Daniel Colvin got his wish.
After fighting for about 12 years to get a new building for UF’s plant research facility in Citra, his dream became a reality when he secured a $1.5 million dollar donation.
Construction will begin in March on the Frank Stronach Plant Science center, a 12,380 square-foot complex devoted to student and public education.
The construction is expected to take five months and to be completed at the beginning of the fall semester.
The donation came from Stronach, the building’s namesake, who founded and chairs Magna International Inc., an automotive parts supply company.
The building will be added onto the Plant Science Research and Education Unit, which, until now has been primarily a research center.
The new building will feature a 5,380 square-foot section with classrooms and areas for conferences, along with a 7,000 square-foot open pavilion to accommodate educational programs at the complex.
Colvin estimates the building will be able to hold 300 people.
“Right now, I don’t have a central place to have those people together,” he said.
The building will also feature a tram syste which will allow guests to tour the facility and see the research in action.
Colvin said he was previously unable to get the money to build the facility because the state could not put up money for it.
But now, he relishes the opportunity to put that research on display for others.
“It’s almost the culmination of a career,” Colvin said. “I always knew this would be the biggest nut to crack.”
