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~ The following is a press release provided by Santa Fe College. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~
GAINESVILLE, FL (Nov. 5, 2025) -- At a recent community meeting, Santa Fe College formally rolled out plans for an Automotive Technology Training Center to be constructed at the Blount Center, the college’s downtown campus. It is part of a larger effort to increase access to workforce education and training in the area.
The $16 million,17,200-square-foot building will be constructed on the former site of Mauldin’s Auto Glass, which closed in 2021.
The state-of-the-art facility will increase program capacity to meet the growing needs of regional employers, and will feature interactive classrooms and specialty teaching bays, serving up to 60 students per semester. The program, which will expand from SF’s Northwest Campus, has a 100 percent job placement rate in the industry.
In addition, the Training Center will be available to industry partners for community training. Blount Center also is home to vibrant business and information technology programs, as well as the Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED) business incubator.
“This center currently touches 3,300 lives,” Dr. Paul Broadie II, President of Santa Fe College, said to those gathered at the October 22 meeting at Blount Center. “And sometimes they are students turning hopelessness into hope, and we want to keep that going. As we looked at our academic programs, we wanted to put more in the downtown community. Because for us this project is about changing lives. This project is about giving people opportunities. This project is about pouring into our future generations.”
Complementing the addition, sidewalks will be added to the north end of the campus, connecting to the rail trail, the surrounding neighborhood, and across Blount Center property, improving both pedestrian access and safety. Nearby green spaces will soften and enhance the landscape. In partnership with the city, the Center will use a portion of NW 5th Street as part of the training lab, allowing, in part, for students and faculty to operate training vehicles in a safe environment.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held in early 2026 with a planned opening in Fall 2027. The Automotive Technology Training Center was designed by Spiezle Architectural Group and will be constructed by Scorpio Construction.
Also present at the rollout was Rev. Anthony Pelt, Bishop of the Church of God of Florida. The former Church of God, located next to the new facility, will give way to the Automotive center, with the full support of the church. The church has partnered with the College to advance educational opportunities for its youth, through scholarships, and in support of regional educational and career opportunities. Its needs have also outgrown the aging building.
Dr. Broadie thanked Reverend Pelt for his leadership.
Bishop Pelt said his wife works for a similar program in a different part of the state and commented on the importance of giving people with a desire to work the opportunity to learn skills.
Younger people, he said, “will find there is still an art, there is still an avenue for young men and young women to make a great living,” complimenting Dr. Broadie in his thoughtful execution of that mission.
“I am thankful that the president of this wonderful college is talking to you, the community. I have to say to the community, that what I found in him is one who will listen. He also is committed to making sure that when he listens, he learns from it, and what he learns, lifts us all.”
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