JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority voted 6-0 Wednesday to begin a public notice process for a city-owned, roughly 2-acre surface parking lot next to the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in LaVilla. A step tied to the University of Florida’s planned Jacksonville graduate campus.
The vote approved a resolution directing staff to issue a 30-day “notice of disposition,” a required legal process that opens a window for other proposals before the city can finalize turning the property over as part of UF’s campus footprint.
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Kurt Dudas, vice president for UF’s Office for Strategic Initiatives, said the parcel is part of the broader convention center site that UF has identified for long-term campus expansion.
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“The property that was conveyed today is part of the overall Prime Osborne Convention Center site, which represents future expansion for the campus,” Dudas said.
The DIA action does not immediately transfer ownership. Instead, it launches a public solicitation period required under Florida law and local ordinance for the disposition of community redevelopment agency property.
UF announced plans in 2023 for a Jacksonville graduate campus focused on advanced programs, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, computer science, business, law, biomedical and health sciences and semiconductor research. In December 2024, UF selected the LaVilla area surrounding the convention center as the campus location.
City Council and the DIA approved a redevelopment agreement in 2025. But the “Additional Convention Center Parcel” considered on Wednesday was not under city control at the time. DIA acquired the parcel in January 2026, according to meeting documents, allowing it to move through the disposition process laid out in the earlier agreement.
Supporters have promoted the campus as an engine for investment, jobs and development downtown.
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Justice, a downtown resident, said he could see potential benefits.
“I can also see the economic benefits of new construction,” he said. “That’s going to bring jobs opportunity too because people need to work. So new construction brings new jobs.”
But residents and stakeholders have also raised questions about affordability, infrastructure and preserving LaVilla’s history as the project advances.
Kert Dudas, Vice President for the UF Office for Strategic Initiatives, wants to build in a way that respects the area.
“What we want to do is make sure that we are building in this neighborhood in a way that honors the cultural significance and history of the community in LaVilla,” he said.
The parcel sits next to the Prime Osborn complex, a landmark that has been the subject of ongoing public discussion about its long-term future as downtown redevelopment plans evolve.
Colin Tarbert, the DIA’s CEO, said the plans include retaining the historic train station portion of the Prime Osborn while redeveloping the broader site as part of UF’s campus.
“I can just talk about the existing Prime Osborne and the plans to retain the historic train station portion, but then the rest of the site would be redeveloped into UF’s campus,” Tarbert said.
Dudas said UF’s initial campus work will begin with renovation, not demolition.
“I can understand concerns around new development requiring demolition first. And that is not what we are doing here,” he said. “The first building we will occupy is the two-story building at 801 Bay Street, which we are renovating and will open later this year.”
The DIA’s vote begins the 30-day notice period. If no higher responsive proposal is received during that window, staff could move forward with finalizing disposition terms consistent with the previously approved redevelopment agreement.