Mitch Glaeser, recently named one of Florida’s Top 500 most influential business leaders by Florida Trend magazine, and his business partner embarked on an ambitious journey—one that would revolutionize how we work, live, and play. Their purchase of 82 acres marked the beginning of San Felasco Tech City, a five-phase development project designed to shape the future of business, innovation, and sustainable living in Gainesville and Alachua County. But this was more than just another real estate development; this was the beginning of something transformative—a pioneering effort to create a thriving ecosystem for startups, entrepreneurs, and families alike.
A Vision Rooted in Generational Understanding
Mitch Glaeser’s vision was unique because it wasn’t just based on economic trends or real estate forecasts. Instead, he took a holistic approach by gathering insights from multiple generations—Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X—understanding their collective desires for a work-life balance that modern cities struggle to accommodate. This generational perspective allowed him to see the clear vision of what an ideal community should be—a place where people can not only work but also live, thrive, and grow within an integrated, self-sustaining environment.
Beyond the community’s needs, Glaeser was also personally driven by a deeper motivation: family. His eldest brother, Christopher, had once struggled to find the right space to nurture his ideas and was forced to look elsewhere. This separation within his own family ignited Mitch’s determination to create an environment where innovative minds could stay, collaborate, and flourish together—right in the heart of Gainesville.
A New Hub for Startups and Innovation
While cities like Tampa were traditionally seen as Florida’s “hotbed” for startups, Glaeser recognized something others didn’t—Gainesville had the potential to foster and retain successful businesses. San Felasco Tech City was built to fill a gap, providing an affordable, flexible, and fully solar-powered environment designed to attract and retain high-growth companies.
One of the most notable success stories to emerge from Tech City is Fracture, a thriving startup that specializes in printing photos on glass. In an exclusive interview, founder Abhi Lokesh praised Tech City for giving his company the room to scale and grow, setting a precedent for other startups looking to follow in its footsteps. As the first tenant, Fracture solidified Tech City’s ability to execute on the vision of a true startup ecosystem. The company took 30,000 square feet as an anchor tenant, signaling to others that Gainesville could, in fact, be a powerhouse for entrepreneurship and innovation.
A Fully Integrated Live-Work-Play Environment
San Felasco Tech City is more than just a business hub—it’s a fully integrated community where people can work, live, and play. Every bedroom of each home in the development comes with a bicycle, encouraging residents to embrace a more sustainable, community-driven lifestyle. Businesses, breweries, cafes, and communal gathering spaces create an environment where collaboration and creativity flourish. The development’s amenities include:
- 270,000 square feet of office space
- 252 residential homes
- Preschool for 120 children
- Community clubhouse
- Fire station
- Walking and jogging trails
- Over 500 campus bicycles
- Drive-thru cafe
- Public art installations
- Basketball and tennis courts
- Swimming pool
These features create a self-sufficient environment where residents can access everything they need without ever having to leave the community. It’s a place that not only fosters businesses but also nurtures families and a shared sense of purpose.
The Sustainability Model: Powering the Future
One of the most groundbreaking aspects of San Felasco Tech City is its commitment to sustainability. The entire community is powered by solar energy, utilizing on-site production for consumption to create a truly self-sustaining environment. Over 25 first-of-their-kind solar trees, combined with the world’s largest array of bifacial panels, fuel the community, setting a new standard for sustainable urban development.
This project isn’t just about creating a single sustainable community—it’s about proving that an entire city can be built around these principles. San Felasco Tech City is a prototype for what could be the future of Gainesville and Alachua County. It opens doors for the region to become a model for startup-driven, sustainability-focused urban development, pushing us all to think bigger and bolder about what’s possible.
The Future: Gainesville’s Rise as a Startup Capital
Gainesville has long been recognized for its top-tier university and research institutions, but San Felasco Tech City positions it as something more—a true epicenter for innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable living. With this development, Gainesville and Alachua County now have the opportunity to become the next major startup community, driven by a sustainability-first approach that challenges traditional models of urban growth.
People from all over the world have traveled to see this groundbreaking development, recognizing it as the beginning of what Gainesville is destined to become. This is more than just another tech hub; it’s the fastest-growing innovation ecosystem in Florida, a place where businesses don’t just launch—they thrive.
Mitch Glaeser’s vision has set the stage for what’s next: a future where Gainesville is no longer just a college town but a powerhouse of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and forward-thinking development. And the story of San Felasco Tech City? It’s only just beginning.