MIAMI—It's a public-private partnership deal three years in the making. Florida International University and Royal Caribbean Cruises have inked a deal to build a new rehearsal facility for shipboard performers on its Biscayne Bay campus.

The 130,000-square-foot, $20 million facility is breaking ground this week and is expected to open its doors in January 2015. With the facility on site, FIU students can tap into opportunities for training and internships in the hospitality and cruise industries.

Alan Kleber, the managing principal at Cresa South Florida who represented Royal Caribbean in the commercial real estate transaction, tells GlobeSt.com it's the most unique deal he's been involved with in his 20-year career. He called it a cutting-edge
partnership between Royal Caribbean and FIU that serves as a model for public-private partnerships in the educational realm.