The University of Florida Board of Trustees’ Governance, Government Relations and Internal Affairs Committee approved a recommendation to select the area around the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center as the site of its new campus in Jacksonville, Chair Mori Hosseini announced today. The full Board will vote on Friday.
The site, the selection of which is subject to additional due diligence, includes at least 22 acres of buildable land near the location of dozens of corporate headquarters and offices. The future campus will amplify investments being made in the city’s historic LaVilla community, be within walking distance to the growing Brooklyn neighborhood, and benefit from proximity to McCoys Creek and the Emerald Trail more broadly.
In addition to the campus’s academic offerings, UF will establish a world class research presence in the city. One focus area will be semiconductor technology through the Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI). Fueled by a vision for global leadership in specialty electronics, FSI is building partnerships, accelerating R&D and expanding the workforce pipeline to support the semiconductor industry in the state of Florida and beyond. “UF is excited about the opportunities to uniquely expand the UF research enterprise in the Jacksonville region,” said UF’s Vice President for Research David Norton.