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.