The University of Florida Board of Trustees selected the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center and nearby area as the site for the university’s planned graduate center campus in Jacksonville.
The board voted unanimously Dec. 13 to choose the site and delegate authority to the university president and board chair to negotiate an agreement to convey the property. That action came after the Committee on Governance, Government Relations and Internal Affairs voted unanimously Dec. 12 to recommend the site.
A presentation to the committee included renderings and conceptual site plans showing UF buildings north of the Union Terminal Station and west to the Forsyth Street exit of Interstate 95.
A news release from the city of Jacksonville said the campus is expected to open in fall 2026 and would include the Florida Semiconductor Institute.
The release said graduate degree offerings were being finalized, but areas under consideration include business management; data analytics; computer science with concentrations in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity; law; and biomedical and health sciences.
UF says enrollment at the fully built-out campus could reach 20,000 or more.
Mayor Donna Deegan plans to work with the Downtown Investment Authority and City Council to provide 22 acres, the release said.
With the Florida Semiconductor Institute as part of the campus, the administration will propose $50 million in city funding for the project on top of $50 million committed by City Council in the spring of 2023.
Deegan said the initial conveyance would involve two vacant city-owned properties next to the convention center.
She said UF was working to secure a property other than those two, possibly an existing building, where it would begin offering classes in the fall of 2026.
UF announced nearly two years ago that it planned to open a graduate school focusing on health and financial technology in Downtown Jacksonville.
Since then, $250 million in funding has been committed to the project, comprising $150 million from the state, $50 million from the city and $50 million from private donors.
Deegan said the campus would be “another monumental step towards Jacksonville being a national leader in the industries that will shape our collective future.”
Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees, 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.”
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