With students flooding back into Gainesville for the start of a new school year, businesses and city leaders alike are relishing in yet another stable year for the local economy.
President and CEO of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce and Council for Economic Outreach Brent Christensen said, "Our economy is dominated by the healthcare industry and the university."
Christensen said that Gainesville typically receives spikes in the economy in August. and December. He said they are most likely caused by back-to-school buys.
It's hard to determine how much of the spike is produced by students from UF, and how much of it is Alachua County residents, he said.
Gainesville does not see a significant decline in the economy when students are home for the summer, Christensen said.
Jayme Brockman, assistant manager of Gator Fever on Archer Road said that typically, the summer is busier for them than the regular school year because of summer camps and new students attending their orientation session.
"Preview is a really big time for us," he said.
Gator Fever always has new items coming in. The most popular have been T-shirts and other clothing items, Brockman said.
