Hillsborough College wants to raise $5 million to build a workforce training center on the Ruskin farmland the Dickman family farmed for generations before donating it to the college.

The planned Pop and Glenn Dickman Family Workforce Education Building would rise at the college's SouthShore Campus at 551 24th St. N.E. The Osprey Observer reported in March that the building would span 51,000 square feet. The college's Harvesting the Future Campaign, which launched Jan. 27, is funding the project.

Campus growth on former farmland

The SouthShore Campus already serves more than 10,000 students across 24 programs, including nursing, EMT and paramedic training, and the Lennard Collegiate Academy. The campus holds LEED Gold certification. The Osprey Observer's March coverage identified welding and collision repair as programs slated for expansion in the new building.

The area has grown rapidly. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Ruskin, Apollo Beach and Wimauma added more than 26,000 residents, according to the college's announcement. That is a combined increase of roughly 70%.

President ties project to family's legacy

Jennifer China, president of the SouthShore Campus, tied the project to the land's agricultural roots in a Sept. 10 statement.

"They understood something that guides our work every day — you plant what you want to see grow," China said of the Dickman family. "We are planting careers, and the harvest is a workforce that will sustain South Hillsborough County for decades to come."

All donations to the campaign will be matched dollar for dollar up to $500,000.

Gala and other ways to give

The Glenn and Danita Dickman family will host the Harvesting the Future Gala on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Tampa Downtown. The event will feature a performance by The Temptations Review featuring the Legacy of Dennis Edwards.

Residents who cannot attend the gala can donate or explore sponsorship opportunities through the Hillsborough College Foundation giving page.

No groundbreaking date or construction timeline has been announced.