JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday approved the land swap deal, officially making way for the University of Florida’s new graduate campus and the development of a key piece of riverfront property.
The city will acquire the Interline Brands building at 801 West Bay Street for the new campus. The building is currently owned by the developer, Gateway Jax.
Gateway Jax will, in turn, receive a parcel of land next to Riverfront Plaza.
The proposal passed with a 17-1 vote. Councilman Rory Diamond was the lone vote.
It was also amended to include that Gateway Jax has to come back in 12 months to get incentives from the council. Any mention of purchasing the building was also removed from the deal.
Mayor Donna Deegan released the statement after the deal was approved.
“The City of Jacksonville is moving forward on two projects that will ignite our downtown: the UF graduate campus in LaVilla and the Gateway Jax development next to Riverfront Plaza. I’m grateful to President White and the bipartisan group of City Council Members who reviewed and approved this fiscally responsible proposal that will accelerate downtown Jacksonville’s momentum.”
Mayor Donna Deegan
