Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Tampa Education Center to See $19.5M Campus Replacement

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/13/22

The Dorothy Thomas Exceptional Center in Tampa, Fla., recently selected construction firm Skanska to lead its $19.5-million campus replacement project. The Center is a public school in Hillsborough County that serves K–12 students in need of behavioral and emotional support.  The project involves replacing 12 existing classrooms that cover about 40,000 square feet with new, state-of-the-art structures that better serve the needs of the school’s 60 students.

Design features incorporating the students’ needs include placing classroom windows higher up to allow for natural light while minimizing distractions. The news release reports that the ultimate goal is to create a supportive, safe environment free of auditory and visual distractions.

Dorothy Thomas Exceptional Center replacement

“As a builder, we take great pride in building educational projects to serve our communities,” said Michael C. Brown, Skanska Florida’s executive vice president and general manager. “As we work to complete the Dorothy Thomas Exceptional Center project, our hope is that the delivery of this new campus and its classrooms will set the standard for exceptional centers in the Tampa Bay region and beyond.”

The new space was designed by Fleischmann-Garcia Architecture. Classrooms will feature muted blues, greens and yellows selected for their calming effect on students. The logistics of the project also face the complication of doing construction on an active K–12 campus. The Skanska team relocated existing classrooms to the opposite end of campus before beginning renovation work; builders will also monitor noise levels to be mindful of students who are sensitive to loud noises.

Construction began in March and is scheduled for completion in August 2023, according to a news release.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.