Dear Supporters of UVS and Maguire Village,

Thank you for signing our petition to protect the beautiful trees and historic homes of UVS and Maguire Village at UF, and for all of you who already sent in comments to local officials, thanks!  For those of you following our recent updates, the City Commission of Gainesville postponed their vote on UF's Campus Development Agreement (CDA) to TOMORROW, December 2nd (Item BD-1), and as we asked before, we need people to flood them with comments in opposition because UF's CDA plan calls for the needless destruction of Maguire Village and UVS.

To help, you may either: show up in person (to the City Hall Auditorium at 1pm on Thursday) to speak in person on the issue, provide an eComment on the City's agenda page, call in via phone (1-800-742-1099) during the item discussion to vocalize your views, or send an email to the City Commissioners (citycomm@cityofgainesville.org).  The ask is simple -- that the Commission NOT APPROVE the CDA with UF unless either: 1) the Commission amends the motion on the CDA with the requirement to save Maguire/UVS, or 2) UF removes the demolition plans from their plan.

In recent days, UF has been trying to persuade the Commission that they have a new solution, but it is totally inadequate.  They are suggesting that they will be "providing similar housing" (which is false) as they plan to "partner" with an off-campus apartment complex which charges several hundred dollars more per month and does not provide the family-friendly townhouse and open space feel that Maguire and UVS have.  Not only that, but UF still refuses to provide documents proving the need to remove the villages (because there are none), and are still planning to remove the hundreds of large trees on site for no good reason.  Losing a community like Maguire/UVS is not just about housing, but about doing what is morally right by not taking away what little community spaces vulnerable international students have on campus.

On another front, the UF Board of Trustees meets later this week, and their public comment period opens Friday at 11am; however, to speak in person you would have to send an email request to "ufbot@ufl.edu" with the Item number to discuss (FSPPM2) before 11am TODAY.  Realizing this update does not give much time to do that, and the fact that they limit speaking to only a few people, the other comment options are more available, including emailing the Board your comments (at ufbot@ufl.edu), or simply showing up and holding a sign in solidarity for those speaking against the plan.  The unacceptable Item UF is considering (FSPPM2) is the plan to rebrand an existing off-campus apartment complex as a replacement for Maguire/UVS.  We ask that you tell them to OPPOSE this as a replacement due to unsustainable cost ($1000+/month rent), loss of safety and increased commute time by being off-campus, and lack of playgrounds and open space needed for graduate families.  Adding this housing in addition to keeping Maguire/UVS could be an option, but it cannot be a replacement.

UF and Gainesville need to do what is required to save Maguire Village and UVS as an important site of cultural togetherness, whether that be reinvesting (which would not be much) or simply reevaluating UF's priorities.  Our homes are worth more than the empty recreation fields and parking lot UF is proposing to replace them with.  Please continue to speak out on the issue when you can, and share our Petition with everyone you know.

Thank you again for your support!