Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Minnesota Middle School Begins $24M Renovation, Addition Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/08/23

Construction firm Kraus-Anderson recently announced that work has begun on a $24-million renovation project for Central Middle School in White Bear Lake, Minn., according to a news release. Additions will total 108,000 square feet and include a new gym, a new fitness area, an expanded cafeteria and kitchen, and renovations to the former district office space to add new classrooms. Construction is scheduled for completion in late summer 2025.

The school district also partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers for the project’s design. Further improvements will include updates to classrooms, the media center, learning commons and flex areas, safety and security updates, and long-term facility management upgrades.

The Central Middle School renovation is just one of many projects included in a $326-million building bond that voters in the White Bear Lake Area School District approved in 2019. Kraus-Anderson is also nearing completion on another project that was part of that bond—$5.8 million in additions and expansions to Oneka Elementary School.

“Kraus-Anderson is proud to be working with the White Bear Lake Area School District on numerous schools that fall under this extensive referendum,” said Kraus-Anderson senior project manager AJ Lillesve. “The overall, multi-year project is addressing enrollment growth, updating aging facilities, and creating flexibly designed learning spaces to support student-centered instruction.”

The news release reports that projects currently underway include a $225-million, 595,000-square-foot addition to White Bear Lake Area High School; as well as $5.2-million and 14,500 square feet in renovations to the White Bear Lake Area Learning Center. Completed projects include the construction of a new elementary school and district transportation facility, as well as additions, renovations, and upgrades to seven other district elementary schools.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.

  • DLR Group Hires Three for Higher Education Practice

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has brought three new hires on board to help shape its higher education practice in California and the northeast, according to a press release.

  • Fargo, N.D., Starts Construction on Consolidated Elementary School

    Fargo Public Schools in Fargo, N.D., recently announced the beginning of construction on a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with ICON Architectural Group and Kraus-Anderson Construction on the new Horace Mann Elementary School.