St. John's Episcopal School receives $3M gift for new campus
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 18, 2023

St. John's Episcopal Parish Day School, which wants to redevelop its South Tampa campus, has received a $3 million gift from an anonymous donor.

The donation comes as St. John's is planning to build a 90,000-square-foot building and playing field on its South Tampa real estate, which includes most of the block of West Platt Street bound by South Parker Street to the east and South Plant Avenue to the west.

Zudar's Bourbon Street Bar and Grill and Bay Bouquet are not part of the redevelopment plans.

St. John's has filed plans with the city for the redevelopment and has not disclosed a fundraising goal or timeframe for construction. The anonymous donor is a family with a "deep commitment to the mission of St. John's Episcopal School," the school said.

“This gift was so important to our family because the education and experience that St. John's has provided our children has been absolutely exceptional,” the family said in a statement. “These new facilities will impact generations to come and completely change this section of South Tampa in a way that will impact the entire community."

The new campus will include "state-of-the-art facilities for the performing arts, robotics, STEM, video production and technology integration," as well as outdoor recreational spaces.

"We are humbled and deeply grateful for this generous and historic gift. It speaks volumes about our St. John’s community’s faith and trust in our mission," Hugh Jebson, head of school, said in a statement. “This contribution helps us build momentum for our campaign and the bright future of our school and its students."