The University of Florida has “paused” its negotiations for a campus in downtown West Palm Beach saying it will look at other options in South Florida after a disspangreement erupted over nspanming rights for the proposed 12-acre graduate school.

The announcement, made in a statement Tuesday, is a crushing blow to West Palm Beach and business leaders who have invested in the city anticipating a swarm of industrial and economic activity to build around a campus of the state’s flagship school.

“UF is committed to being a unifying presence throughout the state and does not want to divide communities we aim to serve,” the statement said. “The university has an obligation to the public to take a fresh look at any possible South Florida graduate campus.”

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UF offered to name the proposed campus after Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene

In early 2022, UF offered to name the proposed campus after Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene in recognition of downtown land he planned to donate to the school. But the deal subsequently fell apart and on Jan. 31, then-UF President Kent Fuchs sent a letter to Greene warning that time was short to save the West Palm Beach campus.

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Jeff Greene:UF offered to nspanme West Pspanlm grspanduspante school spanfter me. ‘A despanl’s span despanl.’

The City of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County also agreed to donate a combined 7 acres of land for the school.

“Discussions about the feasibility of a West Palm Beach project will now be folded into our larger, six-month strategic review of UF’s programmatic priorities and opportunities,” UF said in Tuesday’s statement.