Tomlinson Community Partners to Develop FIrst-Ever Teacher and Staff Housing in St. Pete
By Post
Tampa Bay Newswire
Published: Jun 15, 2023

FORT MYERS, FL, June 2023: Alexander Goshen + Cornerstone Strategic Partners, developers of several major projects in Florida and beyond, have been selected to redevelop the historic Tomlinson Adult Learning Center in downtown St. Petersburg. In partnership with D.C.-based development company Dantes Partners, the three companies have formed a strong minority-led development team, Tomlinson Community Partners, to create housing for teachers and staff in Pinellas County. The first of its kind for the school board, Goshen + Cornerstone believes this project is a model for not only other school boards in the state but the entire country.

“We are honored to begin this project for our teachers and educators who are often overworked and underpaid. Our goal is to create a space where teachers are proud to live,” comments Leonard Burke, Managing Partner, Cornerstone Strategic Partners, LLC. “We are thrilled to create high-quality housing that fits into the lifestyle of our hardworking educators,” says Miles Alexander, Principal of Alexander Goshen.

To directly understand needs from the teacher’s and staff’s perspective, Goshen + Cornerstone partnered with Nixon & Co., a consulting group that excels at community listening and engagement and brings over 30 years of experience in the education field. Nixon & Co. will work directly with the Pinellas County School Board to facilitate focus group listening sessions with teachers and staff members to understand their housing needs, such as what their day-to-day looks like and what they would want in a residential community.

“Being a part of this project is an incredible opportunity. This is not just a 14-story property but a remedy to the decline in teacher and staff retention in the area due to the lack of assessable housing options,” says Kellen Nixon, Principal of Nixon & Co.

Tomlinson Community Partners plan to build 225 residential units; 113 will be set aside for workforce housing for teachers and district employees. The units will target those earning between 90% to 120% area’s median income, and rents will range between $1,263 and $2,160. The property will include studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, and an on-site fitness center.