YBOR CITY, Fla. — On Saturday morning high schoolers got a behind the scenes look at a major development project that is set to revitalize Tampa’s oldest neighborhood.
Students in the ACE Mentor Program toured Gas Worx in Ybor City. That six million square foot site is getting a complete overhaul.
What You Need To Know
Students in the ACE Mentor Program toured Gas Worx in Ybor City
The teens heard from industry experts about the development project
The ACE program helps guide students interested in architecture, construction and engineering
Students will be invited back next year to see the progress made at the construction site
Justin Martinez and about a hundred other students in the ACE Mentor Program did the tour.
“Ever since I was little, I always loved playing with Legos. I’ve always loved building, designing. I always knew I was going to design something even at a young age,” said Martinez.
The program mentors high schoolers who are interested in architecture, construction and engineering. The students meet weekly, working with industry experts, and once a year they visit a construction site.
“In the classroom we see like pictures and stuff and that’s cool, but we’re not really like seeing it in live action. So there’s a difference from like seeing it on a whiteboard compared to like seeing it in real life,” Martinez said.
Gas Worx is quite the project to see, with millions of square feet being turned into new community spaces and office and residential buildings.
“This is our opportunity to create the city and the region that we know Tampa and Tampa Bay can be,” Mayor Jane Castor said when speaking to the students Saturday morning.
The 2025 Construction Industry Safety Challenges study said labor shortages are the top challenge facing construction companies.
Senior director of construction at Kettler Jose Romulton said he hopes this experience inspires the next generation.
“I think that if they’re given this opportunity to see something like this in real time, it would be one of the best things for them and hopefully it’ll ignite their careers,” said Romulton.
Martinez is already on his way there. He’s applied to architecture schools, and he said he’s looking forward to building on the knowledge ACE has given him.
“If anyone wants to join ACE and has a feeling for architecture, construction engineering, do it 100%,” Martinez said.
Students are invited back next year to see the progress that’s been made at the site.
Every year 10,000 teens take part in the ACE Mentor Program nationwide.