The University of Florida on Tuesday welcomed more than 50 developers interested in helping build out sites 1A and 1B for the university’s future graduate campus in LaVilla.

UF’s Office of Strategic Initiative Vice President Kurt Dudas said the project represents a major step forward not just for UF but for the city as a whole.

The community has been extremely welcoming to the University of Florida, and I hope that we give back as part of this, and I believe we will do so," Dudas said.

For longtime resident Bobby Harris, who grew up in LaVilla, the project brings mixed emotions.

“It’s the good thing and it’s a bad thing, the good thing that is going to serve the community well. I use the word community loosely. There’s not a community there,” Harris said. “If you want to say the busine

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