Hillsborough School Board May Sell Downtown Tampa Administration Building

Bay News 9 | by Jason Lanning | February 9, 2021

TAMPA, Fla. — As the Hillsborough County School District battles budget deficits, the school board could vote Tuesday to put its downtown administration building on the market.

The building, located at 901 E. Kennedy Boulevard, was constructed in 1978 and has been the district’s central management location.

What You Need To Know

The building is worth more than $27 million, according to tax records researched by Spectrum Bay News 9’s partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times.

The school board is expected to vote today on whether it should deem the administration building as “surplus” and not needed for educational purposes.  

District spokesperson Tanya Arja said the vote would open the process up allowing the district to see what it could get on the open market for the 1.54-acre site.

“This does not mean we are selling the building,” Arja said. “However, we need board approval to start the process and see what potential buyers could bring to the district.”

If the school district does sell its administration building, it says it would be taking steps to right the size of its property portfolio and better use its other properties for future growth.

Some argue, however, that selling the district’s centrally located headquarters could send a message of weakness to the public, at a time when the school district is already strapped for cash because of the on-going pandemic.​

The vote is scheduled during the school board’s regularly scheduled 4:30 p.m. meeting.

Photo: The Hillsborough School Board is expected to vote on whether it should deem its administration building as “surplus” and not needed for educational purposes. (Chris McDonald, Spectrum News staff)