FCN: FSCJ eyes student housing in downtown Jacksonville

First Coast News

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/education/2015/11/18/student-housing-eyed-for-downtown-jacksonville/76027566/

"Can you imagine students, 60 of them and all of their friends, downtown in the urban core of Jacksonville, 24 hours a day, seven days a week?" asked Florida State College at Jacksonville President Cynthia Bioteau.

Right now, there is no student housing in downtown Jacksonville. But that could change next fall.

"I am so confident that I think we are going to be looking at phase two as soon as we complete phase one."

The new FSCJ dorm would be located at 20 West Adams Street, a property that's been vacant for 25 years.

The college aims to turn it into a 60 student dorm with a cafe on the first floor.

This week, they secured a loan from the Jacksonville Investment Authority for $60,000 a year for ten years. But the college will only use it if they have a shortfall in tenants, something Dr. Bioteau says should not be a problem.

"We needed that kind of security as we work with our board of trustees for a very viable project."

Bioteau says the college currently has 66 international students who the school has to find housing for each year.

A new dorm, she says, could help solve that problem moving forward.

"This will lend a great deal of assistance, support and enhancement to not only our student population who are international but our local students," said Bioteau.

The Jacksonville City Council must approve the plan and then the school's board of trustees must sign off on the plan.

FSCJ says rent would be about $730 a month for students. If all goes as planned, the dorm will open in August.