The opportunity that I have decided
to pursue is that of a shopping center in Gainesville. It is not a traditional
opportunity, I know, but I really think that Gainesville needs something like
that here, and it would thrive. The vision that I have for it consists of a
shopping center that includes high-end, trendy designer shops, high-end dining,
and a high-end movie theater, and a Whole Foods. Outside of sporting events and
run-down bars, there aren’t many things to do in Gainesville for young people.
A plaza of this magnitude would be a game changer, and it would provide young
professionals a haven for social professional networking opportunities. The who
for this opportunity that I have identified is the City of Gainesville and its
citizens. The what is that they don’t have a place of this variety in the area.
If they wish to go to a center like this, the people of Gainesville have to
travel to a larger nearby city like Jacksonville or Orlando. It would be a boon
to the local economy, as well. The why is mostly unknown, but based off of my
interviews, I have determined that cost and taxes are likely reasons for the
lack of a center like this.
To test my hypothesis about this
opportunity, I have interviewed five people. The first interview was my girlfriend,
and she is of the mind that Gainesville does need something like this. She
essentially agrees that outside of sporting events and crappy bars, there
really isn’t much to do here. She mentioned that Gainesville doesn’t have ideal
spots for date nights, and she seemed thrilled with the idea of it. She agrees
that it would thrive here, and her sorority sisters would also be on board with
it. My second interview was with my neighbor Cynthia who also agrees that this
concept would be very beneficial for Gainesville. Amy, my third interview,
doesn’t actually see that there’s an issue with a lack of options for young
people. She does agree that Gainesville would benefit from this opportunity,
though. Logan, my fourth interview, seemed indifferent to the idea, though he
eventually admitted that while he does love Gainesville and what it has to
offer, he thinks that young people would love the shopping center. Jonathan, my
last and final interview, showed concerns about the idea. While he does love
the concept, he’s fearful of the rising taxes that could be a byproduct of
this. His perspective was extremely valuable because it is not something that I
had considered before. My opportunity concept would likely require the approval
of city officials, and would also need city funding, so I can see why Jonathan
would have these concerns.
I understand exactly where you're coming from! Oak is such a traditional mall, but if we had a classier hangout spot for everyone like that of Florida Mall in Orlando or the St. John's Town Center in Jacksonville, it would be a major stepping stone in the process of re-developing the structure of Gainesville. Just since I have moved here in January, I can definitely see areas around town improving and there is no better time as now to start a business in this town or in the surrounding major cities. I think once they fix this traffic problem, a mall like this would be incredible for Gainesville as a whole!
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