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

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Wenger Names New Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts, Controls

    Wenger Corporation, which provides products and solutions for music and theater education, performing arts and athletic storage, recently announced the hiring of a new Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts and Controls.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.