Maryland to See New $180M High School

Montgomery County Public Schools recently approved design plans for a new, $180-million high school in Gaithersburg, Md. Local news reports that Crown High School will stand five stories and have the capacity for about 2,200 students. The design also leaves room for potential expansion to house up to 2,700 students.

The school will include a gymnasium open to the public, dining space, an indoor amphitheater, and space for special education programs. It will also feature a child development program, an administrative sing, a performing arts wing, a media center, and classrooms and lab space. The campus will feature multiple courtyards, and open space accounts for about 65% of the layout, according to Bethesda Magazine. It will also take advantage of sustainability initiatives like solar panels and geothermal energy.

The main purpose of the school’s construction is to ease overcrowding at five other district high schools. The land on which the school will be built is owned by the city of Gaithersburg. The plot has been designated as a future school site since 2006 on the condition that construction had to begin within 20 years, according to an arrangement with the mayor and the City Council.

Construction is scheduled for completion in 2026, although it may stretch into 2027. The district is partnering with general contractor Keller Construction Management and architecture firm Stantec Architecture.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Florida Gulf Coast University Selects Builder for New Academic Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla., recently announced that it has selected development and construction firm Skanska to build a new academic and health sciences building, according to a news release. Marieb Hall South will become the campus’ largest academic building at 158,040 square feet.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • UPenn Announces Completion of New Veterinary Education Facility

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently finished construction on an 11,800-square-foot veterinary education building, according to a news release. The Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education is the first dedicated classroom facility at the New Bolton Center, a large-animal hospital and campus about 35 miles west of the campus proper.