Builder/Developer Story
The Palms: Changing the Face of Downtown Gainesville
For the group that stood in the light rain on Southwest Second Avenue a few months ago, the groundbreaking for The Palms Condominiums meant much more than your typical groundbreaking or ribbon cutting.
Instead, it was symbolic, as the first of many steps of a grand plan that will reshape the corridor between Gainesville's downtown and the University of Florida (UF). The ultimate goal is to make Southwest Second Avenue, between 13th Street and Main Street, an attractive, pedestrian-friendly bridge between UF and downtown. When the vision that the players in the redevelopment of Southwest Second Avenue have finally come to fruition, it will resemble other great planned communities such as Haile Plantation and Celebrations in Orlando. Residents will easily be able to walk to work, the UF, dining, shopping and nightlife in a beautiful and safe environment.
While the concept of a connector between a community's academic institution and its downtown was something local officials observed during a visit to Madison, WI, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce President Brent Christensen saw it for the first time with his wife in Bloomington, IN.
“We saw this so-called town and gown connection on Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington,” said Christensen. “A strong walkable connection between the main entrance of the university and the downtown is vitally important, and speaks volumes about your community. Visitors and perspective businesses want to see it. If we are ever going to have a strong connector between downtown and the university, many people believe it will be Second Avenue. We are getting to the point with The Palms Condominiums and other projects that the critical mass will make it happen. It can become the core of our community. Significant strives have been made in the last five to 10 years.”
The team at The Palms consists of builder/developer Greg Trunnell of Trunnell Construction, Inc., Mitch Glaeser of Glaeser Realty, property owner Miles Kinsell, John Donahue of Donahue Architecture and Sergio Reyes of Eng, Denman Engineering.
When completed in the spring of 2008, The Palms Condominiums will be a 48 unit, progressive, urban, residential development that will provide residents with luxurious finishes in spacious condominiums. Located at 230 SW 2nd Avenue, the four-story development will consist of two-bedroom, two-bath condominiums surrounded by beautifully landscaped tree-lined avenues and a courtyard common area equipped with deluxe barbecue grills and plenty of seating for entertaining.
Luxury Amenities
Each unit will feature lofty 10-foot ceilings, crown molding, French doors, paddle fans and panoramic views of Gainesville. The gourmet kitchens all have stainless steel appliances, custom wood cabinets, granite countertops, premium tile in rich, warm tones and plush carpet in the bedrooms and living areas. The developers have secured two parking spaces per unit in the neighboring parking garage which will be connected to The Palms via a breezeway on the second floor.
During the groundbreaking, Glaeser talked about the inspiration behind the project. “We are proud that The Palms Condominiums can be part of the effort to bring this exciting concept to the heart of Gainesville,” said Glaeser. “We are especially pleased to be involved in the beginning phases of this corridor.”
The Palms Condominiums is typical of the kind of project Glaeser likes.
“We look for things where we can make a difference in the community,” he said.
An example of that is the Tower Center, which was purchased several months ago by the Glaeser family. Now, Glaeser Realty is managing and redeveloping the property so it will more accurately reflect the needs of the community.
“This is one of the first projects recently in that part of downtown,” said Trunnell. “So it certainly is a significant step in the process that local officials are hoping will occur on Southwest Second Avenue and in the downtown area. In some ways, I compare it to Union Street Station, even without the retail. It will have a major impact on downtown. We will be one of the first developments out of the gate. This will definitely bring more business to the downtown area. This development will be perfect for professionals and students. Look at what happened when they brought in Union Street Station. This will also bring more people to that area. It will compound the growth that has already started here.”
Trunnell believes that The Palms Condominiums, followed by the other projects currently being planned, will bring just what the local government officials and economic development representatives want to see happen.
“This will really help with the goal of making Second Avenue a major passage artery,” he said. “With us, followed by other planned projects, there will be an impact right away. This could provide momentum for some of the other projects being planned.”
Trunnell says working on The Palms Condominiums with Glaeser is also a benefit to the project.
“Mitch is a life-long member of the community,” said Trunnell. “He is professional in everything he does, and being a developer himself he knows how to market this project the right way.”
Kinsell acquired the property a few years a go with the intent of building a new law office there one day due to the proximity to the courthouse. However, a short time after purchasing the property he began to hear about the city’s plan to make Southwest Second Avenue a corridor. He saw the potential for a great development that would be a wonderful addition to the community and knew it was the right time to move ahead. He had known Trunnell for years and they began working on the project together.
“I especially liked that it had parking,” he said. “The city garage had just been built. A short time later, I began to hear about the idea of making a corridor on Southwest Second Avenue. I began to see that there was potential for development, and now is the right time. The property, originally owned by me, is now owned by Southwest Second Avenue L.L.C. That is a development corporation owned by Greg and myself. One of the things that helped us move this way is the potential for city tax incentives. There is the possibility of tax incentives of up to $1.2 million during the next 15 years.”
City Support
City Commissioner Scherwin Henry, who also participated in the groundbreaking, praised those involved in the project. He also talked about the involvement of the city’s Downtown Redevelopment Agency, and exactly what this effort can mean for the community.
“I have very strong feelings about this project,” Henry said. “This was one of the first DRA-approved projects that I got to approve as a city commissioner, so it is certainly gratifying to see it starting to happen. The Palms will be one step to bringing families and vibrancy back to the downtown area.”
For Trunnell, The Palms Condominiums is important because of its public notice and significance to the community. The builder/developer has been in business for six years, and has built close to 300 condominiums in Alachua County.
Trunnell has lived in Gainesville since 1988 when he moved here from Jacksonville to attend the UF. He holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and a Masters in Building Construction. He has developed strong ties to the community over the years.
The builder/developer has been in business for six years, and has built close to 300 condominiums in Alachua County as well as numerous medical and commercial offices and custom homes.
“Last year, we did $35 million worth of construction,” Trunnell said. “We do a lot of multi-family and commercial work. With our 18 full-time employees and subcontractors, we do a variety of different projects in construction management and design-build. In some cases, like The Palms Condominiums, we are developing and constructing our own projects.
Trunnell Construction Services is also the owner/developer of Chase Hollow, a 14- building, 112-unit condominium complex with pool that is currently under construction on Southwest 35th Avenue. It is a significantly larger project that is being built in three phases. When completed Chase Hollow will consist of 14 buildings, a pool and be home to approximately 200 residents.
For the group that stood in the light rain on Southwest Second Avenue a few months ago, the groundbreaking for The Palms Condominiums meant much more than your typical groundbreaking or ribbon cutting.
Instead, it was symbolic, as the first of many steps of a grand plan that will reshape the corridor between Gainesville's downtown and the University of Florida (UF). The ultimate goal is to make Southwest Second Avenue, between 13th Street and Main Street, an attractive, pedestrian-friendly bridge between UF and downtown. When the vision that the players in the redevelopment of Southwest Second Avenue have finally come to fruition, it will resemble other great planned communities such as Haile Plantation and Celebrations in Orlando. Residents will easily be able to walk to work, the UF, dining, shopping and nightlife in a beautiful and safe environment.
While the concept of a connector between a community's academic institution and its downtown was something local officials observed during a visit to Madison, WI, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce President Brent Christensen saw it for the first time with his wife in Bloomington, IN.
“We saw this so-called town and gown connection on Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington,” said Christensen. “A strong walkable connection between the main entrance of the university and the downtown is vitally important, and speaks volumes about your community. Visitors and perspective businesses want to see it. If we are ever going to have a strong connector between downtown and the university, many people believe it will be Second Avenue. We are getting to the point with The Palms Condominiums and other projects that the critical mass will make it happen. It can become the core of our community. Significant strives have been made in the last five to 10 years.”
The team at The Palms consists of builder/developer Greg Trunnell of Trunnell Construction, Inc., Mitch Glaeser of Glaeser Realty, property owner Miles Kinsell, John Donahue of Donahue Architecture and Sergio Reyes of Eng, Denman Engineering.
When completed in the spring of 2008, The Palms Condominiums will be a 48 unit, progressive, urban, residential development that will provide residents with luxurious finishes in spacious condominiums. Located at 230 SW 2nd Avenue, the four-story development will consist of two-bedroom, two-bath condominiums surrounded by beautifully landscaped tree-lined avenues and a courtyard common area equipped with deluxe barbecue grills and plenty of seating for entertaining.
Luxury Amenities
Each unit will feature lofty 10-foot ceilings, crown molding, French doors, paddle fans and panoramic views of Gainesville. The gourmet kitchens all have stainless steel appliances, custom wood cabinets, granite countertops, premium tile in rich, warm tones and plush carpet in the bedrooms and living areas. The developers have secured two parking spaces per unit in the neighboring parking garage which will be connected to The Palms via a breezeway on the second floor.
During the groundbreaking, Glaeser talked about the inspiration behind the project. “We are proud that The Palms Condominiums can be part of the effort to bring this exciting concept to the heart of Gainesville,” said Glaeser. “We are especially pleased to be involved in the beginning phases of this corridor.”
The Palms Condominiums is typical of the kind of project Glaeser likes.
“We look for things where we can make a difference in the community,” he said.
An example of that is the Tower Center, which was purchased several months ago by the Glaeser family. Now, Glaeser Realty is managing and redeveloping the property so it will more accurately reflect the needs of the community.
“This is one of the first projects recently in that part of downtown,” said Trunnell. “So it certainly is a significant step in the process that local officials are hoping will occur on Southwest Second Avenue and in the downtown area. In some ways, I compare it to Union Street Station, even without the retail. It will have a major impact on downtown. We will be one of the first developments out of the gate. This will definitely bring more business to the downtown area. This development will be perfect for professionals and students. Look at what happened when they brought in Union Street Station. This will also bring more people to that area. It will compound the growth that has already started here.”
Trunnell believes that The Palms Condominiums, followed by the other projects currently being planned, will bring just what the local government officials and economic development representatives want to see happen.
“This will really help with the goal of making Second Avenue a major passage artery,” he said. “With us, followed by other planned projects, there will be an impact right away. This could provide momentum for some of the other projects being planned.”
Trunnell says working on The Palms Condominiums with Glaeser is also a benefit to the project.
“Mitch is a life-long member of the community,” said Trunnell. “He is professional in everything he does, and being a developer himself he knows how to market this project the right way.”
Kinsell acquired the property a few years a go with the intent of building a new law office there one day due to the proximity to the courthouse. However, a short time after purchasing the property he began to hear about the city’s plan to make Southwest Second Avenue a corridor. He saw the potential for a great development that would be a wonderful addition to the community and knew it was the right time to move ahead. He had known Trunnell for years and they began working on the project together.
“I especially liked that it had parking,” he said. “The city garage had just been built. A short time later, I began to hear about the idea of making a corridor on Southwest Second Avenue. I began to see that there was potential for development, and now is the right time. The property, originally owned by me, is now owned by Southwest Second Avenue L.L.C. That is a development corporation owned by Greg and myself. One of the things that helped us move this way is the potential for city tax incentives. There is the possibility of tax incentives of up to $1.2 million during the next 15 years.”
City Support
City Commissioner Scherwin Henry, who also participated in the groundbreaking, praised those involved in the project. He also talked about the involvement of the city’s Downtown Redevelopment Agency, and exactly what this effort can mean for the community.
“I have very strong feelings about this project,” Henry said. “This was one of the first DRA-approved projects that I got to approve as a city commissioner, so it is certainly gratifying to see it starting to happen. The Palms will be one step to bringing families and vibrancy back to the downtown area.”
For Trunnell, The Palms Condominiums is important because of its public notice and significance to the community. The builder/developer has been in business for six years, and has built close to 300 condominiums in Alachua County.
Trunnell has lived in Gainesville since 1988 when he moved here from Jacksonville to attend the UF. He holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and a Masters in Building Construction. He has developed strong ties to the community over the years.
The builder/developer has been in business for six years, and has built close to 300 condominiums in Alachua County as well as numerous medical and commercial offices and custom homes.
“Last year, we did $35 million worth of construction,” Trunnell said. “We do a lot of multi-family and commercial work. With our 18 full-time employees and subcontractors, we do a variety of different projects in construction management and design-build. In some cases, like The Palms Condominiums, we are developing and constructing our own projects.
Trunnell Construction Services is also the owner/developer of Chase Hollow, a 14- building, 112-unit condominium complex with pool that is currently under construction on Southwest 35th Avenue. It is a significantly larger project that is being built in three phases. When completed Chase Hollow will consist of 14 buildings, a pool and be home to approximately 200 residents.