Affordable housing for teachers may be developed near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete
/A 1.36-acre property which is home to the former Tomlinson Adult Learning Center could soon be redeveloped into workforce housing for teachers | Marilyn Malara, Green Bench Monthly
The former Tomlinson Adult Learning Center near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Petersburg could be redeveloped into housing for employees of Pinellas County Schools.
According to a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on Tuesday, the School Board of Pinellas County says there’s a shortage of workforce housing for teachers and staff members, and redevelopment of the 1.36-acre site, located at 296 Mirror Lake Drive, could bring much-needed affordable rental units while simultaneously preserving the three-story, 40,942-square-foot Tomlinson Building.
While the construction of new workforce housing is a main priority for the School Board, the historic building itself could be utilized in a number of ways, including “transforming it into a housing, business, entertainment, or mixed-use facility.”
The building opened in 1924 as St. Petersburg Junior High School and became a vocational high school in 1931. In 1935, the name was changed to Edwin H. Tomlinson Vocational School. Another name change occurred in 1978, when it became known as the Tomlinson Adult Learning Center.
The former Tomlinson Adult Learning Center is located at 296 MIrror Lake Drive in downtown St. Pete
Declining enrollment, however, led the school to shutter in December 2021, and it’s been used as a storage facility ever since, but it’s also been designated an emergency relocation site for school district personnel “should another district facility become incapacitated,” according to the RFP.
“As the largest employer in Pinellas County, the eighth-largest district in the state and the 28th-largest district in the nation,” the RFP reads, “the district is constantly looking for innovative solutions and innovative educators to meet the challenges faced in today’s world of public education.”
The school board likens the potential of the Tomlinson Building to the nearby former St. Petersburg High School property, which was redeveloped in 1991 as a condo building “and today is a thriving residential community,” the RFP reads, adding that the Mirror Lake neighborhood is home to 11 buildings that have been designated as local landmarks, and so a redevelopment — rather than full replacement — of the Tomlinson Building would help preserve the area’s historic character and charm.
The Tomlinson building opened in 1924 as St. Petersburg Junior High School and became the Tomlinson Adult Learning Center in 1978.
Although not locally designated, the Tomlinson Building is listed on the City of St. Petersburg's list of Properties Potentially Eligible for Local Landmark Designation and in April 2004 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mirror Lake District is truly in the heart of St. Petersburg,” the RFP reads, “making it one of the most desirable areas to reside in the city.”
The school board has set a deadline of 4 p.m. on February 1, 2023, for proposals to be submitted. It seeks a 50-year lease for the property, and proposals should include “the maximum number of workforce housing units allowed for occupancy at the lowest possible rent,” according to the RFP.
An evaluation committee will shortlist responses on February 17, 2023 and provide a final ranking on March 22, 2023.
