The University of Central Florida’s Board of Trustees is still upgrading plans for the Downtown UCF project.
The UCF BOT discussed the plans during the Board of Trustees meeting at the Fairwinds Alumni Center at the University of Central Florida on Thursday, July 23. They also reviewed low graduate programs and approved the revised addition of the university’s 2015-16 operating budget.
The Board of Trustees brought the university’s Downtown UCF project back to life by making it the main topic of the meeting.
There was a complete review of the unfunded Downtown UCF project with planning improvements. They are in the process of looking at different options to finance the project after Governor Scott’s veto of the $500 million plan and the disappearance of the state approved $15 million from the state’s budget last June.
“To supplement state funding, we’ve been exploring additional financing options including corporate and working with our UCF foundation,” said Dale Whittaker, Provost and Executive Vice President.
The two phase plan showed phase one costing $65 million and phase two costing $77 million. This totals at $142 million, which is down from the initial $207 million estimated last September.
If completed, the plan over time could allow UCF to top Arizona State University as the most populated university in the nation.
The downtown UCF Facilities would be two buildings and provide dormitory space with 700 beds, 1,000 new parking spaces and 540,000 gross sq. ft. for academic programs.
The Creative Village will be in the 65-68 acre range. The facility will accommodate 4,000 – 4,500 UCF students and 7,000 Valencia students.
“With this revision, we are getting to the point to where I think we can get sustainable success,” said John Hitt, President of University of Central Florida.
UCF president Hitt was also concerned about another economic downturn that could delay the Downtown UCF project indefinitely.
Pres. Hitt is using Arizona State University as the model for the project; ASU has a student only tram system which transports students to and from the university’s campus in downtown Phoenix, Ariz. to the ASU main campus. LYNX and Uber were mentioned as transportation recourses between the main UCF campus and the planned downtown UCF campus during the meeting.
“There are no plans for monorail or light rail transportation from the UCF downtown campus to the main campus,” said Christine Dellert, Senior Director for Internal Communications, University of Central Florida. “The only existing commuter rail is Sunrail, which has a stop within a couple of blocks of the UCF downtown site,” Dellert said.
Unfortunately, Sunrail cuts through the I-4 corridor from Sky Lake, south of Orlando to the north to DeBary. This leaves UCF 13 miles to the east.
“We have discussed providing dedicated buses or shuttles for UCF students, faculty and staff to and from the main campus, similar to what is already provided for Medical City and Rosen College, but likely with greater frequency,” Dellert said.
According to UCF’s Economic Impact Statement, the planned Downtown UCF project would generate $400 million in gross economic income state-wide per year and an annual gross economic income with more than 4,040 and $180 million direct, indirect and induced jobs and wages. The gross fiscal benefits to local and state governments annually would be $32 million.
Story by Zachary Ely.
