BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a new report, the Florida Auditor General found that the University of Florida’s purchase of land along Parker Road did not follow a state law that requires two appraisals; UF responded that they believe their interpretation of the law is “reasonable,” but they modified their purchasing process for future land use acquisitions.
State law requires the university Board of Trustees (Board) to obtain at least two appraisals for each purchase of real property with a value exceeding $500,000. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the legislature appropriated $38.9 million to the university for the Hickory Sink Strategic Ecosystem land acquisition, and in March 2025, the university purchased the 2,700-acre site for $37 million, to be used for agricultural, environmental, educational, and community purposes. Both of the scenarios presented to the Alachua County Commission in November 2023 (slides 11 and 12) showed a future 36-hole golf course on the property, along with 30 guest cottages and “institutional facilities.”…