9OH-411: JU's New Medical School, JaxFair Ticket Deal, and Four Seasons Hotel Opening Date

Jacksonville is continuing to grow, and there are some big developments happening across the city — from a brand-new medical school to exciting updates at the Jacksonville Fair and the future Four Seasons hotel downtown:

Jacksonville University is welcoming its newest addition with the opening of a medical school at Medical Hall.

The program is being operated by Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, also known as LECOM, and is designed to help address Florida’s ongoing shortage of physicians.

The inaugural class is expected to include approximately 75 students. As those future doctors move through their training, they’ll have opportunities for clinical experience through partnerships with several area healthcare systems, including Baptist Health, UF Health St. Johns and AdventHealth, along with other local hospitals.

The goal is to help train more physicians right here in Florida — and hopefully keep more of those doctors practicing in the state after graduation.

If you’re already looking ahead to this year’s Jacksonville Fair, there’s a new ticket deal worth knowing about.

For only 72-hours, fairgoers can get a bundle that includes one lawn concert ticket, one admission ticket to the fair and free parking for just $20, plus a $1.50 processing fee per ticket.

And there’s plenty of entertainment to choose from with this year’s lineup including artists like Skillet, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, the Pop 2000 Tour, Jake Owen and SmashMouth, among others.

So if you’re planning to make a night of it at the fair, this bundle is a way to experience the Jacksonville Fair on a budget!

Meanwhile, there’s also movement on one of Jacksonville’s biggest downtown projects: the future Four Seasons Hotel along the St. Johns River.

The project is currently targeting a June 30 completion deadline next year, with a soft opening expected a few months afterward.

When it opens, the Four Seasons is expected to feature 170 luxury hotel rooms and 26 private residences, along with a full-service spa and fitness center.

Guests will also have access to multiple outdoor riverfront pools, while the public will be able to enjoy a rooftop restaurant and bar.

With the medical school welcoming its first students, the Jacksonville Fair bringing another major entertainment lineup to town and the Four Seasons getting closer to opening, there’s plenty happening across Jacksonville.

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