Gilbane Building Company Celebrates the Grand Opening of Dreamers Academy
Sarasota, FL – Gilbane Building Company, together with Wolfe Architects, Inc., Kimley-Horn, and HighMark School Development delivered a state-of-the-art K-5 independent public charter school using an innovative design-build approach. Settled on a 5.4-acre greenfield site, this two-story, 43,100-square-foot institution aims to nurture bilingual, bi-literate, and cross-cultural leaders who will be fluent in English and Spanish by the time they reach fifth grade.
“We are thrilled to have been entrusted with this HighMark School Development project, and we are confident that this unique educational endeavor at Dreamer Academy will profoundly impact students, parents, teachers, and the entire community,” said James Caldwell, Gilbane Building Company, Sarasota Business Leader.
The Florida Development Finance Corporation financed this state-of-the-art educational campus through a state bond –the first time the FDFC has selected a new school for state bond financing. This stand-alone facility boasts a notable array of amenities, including 36 spacious classrooms, dedicated spaces for science, art, and music, administration offices, a fully equipped kitchen, a versatile dining/multi-purpose room, a high-tech media center, and additional support areas. The construction of this remarkable establishment required an extension of county facilities in the right of way, starting from a connection point half a mile down the road. Incorporating cutting-edge construction techniques, the structure features exterior tilt-wall panels and a robust structural steel frame that meets Florida’s stringent hurricane requirements.
Dr. Cathy Rodriguez, Dreamers Academy Head of School, said the new educational campus was designed and built to maximize the students’ learning and happiness. “There are many features that are customized for our rigorous dual language instructional model and the needs of today, including outdoor learning areas and three playgrounds, breakout spaces for small group guidance, high technology classrooms, Next-Gen HVAC systems, modern library with bilingual books and high security to protect our children,” said Dr. Rodriguez.
Prominent figures from various organizations and institutions attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Among the notable guests were Tom Edwards, a respected member of the Sarasota County School Board; Andrea Doggett, representing United Way Suncoast; Kirsten Russell, a representative of the Community Foundation of Sarasota; Esther Quilmes, a dedicated lifelong educator and volunteer; Mark Smith, Sarasota County Commissioner for District 2; Geri Chaffee, the visionary Founder of Dreamers Academy; Dr. Cathy Rodriguez, the esteemed Head of School at Dreamers Academy; Dr. Harriet Moore, Director of Sarasota County Schools; Bridget Ziegler, Chair of the Sarasota County School Board; Dan Kennedy, and the Vice Chair of the Dreamers Academy Board.
About Dreamers Academy
Dreamers Academy develops bilingual, biliterate, and cross-cultural leaders of character within a caring environment that encourages family engagement and celebrates America. Dreamers Academy’s vision is to inspire scholars to enter High School a grade level ahead of their monolingual peers. As a result, they will be prepared for tremendous success on a global scale with rich academic content served by a bilingual staff who knows each student by name and need. For more information, visit: https://www.dreamersacademy.org
About Gilbane Building Company
Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services for clients across various markets, from preconstruction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build, and facility management services. Founded in 1870 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has more than 45 office locations worldwide.
Gilbane is an industry leader in Florida with a reputation for quality construction and client satisfaction. Gilbane has provided construction management services in Florida for fifty years, managing office buildings, public assembly/sports, healthcare, life sciences, data centers, K-12, higher education, medical offices, industrial, government, and multi-family developments.
For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.