College moves ahead on flagship $25M student center

St. Petersburg College selected a team of architects and a construction manager to build a new $25 million student center on its campus.

Lema Construction will build the center from designs by Perkins + Will and Wannemacher Jensen Architects, according to a statement.

School officials say the new “flagship building” on the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus will “help foster focused, deliberate career education.”

The three-story “Student Success Center” project, as it is being called, also will include the renovation of an existing administration building. The center, designs for which are currently in development, is slated for completion in the fall of 2018.

“We appreciate the student-centric, forward-focused approach of St. Petersburg College — we're thrilled to contribute toward such a progressive educational vision,” says Jason Jensen, of Wannemacher Jensen, in the release.

Founded in 1927, St. Petersburg College today offers more than 100 degrees and programs, including more than 20 different types of Bachelor's degrees.

Lema Construction specializes in higher education, health care and other commercial projects, while Perkins + Will has more than 20 offices nationwide and 2,000 professionals. Wannemacher Jensen is one of St. Petersburg's leading design firms.