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Tax money may help fund downtown project
Firm hired by city to analyze deal made bid for developer
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A sign advertising the new mixed-use development, which will be built on the parking lot by Gainesville Square, in Gainesville, on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017. - photo by David Barnes
A multimillion-dollar mixed-use retail and residential development planned for downtown Gainesville is on the verge of collecting nearly $2.5 million in reimbursements for construction costs from local government, yet the firm reviewing the project for the city also submitted the bid for the developer. The city is paying the Bleakly Advisory Group, based in Atlanta, to provide an independent analysis of projects seeking tax subsidies to ensure the requests meet established guidelines.