University of Florida campus wins support from business group

The Jacksonville Civic Council cast its support behind using city taxpayer money for a potential University of Florida graduate campus in the downtown area, saying in a letter sent Friday to City Council members the city's prosperity depends on attracting and keeping high-skilled workers.

JAX Chamber also is backing the drive to bring a UF campus to Jacksonville. The support from business leaders comes as legislation heads toward votes in City Council committees for $20 million of city money as the first installment in $50 million over three years, a much larger amount than the city of Jacksonville has spent supporting existing universities.

"A University of Florida graduate campus focused on innovative programming in medicine, technology and engineering is an incredible opportunity for our community and one we fully support," JAX Chamber Chairman Brad Talbert said Friday.

The letter from the Civic Council, a group of influential business and civic leaders, said its "strong support" for creating the UF education center is based on it being another piece in the city's higher education system that already comprises the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Edward Waters University and Florida State College at Jacksonville.

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"Every great city that has successfully created a high-tech research hub has done so with a complete 'higher education ecosystem' that offers certification and degree programs at every level," Civic Council Chairman Eric Mann and interim CEO Jeanne Miller wrote in the letter.

They wrote that UF, which is in the top tier of universities nationwide for research activity, would bring research dollars to Jacksonville and position the urban center of Jacksonville as a "leading anchor for advanced higher education opportunities in our downtown core."

UF is among 146 universities nationwide that are in the top group for research activities, according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Other Florida universities in that category are Florida State University, Florida International University, University of Central Florida, University of Miami and University of Central Florida.

The University of North Florida is in the second-highest level for research activities nationally along with Florida A&M University, Nova Southeastern University, Florida Atlantic University and Florida Institute of Technology, according to the Carnegie Classification.

The JAX Chamber board also has discussed seeking support for higher education in general in Northeast Florida, and it will be the focus for chamber officials when they make their annual trip to meet with state lawmakers this month.

"Investing in higher education to produce the skilled workers we need for growing industries is a top priority for the business community," Talbert said in a statement.

The total cost of creating the UF education center in Jacksonville would be $200 million. In addition to $50 million from the city, the project would require $50 million in private donations and the rest would come from UF. The university system is seeking $50 million from the Legislature in this year's session.

The city has been a financial partner in the past with hometown universities. Jacksonville University launched a new law school last year with a commitment of $5 million in city support. Edward Waters University received $8.4 million in 2017 for constructing an athletic field and renovating student dormitories, and another $500,000 in 2022 for a new fitness center.

The support for UF would be far larger. The Jacksonville Civic Council recommended that the $50 million would be a "one-time commitment" for UF and any future money should be "shared and allocated to all of the region's higher education institutions."

The Civic Council also recommended any funds committed to UF for the campus, whether public or private money, should stay in Jacksonville and not be used by UF outside the city.

The letter says post-pandemic population shifts have contributed to Jacksonville's growth, but demand for high-skilled workers in the fields such as financial technology (also known as fintech), biomedical manufacturing and healthcare delivery is is growing faster than the city's universities can keep pace.

The Jacksonville metropolitan area is in the back of the pack among the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas when it comes to college graduates in target industries, the letter says. Jacksonville is 50th for college graduates in engineering, 38th in computer sciences, 47th in health sciences, and 32nd in finance, according to the Civic Council letter.