County to put $2 million of ARPA funding toward new CF Nursing facility

A rendering of the future nursing facility at the College of Central Florida [Courtesy of CF]

Funds from the American Recue Plan Act will be allocated toward the College of Central Florida’s new nursing facility as a means to address economic impacts of COVID-19.

Construction began on the two-story, state-of-the-art nursing education facility last October, with an expected completion date in November—just two months away.

The facility cost over $20 million, with the newest allocation of $2 million coming from Marion County through ARPA funds, emergency funding intended to ease economic distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two-story, 42,500-gross-square-foot building will include six classrooms, three skills labs, six simulation exam rooms and a testing lab. It will serve 325 Nursing students in associate and bachelor’s degree programs. The first classes are expected to be offered in the building in January 2025.

In total, CF has requested $13.6 million from the state to fund the project, and $2.3 million from the Marion County Hospital District.

CF also received a $6.7 million Linking Industry to Nursing Education grant in the spring of 02023 from the Florida Legislature to expand its nursing program.

Nationwide, ARPA funds must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.