The Ferman Center for the Arts, which opened Spring 2021, provides a creative and transformative space for the fine and performing arts departments. Students studying music, art, design, speech, theatre, dance, communication, philosophy and film will have access to four-stories of a visual and acoustic showcase.

The Ferman Center for the Arts building, named in honor of the Ferman family – longtime supporters of the University – includes a recital hall, black box theater, classrooms, practice rooms, art and dance studios, faculty and administrative offices, student study spaces and much more.

The 90,000-square-foot building located at the corner of North Boulevard and Spaulding Drive is named after the Ferman family, who have been involved with the University for 70 years.

Inside the building is a 200-seat, acoustically-tuned theatre, sound insulated music classrooms, practice rooms, recording studios, and a black box theater. 

The building also has a courtyard area for casting metal or ceramic art, a sculpture studio and a wood/metal fabrication shop.

UT’s President Ron Vaughn said the Ferman Center attracts talented students and faculty to UT and is a place where they can continue to break artistic boundaries.

“The Ferman Center has also solidified UT’s place as a major cultural contributor to the exciting downtown Tampa arts community,” he said.

The Center for Speech is located inside the Ferman Center for the Arts, as well as study and meeting spaces, and faculty offices and lounges.

The building will be constructed to be a candidate for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

It’s UT’s eighth LEED-certified building 

The University of Tampa’s Southard Family Building, which was built in 1962 on the Hillsborough River and has supported various administrative and academic functions over the years, underwent a major renovation. The renovation allows for significantly increased space for Career Services, classrooms, conference rooms and for a transformed post office.

A rendering of The Southard Family Building.

The previously named Riverside Center, which was a mix of single-story, story-and-a-half and two-story spaces, became two-story throughout, but will remain approximately the same footprint. The renovation added nearly 20,000 square feet for a total of 54,000 square feet. 

Highlights of the renovation include:

• Career Services, which helps students transition from college to career, has an additional 5,000 square feet to incorporate spaces for placement services, including interviewing, corporate recruiter meetings, receptions, employer programs and numerous student programs to aid career exploration and job search. An adjacent multipurpose room opens onto a patio that overlooks the Hillsborough River.
• Classrooms and conference spaces account for an additional 4,500 square feet. The new building features 10 classrooms and conference rooms, which include two state-of-the-art language labs. Many of the classrooms will feature views of the Hillsborough River and downtown Tampa.
• UT’s post office was totally redesigned and modernized to account for current trends in student use, in which students do not receive significant amounts of first class mail, but do receive numerous packages via Amazon, USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc. In fact, last year post office staff handled 10,000 packages the first week of fall semester, and more than 100,000 during the academic year.

The new building also includes space for faculty offices to help keep pace with the rapid addition of new employee hires. The Office of Admissions’ presentation room was expanded, along with Admissions’ logistics space for managing mailings to prospective students. Development and University Relations, Human Resources and Public Information and Publications will also benefit from redesign and expanded spaces.

“The new Riverside Building will benefit the UT community in many ways,” said UT President Ronald Vaughn. “I believe students will especially benefit from the expansion of Career Services and the addition of classrooms and study spaces, and I think they will particularly enjoy a modernized, functional post office.”  

The project architect is Andy Dohmen of Design Styles Architecture and the general contractor is Dave Tavlin of Crossroads Construction.

Construction of the building will be paid for through individual gifts and University funds.

In alignment with UT’s commitment to environmental stewardship, the building will be designed and constructed to be a candidate for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification of the U.S. Green Building Council.  

The renovation also was be enhanced by landscaping, new sidewalks and outdoor, riverfront seating.

The renovation of the Riverside Center was enhanced by landscaping, new sidewalks and outdoor, riverfront seating.

When it opened in May 1963 the Riverside Center was known as the Student Center and included a bookstore, dining center, library and student lounges. It was built soon after the completion of the McKay and Smiley residence halls, when UT was attempting to build out a more complete campus, as well as manage its post-war enrollment increase. It was expanded in 1969, and the building last received a facelift in 2009.