By DELANIA TRIGG
Register Staff Writer
Personnel changes at the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, including the departure of former Chamber Director John Broyles, have some wondering about the relationship between the Chamber and the Gainesville Economic Development Corporation.
The two agencies are located in an expansion addition at the Civic Center on South Weaver Street.
The expansion — which opened last November features modern architectural features. It cost $670,000.
The chamber and EDC do not own the expansion.
“The City of Gainesville owns this entire building, including the new office space,” Sharp said in response to a series of questions about the chamber and the EDC.
The EDC paid for the interim financing for the new office space, he noted.
“The EDC did front the money to begin with,” Sharp said in an interview in late November. “We financed it and then the Chamber secured pledges before they started. There’s probably a little over $100,000 in pledges. It ranges from $500 pledges all the way up to several thousand dollars per organization or per individual. We had very, very generous contributors and the EDC probably would not have done it without that.”
He said plans call for the money to be repaid.
“In return, the GEDC will be reimbursed for a portion of the initial financing from the Chamber of Commerce as they collect pledges which were made by chamber members,” Sharp said.
Four city entities share the office space -- the Chamber, EDC, the Gainesville Main Street Program and the city’s parks and recreation department.
The Chamber and the EDC also implemented a lease agreement which calls for the agencies to pay a $1 per year lease rate to the city of Gainesville for 20 years in “consideration for the GEDC/Chamber providing the funds to construct the new office space,” Sharp explained.
Both the Chamber and the EDC work together for a common goal — promoting economic growth and supporting local business and industry.
Each entity plays a part in carrying out these goals.
“The Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors provides a program of work and expectations to be carried out each year. The GEDC provides the necessary staff to perform this work,” Sharp said.
That includes the hiring of a Chamber director, according to Sharp, who says he hopes to have the job opening posted this week and a new director in place in the next couple of months.
Although the agencies have a synergistic relationship, the Chamber of Commerce is a separate entity governed by its own board of directors.
“The board of directors (is) elected by chamber membership and/or appointed by the existing Chamber board of director in the case of vacant board positions,” Sharp said.
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