- April 26, 2024
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Updated 2:08 p.m. Dec. 11
Jacksonville University — if the city of Palm Coast will contribute $2.5 million to fund the first year — will add a new campus in Town Center, JU officials announced on Dec. 11. It would be the first regional expansion for JU in its 86-year history and would be a significant educational, health care and economic development benefit to the city, they said.
After this requested one-time "launch grant" from the city, JU is committed to paying its own way, with likely annual costs of $2.5 million or more, for at least five years after that, and the expectation is that it would eventually build a stand-alone facility in Town Center.
The Palm Coast City Council will hear a presentation on the price tag and the benefits at the next city meeting, Tuesday, Dec. 15.
City Manager Matt Morton said in an interview with the Palm Coast Observer on Dec. 11 that there is more than $1.5 million available in the Town Center Community Redevelopment Area fund, and he feels it is an appropriate use of the money, considering it would promote Town Center's development in a dramatic way. The city also is in "exceptionally strong" financial shape after some cutbacks and because the pandemic didn't hurt the city's budget as much as expected. He said that if the city were to take $1 million from the general fund, the city would still have reserves of at least 20%, which is above the recommended minimum.
If a JU campus is added, students could begin classes by fall 2021. The ultimate plan is to build, but first JU would lease 6,000 square feet of classroom space in the City Centre building in Town Center, a location favored because of proximity to restaurants and housing. In total, up to 150 full-time students and 24 faculty and staff could be at the facility within 24 months.
It would be the second university opportunity in a year for Palm Coast, with the University of North Florida's MedNexus also planned for Town Center. The city added $1.5 million to its budget to support MedNexus as well.
In a Zoom meeting Dec. 11, Provost Chris Sapienza said JU has no affiliation with MedNexus, but there could be synergy in the future. Both UNF and JU have been looking at the Flagler County area and beyond for years, she said. (Flagler Health is also planning to build a medical campus west of U.S. 1 and Palm Coast Parkway.)
Margaret Dees, senior vice president of government affairs for JU, foresees a "higher education ecosystem" in Palm Coast, similar to what the city of Jacksonville enjoys. Prospective students will have choices. "We strengthen each other by being together," Dees said.
By the third year of existence, Dees added, JU Town Center's health care alumni would likely be living and working in Palm Coast.
"We're there to become a part of you, a part of your identity," Dees said. "Our employees will be at your events and living in your community, and our students, too."
Sapienza emphasized the proposed campus' independence from the Jacksonville facility. "These are not faculty from the JU campus stretching to a whimsical Palm Coast campus," she said. "This is an independently hired staff, living in the area, dedicated to this community."
The Palm Coast campus would initially expand graduate programs from the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences. Next, the campus will add undergraduate and other graduate degrees.
JU grad programs could be a natural next step for graduates of Daytona State College or Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, allowing those students to stay in Flagler or Volusia counties rather than continuing their education in far-flung cities. That also increases their likelihood of staying in the area to work long term, increasing the health care options for all residents.
And while many students attend classes online, especially during the pandemic, some coursework is not possible online, so a brick-and-mortar school is necessary — and always will be, Sapienza said.
"Prior to COVID, there was a lot of talk about 'Bricks and mortar is dead,'" Dees added, "but I think one thing that really came home from all of this is that it’s not. In-person is still very important, and we see it in our own students and are having to really step up our services to our students who are struggling with online. Online is not a one-size- fits-all.
" ... In-person is alive and well, and we're expecting to do it in the future, in addition to hybrid and online learning. You really have to do it all, and we're prepared to do that."
Several community leaders voiced their support for JU's proposal for Palm Coast. The city released the following quotes as part of its media package:
"A Jacksonville University Campus would be a great addition to the Palm Coast community. Jacksonville University's reputation as a leader in comprehensive healthcare education, and the programs proposed to be offered, positions the area to better meet the area's increasing demand for healthcare professionals while also providing economic benefits and more career path opportunities for local students."
– Senator Travis Hutson & Representative Paul Renner
“Daytona State looks forward to collaborating with Jacksonville University to provide new options for our graduates to continue their education in Palm Coast.”
– Dr. Tom LoBasso, Daytona State College President
“Flagler Schools is excited at the opportunities for our students and staff that would come with Jacksonville University’s arrival in Palm Coast. We are always looking for partnerships and the programs offered by an esteemed institution like Jacksonville University is a win for students, community, and region.”
— Cathy Mittelstadt, Flagler County Schools Superintendent
“As a regional leader in health care, AdventHealth is encouraged by yet another school’s desire to locate their expansion in Palm Coast. Jacksonville University will add to our region by creating more access for students, prepare the next generation of healthcare workers and furthering local opportunities for Flagler County residents.”
— Wally De Aquino, AdventHealth Palm Coast Chief Operating Officer
