The College of Central Florida officially broke ground on a new $19.4 million Criminal Justice Institute in Ocala that will provide specialized instruction to more than 600 active law enforcement officers from 14 agencies across Marion, Citrus, Levy, Hernando, and Sumter counties each year.
Joined by leaders from the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, college officials held a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 1 to mark the start of construction for the 31,201-square-foot complex located at 3001 S.W. College Road. The facility is scheduled to open for classes in January 2028.
Funded through a combination of state legislative appropriations and local funding, the complex consists of an academic building and a simulation training building connected by a covered “Main Street” plaza. Integrated observation decks along the central corridor will allow instructors and students to safely observe live scenario-based exercises in real time.
The academic building will feature 10 large classrooms, a 730-square-foot F.A.T.S. firearms and scenario simulator room, and a dedicated physical fitness center.
The adjacent simulation building will contain a 2,600-square-foot defensive tactics room with padded flooring, three white-box scenario rooms, and staged environments designed to mimic real-world settings, including a mock restaurant with a functional kitchen, a law enforcement intake and booking area, and a mock bank and hotel front desk…