Airport has added another destination. Starting August 21, GNV travelers can fly non-stop to Ft Lauderdale on Silver Airways at an introductory fare as low as $49 each way!