JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida broke ground Thursday on its new Student Success Center, which will house various student services.
UNF President Moez Limayem, Florida House Speaker Designate and others delivered remarks.
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“UNF’s newest expansion project is strategically designed with student success at its core,” said UNF President Moez Limayem. “The Student Success Center reflects UNF’s commitment to providing every Osprey with the advising and support resources they need to thrive academically and personally.”
Officials said they are grateful for the legislative support from Speaker Designate Garrison, Senator Clay Yarborough, Rep. Wyman Duggan and others for sponsoring the bill to fund the building.
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The Student Success Center will be at the heart of UNF’s campus between the Thomas G. Carpenter Library and Fine Arts Center. Officials said the three-story, 60,000-square-foot building will enhance student success by bringing essential academic services and vibrant study spaces together under one roof.
The building will house services like academic advising, student success, career services, tutoring, supplemental instruction, help centers such as the writing and math labs, collaborative study spaces, lounge areas and a full-sized Chick-fil-A.
The building exterior borrows from existing campus elements using University branding as well as extending the modern stone aesthetic along the western edge of campus and adjacent to the Carpenter Library. The interior design reflects unique materials and spatial moments reflective of an osprey nest and wing to reinforce the unique biodiversity and wetland habitat of campus.
The building is designed by Schenkel Shultz, a Central Florida architectural and interior design studio with deep collegiate design experience, and built by Ajax Building Company, the same company that built Osprey Ridge residence hall and Skinner-Jones Hall.
“This project presents an incredible opportunity to positively impact the student experience at UNF,” Desai said, design lead and partner at Schenkel Shultz. “We are excited to collaborate with the university to create a showcase space that fosters creativity, collaboration and personal growth among students.”