Campus
Eckerd College has a suburban 188-acre (0.76 km2) campus on Frenchman's Creek and Boca Ciega Bay, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Gulf of Mexico beaches. The campus is near, but separate from, residential and commercial neighborhoods of St. Petersburg. The college is committed to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable campus, supported by such initiatives as its Yellow Bike program.
The college has several architectural styles, but a common feature is the use of glass and external views to emphasize a connection with the environment. Recent campus additions include the Peter H. Armacost Library, Iota residential housing complex, sports facilities, a renovated student center and the renovated Miller Auditorium. Other campus buildings include those designed and used for classrooms, laboratories, offices, conferences, theatrical productions, musical instruction, art exhibits, athletic events, and student services. The just-finished Iota housing complex was constructed to be ecologically friendly. The college is currently constructing the Center for Molecular and Life Sciences, a new $30 million, 51,000-square-foot (4,700 m2) laboratory facility, which is expected to be ready for use in 2012.
Dolphins and manatees can sometimes be seen swimming near the college's South Beach area. Campus birdlife includes herons, cranes, egrets, pelicans, wood storks, cormorants, roseate spoonbills, bald eagles, hawks, pileated woodpeckers, and many species of seagulls. Alligators are occasionally seen in campus ponds.
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