Construction Begins on New Denver Middle/High School

Construction on a new middle/high school has begun in the Denver Community School District in Denver, Colo. The new facility will relieve space and capacity issues at the district’s existing school buildings, as its elementary, middle, and high schools currently share a single campus. The new middle/high school will be built separately.

It will be attached to the Cyclone Center, the Denver High School athletic facility built in 2017. Construction of the Cyclone Center was Phase I of a continuing construction and expansion project for DCSD. “We always knew we wanted to upgrade our facilities to match the quality of education that our kids are receiving,” said Denver Community School District Superintendent Brad Lauers.

The $16.44-million, 75,500-square-foot middle/high school is scheduled to open in fall 2022. It will initially welcome 500 students in grades 6-12, but it has the capacity to hold up to 800 as enrollment expands. The district has welcomed 100 new students to its population during the last three years.

The existing school facilities are being pushed to their limits. Storage spaces have been converted into classroom, and an outdoor weight room has become the school’s music room. “It was time to stretch out a little bit,” said Lauers. “We’re a growing community, a growing district, and this will allow us to meet the needs of our students.”

Bids for the project came in slightly higher than expected, and as a result, a planned wrestling room was going to be scrapped. However, the school’s wrestling club is fundraising with a goal of $275,000 to be able to include the space in the new building.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • California District Opens New Continuation High School

    The Fort Bragg Unified School District (FBUSD) in Fort Bragg, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Noyo High School, a continuation high school that provides alternative education options for students in grades 6–12, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrochi Kwok Architects for design and FRC Inc. for construction, and the project’s funding came from Local Bond Measure B.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.