Research facility leaving Central Florida, sources tell Channel 9

Sources tell Eyewitness News that the mayors of Orange County and Orlando met on Monday with leaders from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona to discuss major changes to the biomedical research facility.

Eyewitness News has confirmed the research facility is leaving.

It is unclear exactly what will happen to the jobs at Sanford Burnham in Medical City. However, sources close to the meetings said the Lake Nona facility will be folded into the University of Florida and research in some form will continue.

Sanford Burnham was first lured to Florida from California in 2006 by Gov. Jeb Bush.  The company, which still has a major operation in La Jolla, California, has been the beneficiary of almost $300 million in tax incentives including $137 million from the state of Florida.

According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Sanford Burnham has created 234 new jobs out of its commitment for 303 jobs.

Sanford Burnham has not returned calls for additional information on these developments or what this means for the facility and its workers in central Florida.

More information is expected to be released Wednesday.

The facility released the following statement:

"The University of Florida (UF) and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona (SBP at Lake Nona) are discussing a proposal that they believe would allow the University to build upon and grow the research enterprise established by SBP at the Medical City in Lake Nona. In order to finalize an agreement we must have the support of Orange County, the City of Orlando, Lake Nona Land Company and the state of Florida, among others, as well as the requisite approvals for UF of their Board of Trustees and State Board of Governors. UF and SBP are working with them to answer questions and explain the many benefits of the proposal.

Both organizations believe that this is an opportunity to create a scientifically robust operation that capitalizes on SBP at Lake Nona’s world-class infrastructure and UF’s vision for growth."

Cox Media Group