As Florida Coastal School of Law President Dennis Stone looked out the upper-story windows of several Downtown buildings, he liked the view.
He could see the Duval County Courthouse, the federal courthouse and several law firms.
But, he could imagine so much more.
Stone could picture his school’s several hundred students becoming part of Downtown. Going to school there. Working there. Living there.
School officials toured several buildings last week as part of the renewed mission to relocate in the urban core.
That mission is two-fold, though, because the law school will have to find a tenant to sublease the bulk of the space it is currently occupying in its building on Baypine Road. The school still has 16 years on the lease there.
Stone said there has been “strong interest” in the site off Baymeadows Road but, “in this business, until the papers are signed” nothing is certain.
Without a tenant to take over that space, he said, moving Downtown isn’t financially possible.
And even with a tenant, the school will be seeking some level of financial incentives from the city, Stone said.
Downtown Investment Authority CEO Aundra Wallace sees the value of having another higher-learning institution join Florida State College at Jacksonville in the urban core.
“When you look at metropolitan cities, they have some large-scale commitment from educational institutions,” he said.
The school would certainly add to the vibrancy of Downtown, Wallace said.
And it could have a multiplier effect, with its 600 to 700 people creating the need for additional retail services and residential options.
Wallace said another benefit is the school’s evening programs, which would keep people Downtown into the night, creating additional needs in those hours.
He said he toured three “well-known office buildings” in Downtown with law school officials but wouldn’t name them.
Wallace thinks any of the three buildings could suit the school’s needs, as could possibly using space in each of them.
School officials said they need 150,000 total square feet. There are other needs, as well.
Ceiling height matters because they will need to build tiered seating for its classrooms, law school dean Scott DeVito said.
They also would like access to parking and public transportation; floors grouped together either in one building or a combination of buildings; and nearby restaurants and exercise options.
Wallace said until the law school officials determine a financial model that works for them, it’s too early to say what role the public sector could play.
But, he said, “We are eager to work on this opportunity and see where it may take us.”
Law school officials wanted to move Downtown 10 years ago but it wasn’t financially feasible. It’s been on their minds ever since, especially the past few years
“We’ve been talking to people the last two and a half years and not one person says it’s not a great idea,” Stone said.
He said if a tenant for the Baypine Road building is found soon, the law school could be part of Downtown by next fall.
Just as he imagines it.
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