Kraus-Anderson Finishes $21.4M, Two-School Renovation Project

Kraus-Anderson in Duluth, Minn., recently announced that it has completed a $21.43-million addition and remodel of two facilities for Ely Public Schools in Ely, Minn. The district consists of Ely Memorial High School and Washington Elementary School, which serve a combined total of about 550 students, according to a news release. The project involved 110,500 square feet of renovation work total, including a 71,000-square-foot remodel of the two schools, according to a news release.

“The project added a new 39,000-square-foot commons area that creates a connection link between the high school and the elementary school,” said Todd Erickson, senior project manager at Kraus-Anderson. “The area also contains a safe and secure entry system, school district offices, and high-school and elementary offices.”

Ely Public Schools Renovation Addition
Image courtesy of Shore to Shore Communications, Inc.

The new space includes CTE classrooms, a media center, gymnasium, music room, metals shop and wood shop, and a new cafeteria with upgraded kitchen equipment, the news release reports. The high school gained new boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, the elementary school a new Early Family Childhood Education (ECFE) area, and both received new HVAC systems.

Construction started in May 2021, and the school district also partnered with Architectural Resources, Inc., for the design.

“In addition to budget, staffing, and supply-chain challenges brought about by COVID-19, crews discovered 1,700 cubic yards of ledge rock, which had to be blasted and excavated to allow installation of new utilities,” Erickson said.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator

    From Concrete Warehouse to Innovation Hub: Accelerating Sustainability at Stanford

    The transformation of a once windowless, concrete publishing warehouse into a sun-drenched center for global innovation began with a single, fundamental challenge: how to turn an industrial storage shell into a space built for human connection.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • golden trophies with falling confetti

    Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 New Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning is happy to announce that we’re now accepting entries for the 2026 New Product Awards! The awards program recognizes the outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered particularly noteworthy.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.