Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Pawtucket Elementary School Celebrates Topping Out Ceremony

  • By Matt Jones
  • 11/15/21

Officials gathered recently to celebrate the topping out of a new STEAM elementary school in Pawtucket, R.I. Representatives from the Pawtucket School District, the State of Rhode Island and the City of Pawtucket joined those from Colliers Project Leaders, the SLAM Collaborative and Gilbane Building Company to commemorate the milestone of the 93,694-square-foot Henry J. Winters Elementary School.

During the ceremony, the last beam was laid across the top of the building. The three-story facility will have space for 643 students between pre-kindergarten and fifth grade. The district partnered with the SLAM Collaborative for design and Gilbane Building Company for construction. The project had a budget of $50 million.

“In delivering this project, we’ve not only focused on client satisfaction, sustainability, safety and innovation, but also diversity and community engagement,” said Steve Duvel, Gilbane senior vice president and New England division leader, in a press release. “As we celebrate this milestone and look toward the future of the project, we further our commitment to Pawtucket, the state of Rhode Island and the generations of students who will call this building home.”

Upgrades from the previous facility will include a student drop-off area designed for optimal traffic flow, increased security measures and energy-efficient HVAC systems.

“We know that our students deserve the best educational experience we can give them, and we must maintain our commitment to them, their teachers and the school department to further opportunities and engage in education through better schools and classrooms,” said Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien in June 2021.

Funding for the school came as part of a $220-million bond package that Pawtucket voters approved in 2018 to complete upgrades across the city’s 17 schools. The former Winters Elementary facility was demolished this past summer, and the new facility is scheduled for completion by summer 2022.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.