Mayor Craig Lowe discussed job creation, public safety and Gainesville’s future at the annual State of the City address Wednesday afternoon.
Lowe spoke to about 100 people inside the Hipp cinema, 25 SE Second Place, summarizing the city’s improvement in the last year.
Lowe said 2012 was characterized by breakthrough business partnerships, which brought jobs and innovation to the city.
“Our collaboration with the private sector was a major highlight of the past year,” he said. “I firmly believe that we have left behind any ideas of a business-unfriendly environment that have been suggested in the past.”
The most notable partnership, he said, was information technology company Mindtree’s decision to plant its first major U.S. development center in Gainesville, which created about 400 jobs.
He also mentioned Silver Airways’ decision to relocate from Ft. Lauderdale to the Gainesville Regional Airport.
The move brought about 100 new jobs to the city’s east side, many offering yearly salaries of about $50,000.
The relocation also expanded flight service from the Gainesville airport to three more locations.
He mentioned the negotiations with Mobiquity, a mobile app developer that will potentially bring about 250 jobs with it to the area.
Lowe also praised the city’s partnership with Regional Transit System that improved bus service, slashing wait times on routes in the city’s east side.
He said further innovations for the east side included the city’s partnership with the Alachua County Library District to add the first library branch at Fred Cone Park.
He attributed the city’s success to the collaboration between citizens, businesses and local government.
“It’s only by coming together that we will be able to build … a sound economy,” he said.
In light of the Newtown, Conn., shootings, Lowe said he looks forward to protecting Gainesville residents in 2013.
He said he recently met with the mayors of Blacksburg, Va., and Albuquerque, N.M., two cities that were struck with tragic shootings in recent years, to discuss public safety.
“What these discussions brought home to me is but for the grace of God, that would be Gainesville – our city,” Lowe said.
After the meeting, Lowe said, he recommended the Gainesville City Commission “establish a concrete position on sensible regulation to promote public safety.”
Lowe also deemed the opening of a biomass plant north of the city this summer as a step toward “reducing our community’s carbon footprint.”
He said it will “move us away from our dependence on dirty, out-of-state coal.”
Evelyn Foxx, president of the Alachua County NAACP, attended the speech.
Foxx said she is pleased with the city’s success attracting new job-creators to the area.
She said bringing jobs that don’t require college degrees is a positive addition to a city that already values higher education.
“UF is a flagship. We are very proud to have it in our community,” she said. “It does not, by any means, devalue education. That is still one of the most important things.”
With city elections looming, Greg Johnson, a Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce board member, said he felt Lowe’s address focused objectively on the city’s progress.
“I’ve been a witness to what has been going on, and this excitement about these things he’s been talking about go beyond the politics and the election,” Johnson said. “We’re all excited about the business community.”
Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe speaks from a lectern to residents and city officials at the Hippodrome State Theatre during the annual State of the City address Wednesday.
