Campus Expansion
A charter school in Florida is seeing the sun rise on a new middle school. The middle school at Ocean Studies Charter in Key Largo is expected to finished by Thanksgiving, allowing the free public charter to enable its existing K–5 students to continue their education at the same facility.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/23/21
Campus Renovations
A college in Huntsville, Ala., has just undergone a $6 million renovation. The first guests in the 100-room facility at Oakwood University will be high schoolers attending Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE), which draws students seeking advanced engineering and cyber technology studies.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/23/21
A new survey reveals that within the last 12 months, 93% of schools experienced an emergency incident due to an infrastructure malfunction.
New Construction
The University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Applied Research Building. The three-story, 89,000-square-foot facility will bring together eight departments from four colleges for a cost of $85 million. The building is expected to open to students by spring 2023.
Campus Renovations
Spalding University in Louisville, Ky., received a $2 million grant this week from Kosair Charities for its new School of Physical Therapy. The funds will be used for an ongoing renovation project converting a campus building into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program’s new home.
New Construction
Construction has begun on a new academic building, Milgard Hall, on the campus of the University of Washington Tacoma in Tacoma, Washington.
Campus Renovations
West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, has announced a total of $18 million in renovations spread across four regions of the campus. All renovations are slated for completion by August 2021, in time for the beginning of the 2021–22 academic year.
Campus Facilities
Commercial washrooms solutions company Bradley Corp. recently announced the redesign of its Mills Phenolic No-Site Partitions to eliminate gaps between doors and pilasters, offering increased privacy in all types of educational facilities.
New Construction
Loyola Academy, a private Jesuit college preparatory school in Wilmette, Ill., recently broke ground on a brand-new, 29,000-square-foot performing arts center. The Loyola Academy Center for the Performing Arts comes with a $25.76-million price tag and will feature flexible indoor and outdoor performance spaces.
New Construction
Orange County Public Schools, headquartered in Orlando, Fla., has announced that it will open four new campuses this fall. The new facilities include two high schools, one new elementary school, and a K–12 school for students with behavioral disorders.
New Construction
Officials gathered last week on the campus of Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, to break ground on a new alumni center. The building will be the first addition to the campus in 20 years.
Partnerships
Flooring and sports surface solutions provider Tarkett announced this week that it has formed a distribution partnership with Summit Flooring Supply.
Campus Amenities
On the University of Kentucky Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington, Ky., officials recently broke ground on a new residential village for the campus’ researchers and workforce. The 260-unit, multi-family complex, to be named FIFTEEN51 Apartments, is scheduled to open its doors to residents in spring 2022.
New Construction
On the campus of the University of Florida in Gainsville, Fla., construction has already begun on the new University of Florida Public Safety Building. The new home of the UF Police Department is intended to enhance visibility on campus and promote accessibility to the public.
New Construction
The commission that oversees school construction in the State of Ohio recently approved more than $242 million in state funds for the construction of nine new K–12 schools around the state. This figure combines with $208 million in local funds to set up $450 million in Ohio public education construction work.
COVID-19 and Schools
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in K–12 schools on Friday. The health organization announced that fully vaccinated teachers and students will not be required to wear masks inside school buildings.
Funding
With the global pandemic greatly impacting the K–12 learning environment, more schools and districts are pivoting to collaborative learning spaces filled with comfortable, tech-equipped furniture that supports the future-ready learner. For funding help with these projects, districts are turning to one or more of the recently-passed federal stimulus bills.
Campus Renovations
On the campus of Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., the Henry Buhl Library is in the middle of a $9-million renovation project. The library first opened in 1954 and has not seen any major improvements or construction work since then.
New Construction
Construction on a new language arts complex recently began at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif. The college is partnering with Sundt Construction, Inc., on the facility.
New Construction
At UC San Diego, construction is set to begin on a 7-story academic building that will house health and medical programs. The $70-million La Jolla Innovation Center (LJIC) will be located just across the street from the southwest edge of campus. The university cited space concerns within the existing boundaries of its campus, as well as the fact that many of its on-campus buildings require expensive seismic upgrades.