Florida Atlantic University has the first money in hand for a new health training building on its Boca Raton campus. The university announced on Oct. 29 that the Florida Legislature has provided a total of $30 million toward a planned 150,000-square-foot Health Professions Clinical Training and Research Facility.

The money came in two pieces: $10 million in 2025 and $20 million in 2026. According to FAU, it is the first state funding secured for the project, and it lets the university move into the next phase of planning.

What the building is for

The facility is designed so students in different health fields learn in the same place. Three FAU colleges are part of it: the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, and the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. Future physicians, nurses and social workers would train side by side, the way they work together once they are on a hospital floor or in a clinic.

The plan pairs clinical training with patient-oriented research, so the building would be a place for both teaching and studies involving patients. FAU's state funding request describes a facility that blends hands-on learning for health professions trainees with patient engagement and research.

Where and when

FAU's capital improvement plan lists the project as the Health Professions Training and Research Facility at the university's main address, 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. The university estimates completion in early 2030, with the timing depending on further funding and how the project develops.

In practical terms, the $30 million is a starting point rather than the full price of a building that size. It funds the planning work that comes before construction, and the remaining money still has to be secured.

Who pushed for it

FAU credited two Palm Beach County legislators with advocating for the funding: Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman and State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Highland Beach Republican. FAU President Adam Hasner thanked Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature in the university's announcement.

Updates on the project will come through the FAU News Desk, and the full announcement is linked below.

Sources