Lakeland – October 27, 2026 -- Florida Southern College has begun building a four-greenhouse citrus and horticulture complex and reopened its modernized Miller Planetarium, backed by state, federal and private funding. Both milestones were marked at a joint ceremony on Oct. 22.
Albritton complex anchors the College's citrus education push
The Ben and Missy Albritton Citrus and Horticulture Complex is named for Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, a College alumnus who studied horticulture there, and his wife. Guests signed a steel beam that will become a permanent part of the structure. Once completed, the four greenhouses will support hands-on learning and experimentation.
Board of Trustees Chairman Keith Berend noted that the College once offered what was the nation's only bachelor's degree dedicated to citrus.
State money funds Polk Science upgrades; private gift targets laboratories
State funding is also paying for structural upgrades, historic preservation and greenhouse restoration at Polk Science. A separate private donor gift will fund renovations to existing laboratories.
Planetarium reopens with new projection and audiovisual systems
College President Jeremy Martin led the ribbon-cutting at the Miller Planetarium. The modernization upgrades projection and audiovisual technology, and the facility targets students, K-12 school groups, families and visitors.
Funding came from the State of Florida, the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures grant program and a private donor. Senator Colleen Burton and Representative Jennifer Canady were recognized for securing state appropriations for the College over several years. Berend said the reopening "fulfills a dream decades in the making."
The planetarium sits on a campus that houses 13 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structures, which makes preservation part of the project scope.