Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Florida High School Begins $48.5M Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/29/21

Clearwater High School, part the of Pinellas County School System in Clearwater, Fla., has officially begun a $48.5 million modernization project. The school was originally built in the 1950s, and the project will involve demolishing 17 buildings around campus, constructing seven new ones, and renovating five more. The school system is working with the architecture firm Hepner Architects, Inc. and general contracting firm JE Dunn to complete the initiative.

The new construction will house amenities like an administration suite with multi-use collaborative space, a Central Energy Plant, a cafeteria, a media center, science classrooms, general classroom learning suites, ESE classrooms, and a new parking lot to be used for the school’s driver’s ed course. The football stadium will also get a new entrance and new synthetic turf for track and field facilities.

Renovation and remodeling work will include a new exterior and interior paint job; installing new HVAC equipment and flooring; converting classrooms into a new Family and Consumer Science room; and adding new ceilings, lights, flooring, and windows to several buildings. The plan also features a beautification element to the part of campus facing Gulf to Bay Boulevard.

JE Dunn Vice President Jake Nellis expressed enthusiasm that work on the project is finally underway. “We’re excited to be part of this significant renovation that will have a tremendous impact on the community,” he said. “The new façade will in fact be remarkable and will be a landmark in the [Tampa] Bay Area.”

The work is currently scheduled to be finished in fall 2023.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.