The Academy of the Holy Names is expanding its South Tampa campus with an $8.2 million Health and Wellness Center.
Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, the school filed plans with the City of Tampa to add a 6,641 square foot athletic and training space at its MacDill Avenue athletics complex, part of the Academy’s main campus on Bayshore Boulevard.
The project continues the Academy’s long-standing commitment to developing the whole person through education, faith and fitness.
What we know
Records show the Academy is building a two-story Health and Wellness Center at 3319 S. MacDill Ave. The project will add classrooms, training areas and restrooms, along with new mechanical, electrical and fire protection systems.
READ: Tampa City Council approves massive observation wheel for Channelside
Tampa-based Ellison Construction is serving as the general contractor, and Wannemacher Jensen Architects is serving as the project’s architecture firm. Vickstrom Engineering Services is handling civil engineering. The project supports the Academy’s 2023-2028 strategic plan, which prioritizes student well-being, leadership and community engagement.
What’s happening now
The expansion will serve both academic and athletic programs, including the school’s championship swim and dive team. Plans show the facility will include modernized fitness areas, classrooms and will expand the existing athletic building along MacDill Avenue.
The Academy’s athletics program fields 13 high school sports with 15 teams and 9 middle school sports with 18 teams, earning local, regional and national recognition, according to its website.
Its swim and dive team has won three consecutive state titles —the only girls program in Hillsborough County history to do so —along with 17 straight district and 15 straight region championships. The school’s teams and student-athletes have also received national honors in lacrosse and other sports.
What this means for Tampa Bay
The project underscores how private schools and nonprofits are shaping the region’s development landscape. Institutional projects like this one create local jobs, strengthen the construction pipeline and reflect ongoing investment in Tampa’s educational infrastructure.
READ: Investors snap up West Tampa Pollo Campero for $3M
For the Academy, it marks another step in a 144-year legacy of growth. The new center supports 13 high school sports and 15 competitive teams and reflects a continued emphasis on health and leadership as central parts of student life.
Why it matters
As South Tampa continues to attract reinvestment, projects tied to education and wellness help sustain neighborhood vitality. The Academy’s expansion shows how long-established institutions are adapting to modern expectations while maintaining the values that built their reputations.
Looking ahead
Completion of the new facility will enhance the Academy’s ability to serve more than 1,000 students each year. It aligns with the school’s motto — “Esse Quam Videri,” meaning “To be, rather than to seem” — by turning a century-old mission into a modern facility that supports mind, body and spirit.
READ: Meet the Tampa firm teaching NFL players life after football
What we don’t know
The Academy of the Holy Names did not respond to a request for comment. The Academy has not released renderings or public statements regarding the project’s design or timeline. No information is available on the expected completion date or potential community access to the new facility. Details such as the size of individual training areas, planned technology features and sustainability elements were not included in city filings.
