JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax Ben Becker has learned from multiple sources that a University of Florida committee will recommend to the Board of Trustees on Thursday that a new downtown Jacksonville UF graduate campus should be built in LaVilla, near the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Once the recommendation is made, the full board will hold a final vote on Friday.
The school and the city have held talks for more than two years about the campus coming downtown, first under former Mayor Lenny Curry and then continuing under current Mayor Donna Deegan.
It’s a $250 million project that includes $150 million in funding from the state, $50 million from the city, and $50 million from private donors.
The other finalist for the campus was the fairgrounds at the sports complex that is now owned by Jaguars owner Shad Khan. With the campus off the table, that leaves the future of that site available for other development in the years to come such as a long-discussed entertainment district, although the stadium renovation will likely need to be completed first.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.