Lawmakers recently approved millions of dollars for the University of South Florida’s medical school in downtown Tampa.
Now Gov. Rick Scott needs to sign off on the funding, and USF Health's new medical school and heart institute will be on its way to becoming a reality.
"It was a lot of hard work by the community and by our legislators and USF's friends and supporters," said Mark Walsh, the executive director of university partnerships. "It's been months in the making for two incredible projects here in the Bay area."
For months, the school has gone back and forth with the Legislature to get the $17 million needed to give the Channelside location the green light, and finally the plan is a go.
"It's going to be very important for the success of our medical school," Walsh said. "We have a very close partnership with our teaching hospital, Tampa General and moving our students in to close proximity there will greatly enhance the type of work we do and the type of students we recruit to this area."
Current students looking to join the new campus are excited to hear the news.
"I think downtown is a great location next to TGH," student Yesha Amin said. "It's thriving and bustling and with CAMLS, it's all hands on. It'll be great for USF's Medical School."
The timeline for the new school is still up in the air, pending Scott's signature, but the hope is to have the new Morsani School of Health ready to go by fall of 2018.
"We're very optimistic and hopeful of the governor's support and we'll have an exciting project not just for USF but for the entire region," Walsh said.
If Scott signs off on the money, the school will start environmental checks on the land and start drawing up more detailed plans of the facility.
USF also plans to ask the state for another $40 million over the next two years.