Pinellas County Schools, YMCA To Build New Middle School

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Pinellas County Schools has announced plans to build a new middle school in collaboration with the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg in north St. Petersburg.

The Pinellas County School District submitted a joint development proposal to the Florida Department of Education, which was recently approved.

The new school will be located on 62nd Avenue North at the former site of Riviera Middle School, which was closed in 2008 and torn down.

Pinellas County Schools and the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg will finalize the design and operational plans for the middle school and YMCA facility in the coming months. Tentative plans call for 40 classrooms to accommodate up to 800 students with a shared gymnasium, cafeteria, pool and maker space. The new school is slated to open in August 2021.

The YMCA will be responsible for the cost of the design and construction of the gymnasium, cafeteria, pool and maker space. The remainder of the estimated $15 million in construction costs will be assumed by the school district.

"While having a joint school and YMCA is not a new concept, it would be new for Pinellas," said David Jezek, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg.

According to Jezek, the idea for the school was inspired by market research that identified north St. Petersburg as a strategic location for YMCA services because the area borders lower- and higher-income households, allowing the YMCA to bring together diverse cross sections of the community.

Jezek said, once the size, scope and cost of a project is determined, the YMCA will begin fundraising.