Title
Memorandum of Understanding for a Central Utility Plant to Support Innovation Square and UF Innovation Hub (B)
GRU has been selected by the University of Florida (“UF”)and Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, Inc. (“Shands”) to be the exclusive provider of utility services including electricity, gas, water, wastewater, reclaimed water, fiber optic connectivity, chilled water for space conditioning, and back-up power (“Utility Services”) to the proposed Innovation Square development project. This will require GRU to design, finance, construct, own and operate a central utility plant system to serve the entire Innovation Square site, which is located on the site of the former Alachua General Hospital (AGH). The central utility plant will be designed to incrementally serve the future phases of Innovation Square and adjoining properties as they are developed. The City Commission is being requested to authorize the General Manager to negotiate and execute the agreements necessary to allow design and equipment acquisition to proceed immediately for all phases of the project. It is anticipated that several contracts will be required in anticipation of project phasing and the different interests of UF and Shands.
Explanation
Shands in conjunction with UF is developing a new Innovation and Technology Transfer park known as Innovation Square at the site of the former Alachua General Hospital (“AGH”). Innovation Square is to be located in an area generally bounded on the north by S.W. 2nd Avenue, on the east by S.W. 7th Terrace, on the south by S.W. 4th Avenue, and on the west by S.W 10th Street. The master plan for Innovation Square includes numerous buildings to be developed and owned by third parties and constructed over an extended period of years. UF has committed to build the first building, called the “Innovation Hub”, which will be located in the north-east corner of the Innovation Square development. The Innovation Hub is to be constructed in t...
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