Development News

By a unanimous vote, the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners approved a $10 million incentive package in an attempt to get Raymond James Financial to move to the Wesley Chapel area.

With construction on the first two of the new Raymond James Financial towers in Wiregrass Ranch to begin as early as next year, the county offered the company millions in tax breaks and road word in hopes that the project will bring approximately 750 jobs to Pasco County.

“Raymond James has signed a purchase agreement for the property,” says Steve Hollister, Raymond James corporate communications PR manager. “A final due diligence period of up to nine months will allow the firm to examine geotechnical, environmental and other aspects of the property to ensure compatibility with the project.”

Should the examination result in a decision to move forward, the company will begin work on the site, located at State Road 56 and Mansfield Boulevard in Wiregrass, in hopes to get the first tower completed as early as 2013; the second tower won't see completion until 2020.

According to an analysis by the Pasco Economic Development Council, Raymond James Financial's move to the county is expected to generate $135 million in taxable sales, add $40 million to county property tax and $9 million in other taxes. In addition, Pasco agreed to invest nearly $4.5 million to improve road conditions around the site.

“We will have more information as the process proceeds,” says Hollister.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Steve Hollister, Raymond James Corporate Communications

Saint Leo University aims to do one thing: Expand your mind while expanding its campus.

As the university continues to make substantial investments to its main campus in Pasco County at 33701 State Road 52, two new apartment-style residence halls and an underground parking garage will be added.

“The university continues to grow and meet the ever-changing needs of our students,” says Ken Posner, V.P. of Student Services at Saint Leo.

As one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States, Saint Leo's total enrollment exceeded 15,500 for the 2010-2011 academic school year. Keeping up with its high volume of students, the university will spend approximately $19 million on the two new residence halls.

University administrators broke ground on the apartment-style residential living spaces in April with completion slated for August 2012. Upon completion, the two new halls will be able to accommodate 300 students, totaling enough living space for about 1,600 students at the lakeside campus.

“These new residence halls will enable students to collaborate with others in living-learning environments that complement their academic pursuits while relaxing and socializing in elaborately designed common spaces,” says Posner. “The addition of our two new residence halls and of a conveniently located parking garage demonstrates our commitment to learning by providing state-of-the-art facilities for student and community engagement.”

Calling on Lunz Prebor Fowler Architects of Lakeland and Creative Contractors Inc. of Clearwater for both of the construction projects, the addition of the new 550-space parking garage will cost Saint Leo approximately $10.5 million; an intramural field constructed on its roof with expected completion within the next year.

“The institution has been strategic in designing a campus learning environment that works,” says Posner.

For more information on Saint Leo University's current construction, visit the official website. To view a live feed of the on-site construction of the new residence halls, click here.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Ken Posner, Saint Leo University

Southwest Florida's leading air conditioning and major appliance sales and service provider, Home-Tech, is expanding its presence in Florida.

Celebrating its 30th year in business, the Ft. Myers-based company recently announced that has begun construction on a new 10,400-square-foot service office, showroom and technical training center in Manatee County; Home-Tech originally established its presence in the Sarasota-Manatee area in 1992 with an office located in Venice.

“We're extremely excited about our expansion and look forward to providing our service to the local Manatee County community,” says President and Founder Steve Marino. “I'm glad to see this project moving forward and that it's doing exactly what we want it do: Hiring local people and having a facility for us to expand our operations in the area.”

The $1.3 million project will duplicate Home-Tech's current office in the Ft. Myers-Collier area at 6400 Techster Blvd., made up of a state-of-the-art training facility, a 3,000-square-foot non-traditional showroom featuring working appliances, as well as a warehouse and employee offices.

“We're particularly proud of the new training facility because, as far as we know, we will be the only service industry company in Southwest Florida to have an apprenticeship program,” says Marino. “It's going to bring a lot more jobs to the area and it'll draw new apprentices, which we're really looking forward to.”

With the dried-in shell of the building expected to be complete by the end of September, Home-Tech has already hired six new employees and has up to seven positions currently available, ranging from entry-level to sales positions to experienced technicians.

“With so many young people currently trying to find a job and a career, hiring and training people is something we're really excited about,” says Marino. “This is a good career and the service industry is very interesting -- you never know what's going to happen from day to day and it pays quite well. I only see the demand in home service getting bigger.”

Home-Tech is working with World Designs Inc. as architect on the project, Allison Engineering as land developer and Manasota Commercial Construction as general contractor. Steve Heinz, community development and service agreement sales director, will lead the sales effort for the new facility, which is expected to see completion by the first quarter of 2012.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Steve Marino, Home-Tech

Michigan-based Thomas M. Cooley Law School began renovations on its new location in the Tampa Bay region on September 20th, creating its first campus outside of Michigan.

The school's new location at 9445 Camden Field Parkway in Riverview was purchased for about $6.3 million, including the adjacent lot, and was previously occupied by Progressive Insurance until 2009.

Cooley plans to renovate the 132,000-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art law school and will include a 25,000-square-foot library, a 336-seat auditorium, 24 classrooms with a total of 1,374 seats, 4 distance learning classrooms, a computer lab with 28 seats and two trial courtrooms, which will hold up to about 186 students.

“This really is going to be an exciting project. When classes are full, we're going to bring in about 700 students and roughly 80 to 100 employees,” says Cooley COO Bill Schoettle. “That's going to have a significant impact on Tampa because of the dollars the students and employees will bring into the area. Anytime you bring 700 people into an area, they're going to be buying houses, needing clothes and going to restaurants -- all of the things that people do within a community. It's quite a dynamic process.”

Founded in 1972, Cooley is the largest law school in the United States with four campuses in Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. Approximately 60 percent of Cooley's students come from outside of Michigan. About 5 percent -- the second-largest portion of its students from any one state -- come from Florida.

“We already have a significant presence in Florida with a large number of both students and alumni living in the state and about 125 externship sites where students go down and work for lawyers for a term to learn about the profession,” says Schoettle.

With sustainability and keeping costs reasonable in mind, Cooley leaders intend to preserve anything they can within the building, including reusing 6,000 yards of existing carpet, a cost savings of approximately $200,000. In addition, all 1,200 of the energy-efficient overheard light fixtures in the building will be reused while all of the existing doors will remain in the building, as well.

“We'll also be applying for certification under the Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities,” says Schoettle. “We're currently in the process of certifying all of our Michigan campuses so we're going to aim to certify the Florida campus, as well. We will be a totally SERF certified law school at all five different campuses.”

Cooley will begin occupying a portion of the building in January 2012 to provide offices for employees who are working in administration and student recruiting. Evening classes at the new Tampa Bay location will begin in May 2012 followed by morning classes in September 2012 and afternoon classes in January 2013.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Bill Schoettle, Thomas M. Cooley Law School

The Bradenton Riverwalk -- a project that has been in the works since the early 2000s -- has finally come into fruition with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 19th.

Residents, city officials and local businesses gathered at Rossi Park at 301 3rd Ave. W. to celebrate the start of the $6.2 million enhancement project.

A 1.5-mile stretch of the riverfront at the park faces renovations with the addition of a nationally recognized skatepark, canoe and kayak launches, sand volley ball courts, butterfly gardens, interactive art, a water park and splash park and even an outdoor amphitheater.

“There's an enormous amount of possibilities along the riverfront,” says David Gustafson, executive director of the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority. “We plan to have several competitions and may even have the ability to host future X Games at this location.”

A blues festival has already been planned for the new outdoor theater area for December 2012. Upon completion, the Riverwalk and its events are expected to have a significant economic impact on Bradenton and the Tampa Bay region.

“The economic impact will be huge and, really, it's just an asset that has never been utilized and will strongly affect downtown Manatee County, as well as the rest of the Tampa Bay region all the way from Sarasota to St. Pete,” says Gustafson. “We've seen the success of riverwalks in other parts of the country such as Jacksonville, Tampa and Tennessee and see a lot of promise in this project.”

Recognizing the importance of sports and culture within a community, the Bradenton City Council and the Downtown Development Authority Board decided to make the investment due to recent studies, focusing on the addition of a another important cultural asset to the community; $1.2 million of the budget will come from tax increment financing (TIF) while an investment has been made into a $5 million bond that the city will pay off over the next 20 years. The project is expected to be complete by September 2012.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: David Gustafson, Bradenton Downtown Development Authority

A new fast-casual restaurant is opening on Kennedy Boulevard just west of downtown Tampa.

Ragin' Grill is a new a concept developed by Tampa Bay native Jim Cheatham, owner of a Lion's Share Group and CEO of Fun and Food Management. 

Focusing on serving “all American comfort food,” including ribs, burgers, chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and collard greens, Ragin' Grill will offer dine-in seating while focusing on delivery within a five-mile radius of itself at 1719 W. Kennedy Blvd. Cheatham says he plans to open several more Ragin' Grills in the Tampa Bay region and across the United States.

“The location on Kennedy is perfect because it's big enough to house both the corporate offices and Ragin' Grill's first restaurant,” says Teresa Ward of TF Ward Marketing Solutions, who is working with Fun and Food Management on the restaurant's opening. “We'll be focusing on the delivery of our home-cooked meals, but folks can also come in and dine with us or pick up take-out.”

Formerly the location of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida, the 5,000-square-foot building consists of 2,800 square feet of Ragin Grill's corporate offices and training center, as well as the 2,200-square-foot restaurant building. The restaurant concept is to have 25 employees per location and six management executives on corporate staff.

Cheatham's experience in restaurants grew from heading up one of the original Wendy's franchises more than 40 years ago.

“Part of Jim's mission is to create jobs within the community while giving back,” says Ward. “He's really focused on making sure that we hire locally and that we partner with local organizations in the area to provide food and services.”

Meals On Wheels of Tampa and Fisher House Foundation are among the charities and organizations Ragin' Grill plans to support. The first restaurant is expected to open by the end of September.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Teresa Ward, TF Ward Marketing Solutions

Saint Leo University recently celebrated the opening of its new business school.

Construction on the $12 million Donald R. Tapia School of Business, a 47,921-square-foot building on the university's main campus in Saint Leo in Pasco County, began in July of 2010. The first new academic building Saint Leo has built in more than 50 years, the new facility was completed in August in time for the 2011-12 school year.

“The Donald R. Tapia School of Business is a visible demonstration to the total Saint Leo community of our commitment to excellence and our commitment to our students. It was built to be a truly state-of-the-art building,” says Michael Nastanski, dean of the School of Business. “In these economic times, when schools have been really holding back because they have to, we didn't do that. We decided to really make an investment that would best benefit our students and they see that. They're really proud, excited and motivated.”

The school features a mix of learning spaces including technology-rich classrooms, seminar rooms, computer labs and an executive lecture hall, and office spaces for faculty and administration. It also has a broadcast and recording studio for video and audio production, and is equipped with SMART Board Technology. Seventy-inch high definition LCD multitouch, multiuser display monitors connected to the Internet, student laptops and cameras -- think giant iPads -- are located in every classroom.

“You're not going to find a better facility anywhere else in the world right now. Walking into one of our classrooms, you're going to get an environment that's just as good as any corporate environment. You're going to get to use tools that are available at any corporation and apply them,” says Nastanski. “This is an opportunity for Tampa Bay students and their parents to have an educational experience that's second to none.”

Funds for the facility were donated by more than 200 private donors, including Donald R. Tapia, an entrepreneur and Saint Leo alumnus who gave $4 million, the largest single gift in university history.

For more information on Saint Leo and the Donald R. Tapia School of Business, visit the School of Business website.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Michael Nastanski, Donald R. Tapia School of Business

A dilapidated St. Petersburg apartment complex with a troubled past is being sold and facing renovations.

Citrus Grove Apartments at 731 15th St. S. is a seven-building, 84-unit complex in the Campbell Park neighborhood, located directly across the street from John Hopkins Middle School at 701 16th St. S.

Owned by nonprofit Bethel Community Baptist Church, the Section 8 complex has a long history of crime, drugs and gangs. It was home to those involved in the 2009 drive-by slaying of 8-year-old Paris Whitehead-Hamilton and 16-year-old Nicholas Lindsey who was charged with murdering Police Officer David S. Crawford in February. After those events, St. Pete community leaders and City Council Member Karl Nurse put pressure on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to encourage Bethel Community to sell.

“Cirtus Grove Apartments is really the linchpin to improving the Campbell Park neighborhood,” says Nurse. “John Hopkins Middle School has complained for years now about the drug dealing and such across the street, so the ability to clean up any crime-related issues will allow us to bring the area back.”

According to Nurse, Chicago-based Trinity Partners signed the contract on September 9, and is expected to close by the end of the year. A $1.5 million rehabilitation project is set to begin in 2012 and should last about nine months. The goal is to rehab Citrus Grove unit kitchens, bathrooms, air conditioning, windows, water heaters and floors; the expected cost is about $20,000 per unit.

“I just really want to make sure that we get this area its much-needed renovation and that we put in management that are used to working on projects that need to be turned around,” says Nurse.

For more information on Citrus Grove Apartments, visit the Pinellas County Subsidized Rental Housing website.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Karl Nurse, St. Petersburg City Council

The iconic Hoffman Porges Gallery on 7th Avenue in Ybor City reopened in September.

With the original owner of the 20-year-old gallery deciding to close it about two years ago, Tampa residents Dave and Jill Scott saw something in the 6,000-square-foot space at 1907 E. 7th Ave. in the Historic Ybor District. They purchased the gallery this past summer. The Scotts celebrated the Hoffman Porges grand reopening show on September 9th and 10th, highlighting women in art throughout history -- “Virgins, Vixens and Vamps.”

“I wanted to reopen the gallery primarily because it had such a great reputation in Tampa,” says Jill Scott. “I'm no stranger to the business -- this is my third gallery -- so I decided this gallery had to be opened. My husband and I love art and we love Ybor.”

Featuring two floors of exhibition space including steel cable railing catwalks and an extensive in-house museum quality framing facility, the gallery displays original works from Florida artists such as Samantha Churchill, Scott Spillman, Rick Reeves, Marc De Waele and Jason Shiver.

“I want everyone to be able to walk into my gallery and take something home that they love. Art doesn't have to be expensive,” says Scott. “My goal here is: If you want to walk in and buy an original piece of art, great, I have that. But if you happen to fall in love with a piece of art that isn't $5,000, I have that too. Everyone deserves to have beautiful things surrounding them.”

Focusing on revitalizing Ybor City and giving back to the community, the Scotts decided to opt out of charging the typical 50 percent selling fee gallery-owners normally charge to display art, charging artists a marginal fee while donating a significant portion of the proceeds from the gallery's current show to Tampa Crossroads, a nonprofit organization focusing on providing education and rehab services to those wanting to adopt a healthier lifestyle, both mentally and physically.

“We've have been doing a lot of work and research on trying to restore the whole feeling that Ybor has and should have as the Historic District of Tampa,” says Scott. “We really believe in Ybor and there's no reason it shouldn't have an art gallery.”

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Jill Scott, Hoffman Porges Gallery

Construction on the University of South Florida's (USF) Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) is on track, significantly increasing USF's presence in downtown Tampa.

The 90,000-square-foot project designed by the Beck Group will be the first USF-owned building in downtown Tampa, joining space the university leases at the Port of Tampa in the Channelside neighborhood.

CAMLS will provide a state-of-the-art training and research facility closer to Tampa General Hospital and MacDill Air Base, allowing USF to work with health care professionals while looking at new systems of delivering health care that will improve patient safety, reduce medical errors and improve patient outcomes.

“CAMLS will provide USF with an urban campus space as well as an extremely efficient building for all different types of medical education and training,” says Dr. Deborah Sutherland, VP of USF Health Continuing Professional Development and CEO of USF Health Professions Conferencing Corporation (HPCC).

Built on a 1.2-acre site at 211 S. Florida Ave., the five core components of the three-story CAMLS building will consist of its Surgical and Interventional Training Center (SITC), Education Center (EC), Virtual Patient Care Center (VPCC), Tampa Bay Research and Innovation Center (TBRIC) and 30,000 square feet of general education and office space.

“This building really puts everything under one roof. We will have the ability to work with the life-long learning needs of health care professionals, the military and our hospital partners to provide adequate training and education,” says Sutherland. “Students will benefit by being in a state-of-the-art facility as they are taught the latest and most complex medical procedures while learning alongside clinicians.”

With completion slated for Feb. 2, 2012, the CAMLS project is currently on budget. Funds for the $38 million project were provided by Build America Bonds and HPCC, a not-for-profit corporation run by Sutherland; the budget includes everything from construction to medical equipment to furniture.

“The downtown community has been very welcoming of this project,” says Sutherland. “From an economic development perspective, I think it's really going to bring some much-needed revitalization to the downtown area.”

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Dr. Deborah Sutherland, University of South Florida

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, Team Florida has spent nearly two years working on its entry: the FleX House.

Based on a design by a partnership between the University of South Florida (USF), Florida State University (FSU), the University of Florida (UF) and the University of Central Florida (UCF), the FleX House is jam-packed with the latest cutting-edge, energy-efficient technology complete with moving parts that can easily adapt to different site situations and plan configurations; a $20,000 photovoltaic (PV) array was even recently installed onto the roof of the 1,000-square-foot building.

“Systems such as the solar array are opportunities to show society that we can make the right steps toward sustainability,” says Justin Vandenbroeck, a FSU engineering major who acted as an engineer on the project. “We aren't relying on fossil fuels to produce our energy -- instead we're harnessing the power of the sun that's been shining on us as long as we've existed. It's a common misunderstanding that solar energy is a futuristic idea that isn't practical, but it's actually very feasible.”

More than 50 students and faculty have worked on the $200,000 FleX House project behind the Beck Group's headquarters in downtown Tampa, at 220 W. 7th Ave. Donations and in-kind services from businesses throughout Florida such as Solar Ray, Prosolar Systems and SolarWorld USA -- a company where Vandenbroeck interned -- provided funds for the Solar Decathlon entry.

“Our objective was to design and build a solar-powered house that is not only energy efficient but cost effective as well,” says Vandenbroeck. “This event is an opportunity for students of all majors to express their visions on a large scale and really show the change they want to see.”

In order to participate in the Solar Decathlon on September 14 in Washington, D.C., the FleX house must be dismantled for transportation and reassembled before the competition where it will be judged against a variety of 18 houses for the title of the most energy efficient in the world.

“By investing in solar energy, you’re not only investing in energy independence in our country, but you are investing in a green economy and creating jobs right here at home,” says Vandenbroeck. “The sun isn’t going to stop shining anytime soon, so let’s take advantage of it.”

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Justin Vandenbroeck, Florida State University

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa recently announced that it has begun a $75 million expansion project to its casino, which will make it one of the largest casinos in the United States.

By adding 32,000 square feet of gaming space to its existing 190,000-square-foot gaming area, the Hard Rock Casino will have room for nearly 5,000 slot machines and 105 table games. Also included in the expansion is a new soon-to-be-announced restaurant, a new five-story parking garage with more than 1,300 spaces, a renovated pool complete with tropical landscaping and other updated amenities to further enhance the Hard Rock Hotel experience.

“We've been planning this expansion for quite some time,” says John Fontana, president of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa. “We've actually pushed back the dates in order to evaluate the market and economy just as every other business has been doing. Ultimately, the timing [of the expansion] was based on doing what's right for our guests -- and the demand is there. We really want to offer them the experience they're looking for.”

For the expansion, Fontana and the rest of the Hard Rock called in Cleo Design as the casino's interior designer, premiere hospitality and gaming resort specialist Klai Juba Architects as the project's architectural firm and Turner Construction as builder.

The project is expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs in the Tampa Bay region, including 500 full-time construction jobs and more than 430 new permanent staff jobs at the newly renovated space. More detailed information can be found in early 2012 while a job fair is planned for Spring 2012.

“The economic impact a $75 million expansion has on the Tampa Bay area cannot be taken mildly. We'll be one of Tampa's largest employers at nearly 3,500 employees, but these people aren't just getting a job, they're boosting our local economy,” says Fontana. “We couldn't be more proud to be able to announce that, through this expansion, we will help generate millions of dollars for the local Tampa Bay economy.”

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: John Fontana, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa

Beginning in October, the Platt Street Bridge connecting Bayshore Boulevard and Swann Avenue across the Hillsborough River to the Tampa Convention Center and east will close for more than 100 days.

Access to Harbour Island and Davis Islands will temporarily be affected as will pedestrian, bicycle and automobile traffic movement to and from small businesses around the Convention Center neighborhood connecting downtown with South Tampa.

Phase one and two of the $13.8 million project, funded by Community Investment Tax proceeds and federal grants, started in January 2011 and has included separate closures of both the north and south sides of the bridge with additional lane closures when necessary.

Phase three is set to begin in October -- a specific date yet to be announced -- and will close the entire bridge for 105 days, allowing contractors to open the drawbridge and perform replacement work on its components. Major repairs to the bridge include the reconditioning and replacement of mechanical bridge elements, the electrical bridge control system and bridge roadway deck grating, as well as structural concrete and steel repairs.

According to Antonio Amadeo, Davis Islands Civic Association traffic and safety chair, the Civic Association has been working on behalf of  residents, meeting with the city, county and Tampa General Hospital to better understand the impact, raise questions and voice concerns.

"We will continue to do so in the coming weeks as we believe more options are required to lessen the impact [of the closure] and assure safety during this time and the hurricane season," says Amadeo. "Being informed about this event will help lessen inconvenience and prepare us for any eventuality."

Amadeo suggests residents become familiar with alternate routes using an online detour map. Information on closures and alternative routes can also be found by calling the City of Tampa at (813) 635-5400.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Antonio Amadeo, Davis Islands Civic Association

Carrollwood Day School (CDS) in Tampa is growing to meet community demand.

Having begun an $8 million expansion project in January, construction is on track for the day school's renovation and expansion project which includes a larger space for its high school, a new elementary school and a completely revamped auditorium; construction on the high school and auditorium saw completion just before the first day of classes on August 22.

In the first of two phases of the project, CDS expanded its already-existing auditorium building by approximately 13,000 square feet, adding a catwalk to connect classrooms and improving the building's ceiling and lighting.

The remainder of the construction will add approximately 35,000 square feet surrounding the elementary school court yard and a two-story building featuring a new student media center, computer lab, multipurpose room, music classrooms and administrative offices, among other things. Completion for the elementary project is expected by Thanksgiving.

"We need this expansion," says Mary Kanter, CDS' head of school. "We must continue to grow and give the best possible education to our children."

While much of the first phase of the project has seen completion, the second phase is set to include a new middle school and gym, as well as expanded sports fields and tennis courts. Funds are currently being raised for the remainder of the campus' construction, provided by various donors.
 
Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Mary Kanter, Carrollwood Day School

The Academy Prep Center of Tampa hosted a ribbon-cutting on August 24, celebrating changes made to the school in July.

The campus, at 1407 E. Columbus Dr., recently underwent a much-needed renovation project, including a new on-campus student recycling center, an improved library and the introduction of SMART Boards into classrooms.

"This small project blossomed into a renovation project and would not have been possible if not for the funds by a donor who is committed to literacy and education," says Academy Prep Community Relations Coordinator Sharon Joller. "Before we knew it, several partners also donated time, materials and labor to the project."

Also funded by community businesses and in-kind donations made by Academy Prep partners such as Rooms To Go and the Hillsborough Community College Ybor Campus, phase one of the two-phase project included a complete overhaul to the campus' Poe Family and Bill Wilson Library: the library was repainted, new shelving and reading lounges were installed and a workstation for computer research was added. Phase two is expected to include a new student media center.

"Our library is one of the most unique spaces at Academy Prep. Not only does it serve our students as a classroom and library, but it also is used for Prep Talks and board meetings," says Joller. "When it was time to replace a few shelves and buy another table for our growing classes sizes, we took into consideration the multifunction of the space and felt that students could benefit from reading areas to encourage them to read, as well as the addition of student computers for research and writing."

Also celebrated at the ribbon-cutting was the installation of the school's new synthetic turf field. 

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Sharon Joller, Academy Prep Center