JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville is taking steps toward getting a big university to have a downtown footprint.
The City Council voted 16 to 1 to give the University of Florida $50 million over three years to bring a satellite campus to Jacksonville.
Mayor Lenny Curry says the graduate coursework will include business, engineering, healthcare and financial technology.
Things he says will be a boost for the job market and employers in town.
The proposed UF satellite campus is a $200 million facility and the mayor says they are expecting thousands of students to be enrolled with a couple of hundred staff members.
The city will put $20 million towards the project in 2023 and an additional $15 million in 2024 and 2025. The money will go towards capital expenses such as studies, planning, and design.
“This is a game changer for Jacksonville I mean you look at some of the big things that have happened in Jacksonville over the years. Just a couple examples, Mayo came here it was a huge change for our city. When we got the Jaguars another one," said Curry.
The project is expected to cost $200 million in total, the rest of the money coming from the state and private donors.
Curry says that local universities and colleges were made aware of this announcement and are supportive.
"This is one of those moments that are generational you don’t get these opportunities often, and we are seizing the moment," said Curry.
He says the UF campus will be located downtown and within two miles of the Downtown Investment Authority. No specific location is set yet.