If you've been following the news about the University of Florida's proposed graduate campus in Jacksonville, you know it's a project that has sparked much interest and discussion. Set to occupy 22 donated acres in LaVilla, adjacent to the Prime Osborn Convention Center, this development promises to bring change and opportunity to the area. However, there are still many unanswered questions that need to be addressed.

After the initial media reports in mid-December, it became clear that crucial details about the land donation and the city's plans—especially concerning the Prime Osborn Convention Center and its operations—were missing. To better understand these uncertainties, I contacted members of the Jacksonville City Council and Mayor Deegan's office and finally filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Part of the specific response included:

"First pieces of land will go to DIA in January. The lots going to DIA in January are below. 5 of the 6 parcels make up one lot.

• 074836-0000, 0 West Forsyth Street, 0.66 acres

• 074837-0000, 0 West Bay Street, 0.30 acres

• 074839-0000, 1017 West Bay Street, 0.06 acres

• 074838-0000, 1015 West Bay Street, 0.06 acres

• 074840-0000, 0 West Bay Street, 0.25 acres

• 074487-0020, 0 West Bay Street, 2.29 acres"

While the initial response provided a location for the initial construction phase on lots east of the JTA LaVilla Station, it left me with even more questions. So, to dig deeper, I filed a follow-up FOIA request, focusing on several key areas.

My first request was to obtain the complete list of property addresses involved in the negotiations for the 22 acres. Though I was grateful for the information provided, the initial FOIA response provided only addresses for 3.62 acres of the total twenty-two.

Next, I asked for information about the timeline for development phases beyond the initial 3.62 acres. While the campus construction as planned will only impact Prime Osborn parking, it should have widespread support.

A significant concern remains regarding the timetable for the loss of parking at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, as it directly affects its capacity and ability to book sizeable events. We compete with cities like Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale for their convention center participating employers. The Orange County Convention Center came about years after Jacksonville was heralded as the Bold New City of the South. Yet, they surpassed us in convention center capacity. iDrive is far more welcoming for convention goers than anything Jacksonville has, or that has yet been revealed on the drawing board.

Plus, with forecasted city budget deficits of $100 million over the next several years, can we truly afford to downsize the convention center before there is a plan to replace that capacity with high-caliber competitive space? The Prime Osborn shoes can't be filled by any of the facilities (public or private) currently being promoted by the Jacksonville Conference and Visitor Bureau.

I look forward to learning more about this development and encouraging a focus on preserving substantive, city-owned convention center space that can accommodate large trade shows. We must attract businesses via conventions rather than relying on sending city officials on business junkets elsewhere to attract them. We also welcome the University of Florida Jacksonville campus—a fantastic addition to our city and effort by Mayor Deegan.