Overview
Santa Fe College is in the process of expanding the Charles L. Blount Center in downtown Gainesville. The soon-to-be-opened $36.5 million facility will provide increased access to a college degree for underserved communities in North Central Florida. In addition to complete degree and certificate programs in business and information technology, the facility will continue to offer full A.A. degrees for students looking to transfer, and will double the business incubation space of SF's Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED).
Latest Updates
April 2022
Santa Fe College Holds Ribbon Cutting for Blount Hall April 8
Santa Fe College will hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting to open Blount Hall Friday, April 8, 2022, at 10 a.m. Santa Fe College District Board of Trustees and President Paul Broadie II, Ph.D. invite the college community to attend the ribbon cutting if their schedule permits.
The new facility, located at the corner of W. University Ave. and NW 6th Street will be SF’s new home for Business and Information Technology programs. Blount Hall also has doubled the business incubation space for SF’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development.
President Broadie said that Blount Hall will expand access to a college education to many underserved communities in Gainesville. The completion of Blount Hall will help shatter equity gaps that the president had pledged to do at his inaugural address.
Although plans for an expanded Blount Center had been in the works for years, progress accelerated in October 2019 with a ceremonial groundbreaking event followed with the demolition of the old building beginning in the summer of 2020. Crews from Parrish McCall then got to work on construction the 87,366 square foot Blount Hall and by December of 2020 had completed the steel frame of the building and the college was able to hold a beam signing event. Crews worked throughout 2021 to complete the facility and SF received the Certificate of Occupancy in February of this year. The college also held the February Board of Trustees meeting at Blount Hall.
Following the ribbon cutting, more faculty and staff will be moving into Blount Hall. The first class of students will enter the doors for classes this fall.