‘Phoenix’ Rising From Florida Polytechnic Campus

LAKELAND, FL — Florida Polytechnic University’s iconic Innovation, Science and Technology Building won’t be the only architecture on campus that turns the heads of passersby much longer. The school broke ground Wednesday, Dec. 7 on a new wellness center that will resemble the school’s phoenix mascot when it is completed next fall.

The project, which is estimated to cost just under $2 million, was prompted by a growing need on campus, university officials explained. It seems the relatively new school’s current wellness center saw its attendance rise by more than 400 percent over the past year.

To meet the growing demand for fitness facilities, the school began looking for a replacement. The design concept for the new 8,605-square-foot center was developed by Straughn Trout Architects. The phoenix-shaped center will feature a strength training area that will cover nearly 3,000-square feet. In addition, there will be two outdoor pools, a covered outdoor rock climbing wall, a multipurpose room, meeting rooms and wellness and nutrition coaching available.

Keeping in line with Poly’s commitment to innovation, the center will “also have a dedicated space for students to design and test new technologies for physical and health training,” a media release stated.

“The project was created to not only serve the students, but to also reflect Florida Poly’s dedication to fostering a culture of constant innovation and well-rounded success,” explained Tim Hoeft of Straughn Trout Architects.

The demand for wellness center space doesn’t seem to surprise Dr. Steven S. Warner, Poly’s vice provost of student affairs.

“Our students not only want to exercise their minds, but their bodies as well,” Warner said. “This wellness center will be a new space for students to dive into healthy activities while also giving them more collaborative space to meet, socialize and come up with their next big idea.”

Construction on the new center is expected to be complete sometime in fall 2017.

Florida Poly was created in April 2012 to serve as the state’s only public university “for engineering and technology dedicated to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the school’s website explains.

For more information about Florida Polytechnic University, visit the school’s website.

Renderings courtesy of Florida Polytechnic University