Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Fort Collins to Convert 1980s Office Park into Junior High School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/01/25

The Liberty Common School, a charter-public school in Fort Collins, Colo., recently broke ground on an adaptive reuse project that will convert an 1980s-era office park into a 45,000-square-foot junior high school for seventh- and eighth-grade students, according to a news release. The school currently has three campuses—two for K–6 students, and one for 7–12 students. The school is partnering with design-build firm Neenan Archistruction on the project, which is scheduled to open in fall 2025.

The work involves renovating two existing buildings into classrooms, connected by a new facility that will house the gymnasium and cafeteria, the news release reports. Creating a single facility will provide safety and security benefits and streamline campus navigation. Parking spaces around the facility will be converted into green, outdoor spaces for student use.

“All of our partners on this project have been absolutely wonderful,” said Bill Pigg, Neenan Archistruction president. “We’ve had the privilege of working with Liberty Common School once again, and their commitment to providing a classical education is truly inspiring. We also appreciate the collaborative efforts of Jeff Jensen, the building’s owner representative, and the City of Fort Collins, whose support was crucial in securing our permits.”

The full design-build process will take about ten months, compared to the average charter-school-construction time of about 15 months, the news release reports. Neenan partnered with the school to review both new construction and adaptive reuse options for the new junior high school. The office park was both financially efficient and close to an existing campus.

“Transforming an outdated office building into a fully functional school campus takes a great deal of planning and coordination, and we are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Neenan and the City of Fort Collins in bringing this vision to life,” said Kathleen Kearney, Liberty Common Junior High School principal and project manager. “A student’s environment plays a vital role in their education and we can’t wait to welcome Liberty Common Junior High students to their new campus this fall.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.