FAMU TO GET $8.5 MILLION FOR NEW CAMPUS IN CRESTVIEW

Look out folks, another major announcement for the City of Crestview. This school and additional growth of Troy University and Northwest Florida State University is going to open a number of doors in this area. As I have mentioined to many, it is not just the growth of the Army's 7th Special Forces or the new F-35 Training School making a difference in this area, it is more more. Crestview is the target for many business and people around the country.



FAMU to get $8.5 million
By MICHAEL STEWART
Florida Freedom Newspapers

CRESTVIEW — The Legislature has approved $8.5 million for the Florida A&M pharmacy school downtown.
O f t h a t a m o u n t , $7 million is earmarked for renovations to the historic Alatex Building, which Crestview donated to the university.
The remaining $1.5 million comes in the form of recurring annual funds to pay faculty salaries at the school.
The school plans to offer a PharmD degree that leads to licensure as a pharmacist in all 50 states. The PharmD degree differs from a Ph.D., which is a research-focused degree that permits graduates to conduct research in academic, industrial and governmental laboratories, according to FAMU’s website.
“Our plan is to have our first class of 40 students in fall of 2011,” FAMU President James Ammons said.
Future plans could include courses that lead to master’s and doctorate degrees in public health, health care management, health administration, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
“There is nowhere closer than South Florida where you can get those type degrees,” said Sen. Durell Peaden, R-Crestview, a primary supporter of the FAMU satellite. “For a little old country town like Crestview to be able to offer doctorate degrees will be a great thing for our area.”
Although Peaden is optimistic the money will be made available, it is not a done deal. Gov. Charlie Crist can veto the appropriation included in the state budget approved last week.
“Nothing’s cleared until you have the check in your hand,” Peaden said.
Asbestos and lead-based paint are being removed from the Alatex Building at corner of Main Street and Woodruff Avenue.
I n D e c e m b e r , Tallahassee-based Cason E n v i r o n m e n t a l & D e m o l i t i o n S e r v i c e s was awarded a $98,450 contract to remove the toxins. That work could b e c o m p l e t e d n e x t month. The city agreed to pay the cost for the cleanup, along with a $5,000 performance bond required by state law before work could begin.
FAMU cannot accept fee-simpletitletothebuilding until the toxins are removed. That had been a point of contention for some residents who criticized the city’s gift of the 1930s-era building that once housed a sewing factory.
However, supporters point to estimates by Rick Harper, director of the Haas Center for Business Development and Economic Development at the University of West Florida. Harper has said the satellite will have an annual economic impact of $3 million to $6 million on the city.
“When you look at the impact this kind of education facility and the presence of the faculty and health care professionals will have on that community, it is going to be an importanteraofdevelopment for Crestview,” Ammons said.
FA M U p r o m i s e d $10.4 million in renovations to the building. In addition to the $8.5 million allocated by the Legislature, FAMU had $2.5 million in hand from an earlier appropriation from the state budget.
If the funding is nailed down, hopes are to begin work on the building in September, Ammons said.
If successful, Crestview will be FAMU pharmacy school’s first satellite location to offer degrees. The school’s campuses in J a c k s o n v i l l e , M i a m i and Tampa do not offer full degrees.
“This is just the beginning,” Ammons said. “This is an opportunity for FAMU to extend its expertise to a region of the state where we haven’t had a presence.”