This year’s state budget included a 45% increase in the construction and maintenance money for universities, state colleges and public schools.
The university system will have $112 million in individual projects. Another $47 million for is for maintenance and will be shared between the 12 state universities.
The largest project, is $50 million for UF’s New “150,000 GSF” data science and information technology building. The total cost for the project will be $125 million, with an additional $50 million from the state, over the next two years. Then the final $25 million will come from private donations.
They project that the project will lead to a doubling in research funding in computer engineering (up to $33 million) over a decade and an increase in health-care research in data science areas (a hot field) up to $36 million a year.
The one proposal I’ve seen has the new building being built across from the UF bookstore, where there is currently a parking lot (just what UF needs, less parking). However, I don’t know if that’s finalized yet.
The “New Engineering Building” (NEB), was built in 1997. Still waiting on a donor before it gets named…it’s 140,000 sq ft. It’s south of the UF bookstore, next to the chemical engineering building.
They are currently building (next to the Reitz Union) the “Engineering Innovation NEXUS Renovation” which is an addition to Nuclear Sciences Building. That cost $50+ Million.
@Publisher It’s even better when you realize about 100K students also get a Bright Futures scholarship of some type.
@GatorDad305 UF is also building the **Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence/b. I’m a bit confused, but this building may have replaced the “NEXUS” building.
@Gator88NE A friend of mine who works within the administration told me that the “new building” will open in the year or so. That’s what I was referencing, but I don’t know anything beyond that.