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UF Public Safety Building Grand Opening

June 21, 2023. Gainesville, FL – Members of the University of Florida and the greater Gainesville community gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new UF Public Safety Building.

The event included a Flag Raising Ceremony and special remarks made by Vice President for Business Affairs, Curtis Reynolds, Assistant Vice President of Public and Environmental Safety, Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick, and UFPD Chaplain Bishop Christopher Stokes. Guests were offered tours of the new building along with refreshments.

Assist. Vice President of Public and Environmental Safety, Chief Linda J. Stump-Kurnick

The building is home to the University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) along with the Department of Emergency Management and the Emergency Operations Center. Some of the building’s capabilities include a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center and Communications Center, and a large community meeting space that will be used by student organizations and for student safety training sessions. Technology feeds from across campus will be streamlined in the new facility for enhanced real-time monitoring for campus safety.

“This building represents the beginning of a new era for our department and the University of Florida,” said Stump-Kurnick. “We are excited and grateful to have a space where we can consolidate our services which will enhance campus safety for the Gator nation”

Construction of the 51,000-square-foot three-story $26.5 million building began in March 2021 on the site of the original WRUF Radio Station. Honoring history in a sustainable fashion, bricks salvaged from the former police station were used to construct the low bench wall on the exterior of the new facility.

“We now have a space for our UFPD and Emergency Management teams to thrive,” said Reynolds. “We are so grateful for the support of the UF administration and Board of Trustees in making this a reality.”

The centrally located building was designed not only for improved functionality, but to be an inviting space for the community. The glass exterior has been designed to represent transparency and accessibility for students, staff, faculty, and visitors.

To see the full photo gallery from the event, click here.