A.G. Gancarski
An urban core Jacksonville neighborhood on the rise will be boosted by a presence from the state’s flagship university.
A committee of the University of Florida’s (UF) Board of Trustees decided to put the campus in the LaVilla neighborhood, setting the stage for a full board vote on Friday.
“We are excited to partner with the University of Florida to make this campus a reality,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “The City of Jacksonville is committed to being on the cutting-edge of workforce development and building a thriving downtown where our citizens can learn, live, work, and play. This campus and the degrees that will be offered are another monumental step towards Jacksonville being a national leader in the industries that will shape our collective future.”
There will be 22 buildable acres at this site near the Prime Osborn available to UF for the campus. The hope, per the administration, is that “design, planning, and construction” ramps up this year.
Until the build is complete, an existing building near the historic convention center will be used for classes, representing a change of plans from previous proposals that contemplated the JEA tower as temporary home for the fledgling campus.
When finally constructed, the campus will include the Florida Semiconductor Institute, further sweetening the deal which will be seeded by $300 million in public and private funds.
The state approved $75 million in each of the last two budgets, which is in addition to $50 million in commitments by the Jacksonville City Council and $50 million from private donors. The Deegan administration wants $50 million more in city money spread out over four years for the build.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were willing to cede 14 acres adjacent to the stadium sports complex the team wants to be built out before 2030. They also were willing to front $5 million of the private contribution. But the administration resisted the temptation to concentrate development at the sports complex, which is already set for a capital infusion.
The project actualizes the vision of former Mayor Lenny Curry and UF Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini, a regional power broker.
“UF has a bold vision for our campus in Jacksonville. This will be a site that will give our students an opportunity to learn and thrive in a fast-growing city with incredible job opportunities,” Hosseini said. “Our goal is to create a national center of excellence and to bring our bright students to this forward-thinking city. We are grateful for our strong partnerships with the state, city, and community leaders — we are going to do big things together.”
Programs are expected to include a professional MBA program, a master’s in management with a concentration in AI, a master’s in engineering management with a concentration in data analytics, a master’s in computer science with concentrations in AI and cybersecurity, a master’s in the study of law, and a master’s in AI in biomedical and health sciences.
“Our expansion into Jacksonville is exciting, especially as new companies continue to move to the area and look to hire outstanding talent,” said Interim UF President Kent Fuchs. “The workforce-oriented graduate programs we’ll be offering will help build tomorrow’s leaders and positively impact the state’s economy. Jacksonville — like UF — is on the forefront of innovation. This is a place where our students will create great change and help transform the industries of the future.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis is a big fan of the project as well. He said last year that “a lot of the people in the private sector have been really supportive of this initiative and I think that there’s a lot of potential there,” expressing hope that it would keep the best and brightest in the state.
