Add as a preferred source on Google

Illinois High School to See $93.2M Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/18/22

Officials from Springfield School District 186 in Springfield, Ill., gathered last week to break ground on renovations to Lanphier High School. The project comes with a price tag of $93.2 million and is expected for completion by December 2023. Funding comes from a 1% sales tax increase that voters passed in 2018, according to local news.

Renovations include adding a skylight to the commons area, new classroom additions, a new performing arts auditorium, a new fieldhouse with a capacity for 2,000, an esports room and workspace for the construction trades program, said District Superintendent Jennifer Gill. The project also includes a makeover for Memorial Stadium, which serves both Lanphier and the nearby Springfield High School. The stadium will get a new field, new track surface, locker rooms, concession stand and restrooms.

Gill said that one of the renovation’s primary goals was to preserve “the historical nature of Lanphier [with that main entrance], but yet make it to where it is completely redone and renewed inside,” according to local news.

“Blown away,” was the first reaction from Springfield School District 186 Board of Education member Micah Miller upon seeing the first renderings of the renovation. “I remember liking the first rendition in the master plan [from 2017]. They’re really putting a lot of thought into the form and the function, specifically the commons section that ties the new and old building together. I’m happy to see the investment in Lanphier; it’s long overdue.”

The district is partnering with BLDD Architects, Inc. for design and with O’Shea Builders for construction.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • Embry-Riddle Breaks Ground on New Office Building

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced that construction has begun on a new office building for its campus Research Park, according to a news release. The university partnered with Hoar Construction on the 34,740-square-foot Center for Aerospace Technology II (CAT II), which will be used for research and lab purposes.

  • Kimball International Launches New Furniture for K–12 Classrooms

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of four new products designed for a variety of professional environments, including K–12 schools, according to a news release.

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

Digital Edition