Minneapolis Public Schools Continues Work on New Construction, Renovation Projects

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/01/24

Minneapolis Public Schools in Minneapolis, Minn., is working with integrated construction management firm Kraus-Anderson on renovations to North High School that include a new Career & Technical Education (CTE) Center, according to a news release. The three major components of the project are new academic and athletic spaces, a new central student commons, and a North CTE Center. The district also partnered with LSE Architects for the project’s design.

The project totals 282,794 square feet and involves interior renovations to classrooms and program areas, a new media center, and dedicated space for drone flying, the news release reports. The auditorium, kitchen, and lunchroom were upgraded, and a new administration core, secure entrance, storm shelter, and single-use restrooms added.

“Our goal was to transform the existing building and artfully create an addition so that students would arrive each feeling pride in their school, fierce, knowing they are important and that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to,” said Mohammed Lawal, LSE Architects CEO.

Construction began in 2020, according to the news release. Renovations to the auditorium will be finished this fall, and Kraus-Anderson will proceed to finish additional interior and mechanical upgrades.

“KA is proud to be a team member with MPS in creating this leading-edge school facility which will be a conduit for career development,” said Kraus-Anderson Vice President John Huenink. “The new commons, updated classrooms and enhanced natural lighting will significantly elevate the school community and the learning experience.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • University of Kansas Opens $400M Football Stadium Reconstruction

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently announced that the $400-million reconstruction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is complete in time for the 2025 football season, according to a news release. The university partnered with Turner Construction Company on the project.

  • California Boarding School Opens New Inquiry Collaborative Facility

    Cate School, a boarding school in Carpinteria, Calif., for students grades 9–12, recently announced that it has finished renovating a historic dining hall into a new academic hub, according to a news release. The school partnered with Blackbird Architects and Tangram Interiors on the two-story, 16,000-square-foot Inquiry Collaborative.

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.

  • Longwood University Selects Builder for $73M Performing Arts Center

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently announced that it has selected Swedish construction company Skanska as the builder of its new performing arts center, according to online news. The project involves the demolition of the current building and constructing a new, 64,500-square-foot facility.