USF Marine Science Lab Renovation and Replacement

planned

The University of South Florida's Marine Science Lab in St. Petersburg, originally built in the 1930s as barracks for merchant marines, suffered a fire caused likely by lightning striking the roof. The building has old infrastructure, including a roof that has not been renovated since the 1970s and possibly outdated electrical wiring. The university had plans to build a new main building for the college, which was vetoed in 2022 for $75 million funding. Subsequent legislative budgets approved roughly $34.3 million for upgrades, including hurricane recovery, but these efforts had not started as of the article date. The university also received $10 million last year to renovate the Marine Science Lab after hurricane damage, with plans to upgrade the lab and construct a storm-hardened research facility inland. The project had only minimal planning spent and had not started construction yet.