$108M high school renovation, expansion complete near Fort Myers

Suffolk Construction and the School District of Lee County recently celebrated the completion of a $108 million construction project. Riverdale High School near Fort Myers was renovated and expanded to create a future-ready campus for its approximately 2,000 students, according to a statement, which says the work took about two years.

Among the additions are a new science building with 14 rooms, gymnasium, child care academy and testing facility. Classrooms, offices, the kitchen and cafeteria were updated. Portable classrooms were removed, and the space was converted into athletic fields. Project officials also reconfigured parking to allow for 774 vehicles, while infrastructure from flooring to lighting and HVAC systems were upgraded to support future growth, according to the statement.

“Thank you to our project partners for delivering an exceptional finished product,” School District of Lee County Superintendent Denise Carlin says in a statement. “Students and faculty could watch the campus transform in front of their eyes. Riverdale is now equipped to serve generations of Raiders for years to come.”

Courtesy image

Suffolk says it kept the project on schedule despite challenges like the 2024 hurricanes and working on an active campus through extensive communication and planning. The company also deployed technology like OpenSpace, which provides real-time visual intelligence of job sites; Clearstory, a communication change order tool; and Voyage Control, a digital platform supporting logistics management.

“By leveraging advanced technology, we were able to maintain transparency with the district and community, optimize project performance and deliver a state-of-the-art learning environment on time and on budget,” Pete Tuffo, president of Florida Gulf Coast and national gaming at Suffolk, says in the statement.

The project was made possible by revenue from the half-cent sales tax approved by Lee County voters in 2018, according to a statement.

Suffolk Construction Company, which is headquartered in Boston and has offices in Estero and Tampa, posted $8 billion in annual revenue, according to its website. The company, which handles construction projects in all sectors, also has in its portfolio of school projects Gateway High School in Fort Myers and Elbert Elementary School in Winter Haven.