JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The answers are still few and far between when it comes to a possible University of Florida satellite campus in Jacksonville. But, legislation is in the works to try and bring the high tech financial and medical graduate program here.
The total price tag--more than $200 million dollars--paid by the city, the state and private donors.
On Tuesday, the mayor’s office gave News4JAX an update on what we can expect and when. As far as a location--the city only said it will go somewhere in the urban core.
“The most important thing is to get a location that makes sense for the city, for the new student base. And obviously, we believe that somewhere in our urban core area downtown would make the most sense,” city spokesperson Brian Hughes said. “We’re willing to explore locations, but the most important thing at this point is to demonstrate the capacity to house or to help be the home of a world class graduate education program.”
The city is now working to pass legislation to pay for part of it, $20 million dollars this year and eventually $50 million over three years.
Council members like Ron Salem say they still need to be briefed on what is going to happen. The mayor’s office is adamant that any money from the city will remain here and not follow the university should it locate the campus somewhere else.
“This is a local commitment for a local project. This is a commitment of the City of Jacksonville to work with the University of Florida for a comprehensive world class institution within the city,” Hughes said. “Obviously, we believe it should be part of the catalyst that has been ongoing in downtown at our core.”