JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The proposed Southeast campus would bring a 50,000-square-foot culinary school downtown. Supporters say it could be a major boost for jobs, tourism, and economic development.
Matt Carlucci, Jacksonville City Councilman at-large, says he still has questions about what the project will deliver.
“It could be a 35- to 37-million-dollar incentive towards a project that’s worth maybe 50 million. It might even be more than that.”
He says, while he does have concerns, he still expects to support the project.
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“What does it bring to Jacksonville? How much initial tax revenue does it bring to Jacksonville? How many employees? What are the quality-of-life factors?”
Carlucci says those are the types of details city leaders are still reviewing.
“There are a lot of question marks about this, which is troubling. But it’s not binding.”
The Jacksonville Chamber is backing the proposal, pointing to the CIA’s campus in San Antonio, which the school says has generated more than $21 billion in economic impact over 16 years.
However, the project also comes with a potentially significant public investment.
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Carlucci says the Downtown Investment Authority will ultimately review whether the numbers make sense.
“When it goes to the Downtown Investment Authority, the authority determines if there is a good return on investment.”
The City Council is expected to take a formal vote next week on whether the city would like to see the culinary institute come here. Details of the incentives package would be handled later.
Meanwhile, the Culinary Institute of America is expected to make its final site decision in June.
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