Palm Beach County is slated to vote on Vanderbilt University’s proposal for a $520 million graduate school campus.
The Board of County Commissioners will consider the creation of a development and conveyance agreement (DCA) for the proposed West Palm Beach campus at its Oct. 22 meeting. Vanderbilt, nicknamed “the Harvard of the South,” presented its vision for a graduate school focused on business and technology in August, following months of behind-the-scenes discussions and fundraising, according to published reports.
Prominent local leaders including Related Ross’ billionaire chief Stephen Ross and West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James.
“This whole county in the future will become what Silicon Valley is today,” Ross said to the commissioners in August. “To pass up this opportunity would be a crime.”
Commissioners responded enthusiastically to the proposal and urged staff to move quickly on next steps with the university. County staff is recommending the commissioners approve the DCA for the project, which will include 5 acres of county-owned property in the heart of West Palm Beach, documents show. Vanderbilt has already secured $12.8 million worth of city-owned parcels for the site of the proposed campus, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Billionaire developer Jeff Greene is also reportedly considering selling nearby parcels to the university. Plans for a University of Florida campus in the same area fell apart in 2023 after a disagreement with Greene over naming rights.
With that failed vision in the rearview mirror, the city’s leaders are eager to embrace their new educational partner.
“I would urge you to recognize the significance of this moment before us,” James said in August. “The actions we take today will undoubtedly shape the future of this county for generations to come.”
