A swath of northwest Gainesville qualifies for the creation of a community redevelopment area under state rules for blight, but city commissioners voted Thursday night against creating such an area, saying they believe better options are available to improve the neighborhoods.
The commission’s vote was 7-0 against creating such an area.
The vote came after a lengthy discussion about whether to create a new community redevelopment area, called a CRA, that would have covered more than 1,000 acres, including the Stephen Foster neighborhood, the Koppers Superfund site, Gainesville High School and much of the Northwest 13th Street corridor.