Scripps, University of Florida seal the deal on purchase of Jupiter campus. Here's its new name.
JUPITER — The 30-acre Scripps Research Institute facility in Jupiter and 70 more acres of land nearby in Palm Beach Gardens are now officially in the hands of the University of Florida.
Scripps' sale of its campus to UF closed April 1, according to a news release from the university.
The Scripps name isn't going anywhere. The campus will be called UF Scripps Biomedical Research.
"When basic scientific discoveries move rapidly from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside, all of humanity sees a benefit,” David Nelson, president of UF Health, said in the news release.
Scripps and UF began talks to combine in mid-2021 and the deal became public in November. UF purchased the institute, its staff and property in neighboring Alton for just $100.
Scripps scientists have joined the UF faculty and will retain an additional Scripps Research affiliate title, according to the university.
The big question: With $100 sale, will University of Florida fulfill Scripps promise of biotech village in Jupiter?
In West Palm Beach: UF's West Palm campus update: $100M from state on table; contract language 'not finalized'
Around Alton: 150 beds and a helipad? Inside newest plans for a Palm Beach Gardens hospital near Alton
What will happen to 70 empty acres in Alton?
The university's announcement did not address its plans for vacant property across Donald Ross Road that was included in the sale. Scripps referred all questions about the sale to UF, which said there are "no definite plans," for the land right now.
In 2006, Scripps received $310 million from the state and $269 million from Palm Beach County taxpayers to build its campus. Scripps opened in 2009 on land adjacent to Florida Atlantic University's Jupiter site.
Palm Beach County bought 70 acres in the Palm Beach Gardens community now known as Alton, near Scripps at Interstate 95 and Donald Ross Road, to house biotech development. The land grew in value to about $70 million.
But the village never was built.
Instead of biotech and pharmaceutical companies sprouting on the site, the still-vacant land was turned over to Scripps in May 2021 for just $1. Now, UF will determine its future.
On Friday, the university announced it will launch a new program to jump-start science careers among recent college graduates.
The Post-Baccalaureate Research and Education Program (which UF will call PREP) will be a yearlong research experience that allows students with bachelor's degrees access to academic and laboratory skills in preparation for application to research-oriented Ph.D. programs.
UF President Kent Fuchs said the sale "ushers in a new era of even more scientific collaborations that will also include other state university system institutions such as Florida International and Florida Atlantic universities."
He said recent collaborations between UF and FAU have included Alzheimer’s disease research and work on emerging drug abuse trends.
“I am truly excited by the prospect of the former Scripps Florida faculty joining UF. The breakthroughs that our combined efforts will bring about will exemplify one of our most important missions: bringing science to bear on some of the world’s most pressing problems,” Fuchs said in a news release.
kkokal@pbpost.com
@katikokal
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: UF completes purchase of Scripps campus in Jupiter, changes site name
