UF President Ben Sasse to announce university's new plans in Jacksonville

[jaxlongtimer]

^ I once visited a 24 story dorm that held about 1,000 students.  And, that was bare bones living, before the day of bigger dorm suites with private bathrooms and expanded kitchens.  Based on that, it would take at least 10 such towers to house 10,000 students, and that is assuming they are all single, not likely with graduate students who may not just be married but have started families with kids.

If a block were one acre, we are talking at least 10 acres and that probably doesn't include the infrastructure, such as retail, recreational space and parking, needed for so many residents.  We haven't even started talking about the educational infrastructure.

[RatTownRyan]

How amazing would be to build the campus in Lavilla. Talk about a huge transformation of vacant land

[thelakelander]

I'm totally cool with higher education facilities being expanded upon on FSCJ's campus. That's close enough to LaVilla and helps stimulate the market for infill development more related to bringing the neighborhood back as a mixed use urban district.

[thelakelander]

DeSantis, Renner state support for Jacksonville UF graduate center

Florida House and Senate lawmakers have agreed to add a $75 million to the state budget the help fund the estimated $200 million center.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2023/may/02/desantis-renner-state-support-for-jacksonville-uf-graduate-center/

[blizz01]

And the 10,000 students is reaffirmed in the article (by year 10).

[thelakelander]

Will likely need more money and land somewhere down the road to meet that number by 10 years in operation.

[marcuscnelson]

And the 10,000 students is reaffirmed in the article (by year 10).

Maybe they corrected it? Here's what I see as of now:

UF Vice President for Government and Community Relations Mark Kaplan said at that time that initial target estimates are 1,000 students enrolled at the graduate center by year 10.

[Ken_FSU]

$34 million in the budget for UNF as well.

https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2023/05/04/florida-legislature-backs-big-jacksonville-area-projects-in-budget/70178690007/

[marcuscnelson]

Big new article that's largely about stadium renovation, but also includes some pretty relevant info here:

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/616416-jags-stadium-cost/

In both documents, the Jaguars also hope to “bring the University of Florida graduate campus to the current Fairgrounds property.” That location would unlock money from Tallahassee, which has already committed $75 million to the UF campus in the 2023 Session, sidestepping the state’s unwillingness to contribute to stadium projects.

The Jaguars offer deal sweeteners in both documents, including $5 million to help meet the statutorily required local fundraising requirement, a donation of the 14-acre Fairgrounds to UF, and the creation of a “vibrant mixed-use neighborhood.”

The May 24 document includes more aspirational language to “support development in the downtown core,” including a so-called “barbell effect” with the proposed mixed-use Eastside development as a “catalyst” for westerly development downtown.

Meanwhile, both iterations enthuse about the Gator Bowl becoming part of the college football playoffs and continuation of the neutral-site Florida-Georgia game. The Gator Bowl is stressed as a reason to get the deal done “at least 12 months in advance” of the expiration of the TV deal and naming rights deal, which runs through the 2025 game.

Both the Gator Bowl and Florida-Georgia would relocate during 2026 and 2027 and return to Jacksonville in 2028 if this timeline holds.

[Jax_Developer]

With the new soccer Stadium being nearby too.. this location for the LR makes more sense to me.

[Charles Hunter]

"LR"??

[Jax_Developer]

"LR"??

Long Run.. I'm too accustomed to acronyms lol.

[Charles Hunter]

"LR"??

Long Run.. I'm too accustomed to acronyms lol.

That makes (some) more sense than "Living Room" 

[marcuscnelson]

AG Gancarski is reporting that the $75 million in state funding for the UF Graduate Campus made it onto the budget, surviving the Governor's veto pen.

[Charles Hunter]

Wayne Wood is proposing to repurpose the recently vacated JEA buildings at Main and Church for the UF-Jax Campus.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sherrymagill/p/waynes-world-a-different-idea?r=6uwb9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Converting acreage near FSCJ’s downtown campus doesn't work well, says Wood. In fact, his analysis of developing the acreage identified in Curry’s slide deck presentations is too costly and will require removing 50% of college parking, a JEA water processing facility, the Mary L. Singleton Senior Center, the City’s Engineer’s Building, and six Waterworks Park historic structures.

And developing a new campus on Fairgrounds property, Wood argues, is too far removed from the urban core which boasts museums, small shops, walkable streets, and outdoor parks. It’s where people are already concentrated.

Wood’s Proposal: Reimagine JEA’s Church Street Complex
“It’s the perfect location for the University of Florida downtown campus,” says Wood, referring to JEA’s Church Street complex which he describes as “nationally significant.”

It’s big, at 360,000 square feet.

This moves the JWB purchase of the Salvation Army site, across Main Street, into the 'very interesting' category.