UNF originally supposed to be downtown?

[dejumoshi]

I read about this a while back (cant remember the source) - about how in the early 70s UNF was trying to start downtown but the city gave the properties to First Baptist Church instead- Anyone know anything about this?

[Coolyfett]

 

[Charles Hunter]

Close, but not exact.
UNF did consider downtown, but the Skinners and those associated with what became Gate Land gave the state 1000 acres out in the middle of nowhere for the campus.  They also gave the strip of land for JTButler - once known as the "road to nowhere".  Believe it or not, there were dairy cows grazing along much of JTB through the 70s.  For a couple years, UNF had an annex campus downtown at Hemming Plaza, in the building now occupied by MOCA (or whatever it is called).

And, as far as I know, First Baptist bought all of the land it owns, and wasn't "given" anything by the City.