Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Illinois High School to See $93.2M Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/18/22

Officials from Springfield School District 186 in Springfield, Ill., gathered last week to break ground on renovations to Lanphier High School. The project comes with a price tag of $93.2 million and is expected for completion by December 2023. Funding comes from a 1% sales tax increase that voters passed in 2018, according to local news.

Renovations include adding a skylight to the commons area, new classroom additions, a new performing arts auditorium, a new fieldhouse with a capacity for 2,000, an esports room and workspace for the construction trades program, said District Superintendent Jennifer Gill. The project also includes a makeover for Memorial Stadium, which serves both Lanphier and the nearby Springfield High School. The stadium will get a new field, new track surface, locker rooms, concession stand and restrooms.

Gill said that one of the renovation’s primary goals was to preserve “the historical nature of Lanphier [with that main entrance], but yet make it to where it is completely redone and renewed inside,” according to local news.

“Blown away,” was the first reaction from Springfield School District 186 Board of Education member Micah Miller upon seeing the first renderings of the renovation. “I remember liking the first rendition in the master plan [from 2017]. They’re really putting a lot of thought into the form and the function, specifically the commons section that ties the new and old building together. I’m happy to see the investment in Lanphier; it’s long overdue.”

The district is partnering with BLDD Architects, Inc. for design and with O’Shea Builders for construction.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • 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.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.