Tampa museum picks builder for multimillion-dollar expansion

The Tampa Museum of Art announced the construction firm that will be leading their Centennial Expansion project. The Beck Group, a firm based out of Houston with a longtime presence in Tampa, is tasked with building out the 77,904-square-foot expansion. 

The project began with a $25 million donation from Dick Corbett, a real estate investor and developer local to Tampa who at one time owned the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team. The construction will not break ground until the museum reaches its fundraising goal of $110 million, which it intends to reach by late 2024 or early 2025. 

The Beck Group bills itself as the largest design-build firm in the States and has completed buildings all over the country in its 100-year history, and recognizable projects in Tampa include the James Museum of Western Wildlife and Art and the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Pete, plus multiple projects for the University of South Florida and University of Tampa. 

“Our commitment to the Tampa Bay area extends beyond construction; it's about enriching communities. We take pride in shaping Tampa's downtown waterfront, exemplified by our collaboration on the Tampa Museum of Art’s Centennial Expansion,” says Ryan Toth, regional director for Beck’s Florida office in a statement. 

Designed by architectural firm Weiss/Manfredi, the project will include a ground floor terrace along Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, a 150-seat auditorium, a sculpture terrace, rooftop space for events and a new lobby, entrance, store and restaurant space.