Tampa Heights Elementary About To Rise From The Ashes

TAMPA HEIGHTS, FL -- Parents, students and staff from Tampa Heights Elementary Magnet School will join other community members for an update on the rebuild of the historic campus on Columbus Drive, which was destroyed by fire in 2017.

The community meeting will be held on Thursday, March 14 from 6-7 p.m. at Young Middle Magnet School, 1807 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa.

The build and design teams including construction manager JE Dunn Construction and design professionals Fleischman Garcia & Planners will provide project updates and go over the progress of the school, which is bridging the past of this historic school with innovative updates.

The format for the meeting will be a gallery walk where attendees can ask questions and obtain information from various groups associated with the renovation project.

The fire on Sept. 12, 2017, engulfed the magnet school shortly after power was restored to the neighborhood when Hurricane Irma swept through the Tampa Bay area. The fire marshal concluded the fire was accidental and caused by an electrical surge.

Hillsborough County Public Schools negotiated full payment from the district’s insurance companies for the rebuild, using the preserved historic exterior of the school. As a result, the school district will incur no cost to rebuild Tampa Heights Elementary Magnet School.

The original school was built by volunteers in 1906 as the Michigan Avenue Grammar School. It became the district’s first magnet elementary school in 1993.

To maintain the authenticity of the historic three-story school while abiding by fire codes, the renovation will include vinyl tile with a wood design in place of the original hardwood floors. However, the three main facades will be restored to their original design.

The new design of the school, which will accommodate 398 students includes a flexible learning environment, a learning corridor with display areas, seating, writable surfaces, playful colors, acoustics and a three-story connector at the heart of the school. Outside, there will be exterior dining areas, a green courtyard, outdoor classroom and community garden.

The school district November 23rd, 2020. The Design Team and Construction Team are working together to fast track the process and, possibly, improve the move in date.

The design phase started in October 2018 and is projected to be completed in August. The construction phase will start in June, with demolition of the interior and the construction of the structural skeleton done concurrently with the design phase. The construction phase is projected to be completed prior to the November 2020 occupancy date.

To learn more about the project, click here.

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