Billionaire developer Jeff Greene and his wife Mei Sze Greene are donating a 1.3-acre parcel of land valued at $80 million to Vanderbilt University’s planned downtown West Palm Beach campus, according to a Mar. 23 announcement.
The donation is expected to significantly enhance the design and scope of the university’s new campus, which aims to serve as an educational hub in the area. The additional land complements a previous donation of seven acres by the City of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County in 2024.
Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said the extra acreage will help create “a cohesive campus, where classrooms, labs and community spaces come together seamlessly,” according to his statement. The Nashville-based institution is ranked #17 nationally by U.S. News and World Report and is sometimes referred to as “the Harvard of the South.”
The new West Palm Beach campus will offer graduate programs in business and technology for about 1,000 students with at least 200 employees. Construction costs are projected at $520 million. Vanderbilt began a $300 million fundraising campaign last year after receiving initial approvals for the project; this January, it announced plans for construction alongside a second fundraising phase with a goal of raising an additional $250 million.
Greene had previously agreed to donate five acres for a proposed University of Florida campus in downtown West Palm Beach, but that deal fell through following disagreements over naming rights. His current gift follows other major contributions from real estate figures supporting Vanderbilt’s expansion since its proposal in 2024—among them Steve Ross, chairman of Related Companies, who committed $50 million and hosted fundraisers; Cody Crowell from Frisbie Group also donated $5 million.
