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The College of Central Florida invites the community to a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Criminal Justice Institute at the 91��Ƭ Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. On Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9:30 a.m., the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership will join college officials to break ground for the new complex, which will open for classes in January 2028.

After construction is completed, the new center will house up to five Law Enforcement Academies and four Corrections Academies, approximately 180 students, on an annual basis. In addition, the complex will provide training in advanced/specialized courses to more than 600 law enforcement professionals from 14 agencies within region six (Marion, Citrus, Levy, Hernando and Sumter Counties) annually.

“The new Criminal Justice Institute represents a significant investment in the future of public safety across our region,” said Dr. Jennifer Fryns, 91��Ƭ vice president of Workforce Development and Innovation. “By increasing our capacity to prepare law enforcement and corrections professionals and providing specialized training for those already serving our communities, 91��Ƭ is helping meet the workforce needs of our public safety partners while creating opportunities for students to build rewarding careers.”

The $19.4 million, 31,201-square-foot complex is funded by the state legislature and local funding. Comprised of an academic and training building on one side and a simulation and defensive tactics building on the other, with a covered “Main Street” connecting the two, the new institute will eliminate the disconnect between classroom theory and street reality, giving real-world training in a safe environment.

The first building, for academic and training, will feature 10 large classrooms, a 730 SF F.A.T.S. simulator room for firearms and scenario-based simulation training, and an exercise/fitness room supporting physical conditioning and training activities.

The second building, for simulation and defensive tactics training, will contain a variety of staged environments for realistic scenario-based training exercises, including a mock restaurant with a fully functional kitchen and break area, a mock booking and intake area for law enforcement processing, and a mock bank and hotel front desk. The building will also contain a 2,600-square-foot defensive tactics training area with padded flooring and three white box training rooms for additional scenario-based training.

The Main Street area between the two buildings will provide a covered area for reality-based scenario training, with integrated observation decks that will allow instructors and trainees to safely observe ongoing training exercises.

RSVP is requested for this event: 91��Ƭ.edu/Groundbreaking or pr@cf.edu.

For more information about the 91��Ƭ Criminal Justice program, visit www.91��Ƭ.edu/CJI.