The University of Florida has chosen Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate to lead the initial phase of construction for its planned graduate campus in Jacksonville, advancing a project valued at $287.5 million for the first phase alone.
The university’s selection of Edgemoor follows a competitive process that evaluated multiple teams for the role. Edgemoor is assembling a broad project team that includes Clark Construction, Auld & White Constructors, OJB Landscape Architecture, HOK, PQH Group Design, England-Thims Miller and Coastal Connections Group, among other collaborators. Together, these firms will be responsible for moving the early phase of the campus from planning toward implementation.
The first new ground-up building is planned to anchor the emerging graduate campus within Jacksonville’s historic LaVilla neighborhood. The location is central to the university’s strategy for establishing a dedicated presence in the city, with the new facility positioned as the initial cornerstone around which future campus expansion will be organized.
Local public support is a key component of the project. The City of Jacksonville has committed land and substantial financial backing to help advance the development, including more than 20 acres for the campus footprint and tens of millions of dollars toward construction costs. This combination of land contribution and funding is intended to facilitate delivery of the first phase and enable subsequent build-out as academic programs scale.
While the new construction is being advanced, the University of Florida plans to begin offering programs in Jacksonville ahead of the campus build-out. Initial graduate programs are expected to open in existing facilities in 2026, with purpose-built structures coming online as additional phases are completed. This approach allows the university to begin operations in the market while the new campus takes shape.
The broader long-term vision for the Jacksonville graduate campus includes advanced graduate-level offerings in disciplines such as business, health care and emerging technologies. As the campus expands over time, new buildings and facilities are expected to support these academic focus areas and provide a dedicated setting for graduate education and related activity in the city.
Taken together, the selection of a lead developer, the assembly of a large design and construction team, and the city’s commitment of land and funding mark a significant step in moving the Jacksonville graduate campus from concept into the execution phase.
