Pawtucket Elementary School Celebrates Topping Out Ceremony

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

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.