Council approves RDA with University of Florida, commits $100M and conveys downtown parcels for UF Jacksonville campus

The Jacksonville Committee of the Whole approved bill 2025396 on Thursday, June 12, 2025, authorizing a redevelopment agreement (RDA) with the University of Florida to establish a graduate campus in downtown LaVilla, commit up to $100 million in city funding and convey several city-owned parcels for campus development. The committee voted 15-0 to pass the bill as amended after technical and auditor-recommended amendments were accepted.

Project proponents and city analysts said the campus is intended to anchor LaVilla redevelopment, create a pipeline of skilled workers and host the Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI). "The University of Florida's Jacksonville campus is a bold investment in that future," said Jed Davis, a member of the University of Florida Board of Trustees.

Supporters said the campus would include seven initial master's programs and expand research and workforce development in specialty electronics. "This will be a critical mass of a single-mission institute that will focus on research," said David Norton, vice president for research at the University of Florida, describing the Florida Semiconductor Institute and an initial UF investment of $45 million for capital buildout.

What the council approved

The RDA and accompanying ordinance authorize the disposition of multiple parcels in and around LaVilla, including 801 West Bay and two city-owned sites referred to in the materials as Site A (approx. 2.36 acres) and Site B (approx. 1.22 acres), plus train-station and convention-center parcels. The agreement also contemplates a city funding commitment of up to $100,000,000, split into two $50 million tranches. The first $50 million had previously been appropriated by ordinance; the second $50 million will be disbursed in four annual installments of $12.5 million beginning in October 2027 and becomes available only after tranche one is exhausted.

The city retains multiple contractual protections and performance requirements in the RDA. Among the conditions included in the agreement and the amendments approved on Thursday:

- Minimum development and use requirements: Sites A and B together must meet a combined minimum direct construction cost of $100 million and at least 80,000 square feet of occupiable facilities; each site must have at least one occupiable building of 20,000 square feet. The convention-center parcel has a minimum initial requirement of a 40,000-square-foot, class-A building with $40 million direct cost. The train-station improvements are limited to passenger rail service and compatible campus uses and carry a $5 million minimum direct-cost requirement consistent with historic-preservation rules.

- Enrollment and early occupancy: The 801 West Bay building carries an enrollment milestone: 50 students must be enrolled by Dec. 30, 2026, as a condition tied to that parcel.

- Reverter and repurchase rights: Deeds to conveyed parcels include reverter clauses if UF fails to commence required improvements within parcel-specific time frames; the city retains a repurchase option if conveyed property is not used for campus purposes for defined periods. Auditor-recommended language adopted by the committee adjusts the repurchase formula to give the city credit for the donated land in any buyback price calculation.

- Funding and disbursement controls: City funding is structured as quarterly, reimbursement-based draws for eligible direct construction costs and requires documentation such as invoices, evidence of payment, lien waivers and architect certification. The second $50 million tranche may be proportionately reduced or repaid if UF fails to invest the committed funds for the Florida Semiconductor Institute within specified time limits; the committee adopted an auditor amendment to make the payback automatic rather than subject to single-employee discretion.

- Permitting and schedule clarifications: The RDA ties many construction milestones to permit issuance; the council pressed the university for clearer timelines for responding to permitting comments. University representatives agreed to commit to responding to requests for additional information during permitting within a specified time frame (discussion centered on a 90-day response target and language to require timely resubmittals). Council also passed a motion directing the city administration to give the UF graduate campus project expedited permitting and administrative review.

Auditor recommendations and technical amendments

The council accepted multiple auditor-recommended amendments during the meeting. Key changes include requiring UF to provide evidence substantiating the private funding portion of the project's non-city financing (the university agreed to provide a letter from an officer of the University of Florida Foundation confirming $50 million in pledges held by the foundation), clarifying acreage and square-footage inconsistencies across exhibits, tightening reverter language and clarifying that the second $50 million tranche is construction-specific and subject to clawback provisions tied to the Semiconductor Institute investment.

Small business engagement and historic preservation

University representatives described outreach efforts for local small businesses, including workshops, an opportunity fair, a UF mentor-protégé program and a construction-focused opportunity portal. "We have a number of initiatives...to increase access to information and reduce the barriers of working with the University of Florida," said Dwan Delavo of UF's small business relations department.

Council members repeatedly asked about preserving LaVilla's African American cultural and historic assets; representatives from UF said they have met with historic-preservation faculty and community leaders and committed to honoring the neighborhood's history. Councilmember Jacoby Pittman called out specific organizations she wanted engaged, including the Ritz Theatre, Clara White Mission and the Urban League; UF representatives said they would reach out to those groups.

Economic impacts and fiscal questions

City and project materials presented to the committee estimated significant economic impacts from construction and operations, including thousands of job-years and hundreds of millions in economic output. "Total impacts for the region include employment of 3,940 job years, $249 million in labor income, $360 million in value added and $601 million in output," the presentation materials reported.

Several council members pressed the administration on how the city will cover the $12.5 million annual installments beginning in the 2027–28 budget year given projected budget deficits; the mayor's office said options include PAYGO (cash) or borrowing and replenishing with longer-term financing as part of the capital plan.

Vote and next steps

After rolling the technical and auditor amendments into the bill and passing each amendment individually, the committee opened a ballot vote. The vote on bill 2025396 was 15 yays, 0 nays. City oversight and compliance for the agreement were assigned to the Downtown Investment Authority; the presentation named DIA staff as the primary monitor for disbursements and reporting.

The RDA requires further steps before full campus buildout: site due diligence, developer and architect selection and phased closings tied to milestone completions; the full campus buildout is anticipated to be a multiyear project with some provisions allowing buildout to extend over a decade or more.