> Santa Fe College - Blount Campus and Center for Innovation and Economic Development
Expanding Access to Education and Business Incubation
Santa Fe College is expanding the Charles L. Blount Center to be a full-service campus. Home of SF’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED), the Blount Campus is situated in the heart of downtown Gainesville, just six blocks from the University of Florida, in the center of the city’s Innovation District.
Santa Fe College has been serving our community since 1966, with seven locations in Alachua and Bradford counties. The Charles L. Blount Center serves as the outreach and educational facility for downtown and East Gainesville. Blount Hall, a new three-story 86,311 square-foot building, is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2022. With its prime location at the northwest corner of West University Avenue and the 6th Street rail trail, it is conveniently accessed by bike, bus or car.
The Blount Center offers a broad range of educational opportunities for people in our community. Students can take an affordable step towards a bachelors, masters or doctorate by earning their A.A. degree. Lifelong learners can take Community Education classes, while Adult Education classes help returning students to pick up where they left off and complete their GED exam.
Local businesses can organize trainings and certifications for their employees by working with Continuing Education. Entrepreneurs and startup companies can incubate with the CIED to access resources that will grow their business and drive the innovation economy in Gainesville. Santa Fe College has the distinction of being the highest performing college in the state system, and all the student services responsible for that success are available at the Blount Center. This includes free tutoring and academic coaching, and help with financial aid, academic advising, disability resources, counseling, veterans and military support, and career and job placement.
Funding for the Blount Hall renovation comes from both the private and public sector, including a $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). That funding will go toward the expansion of the CIED to strengthen the regional economy from local startup companies in the business incubator.
Santa Fe College-Blount Center
