ACPS and City officials will break ground for the new Patrick Henry School and Recreation Center on June 19. The ceremony will be attended by students from Patrick Henry Elementary School, who will launch straight into their field day as soon as the event is over.
Community members and families are welcome to attend the event. School Board and City Council members will also be in attendance.
Construction on the project will begin shortly after school gets out for the summer. The initial construction contract was approved by the School Board in early May, following a series of reviews of the final site plan by City departments in the spring.
We remain excited about this joint project with the City and know that the new building will provide students with the optimal environments for learning that all students deserve, as well as providing the community with a great recreational resource,” said Superintendent Alvin L. Crawley.
The anticipated completion date for the new school and recreation center is now late fall 2018. The adjustment in the schedule, however, will not impact the delivery of student instruction and operations as the current building will remain fully functional until the final transition of students, staff and material. Any delay in the scheduled opening would be due to topography challenges, increased building size and capacity, the need to phase the site work and the need to ensure the highest quality of safety.
To keep students safe during the construction phase, school buses will begin using the new bus loop from January 2019. This keeps students away from the construction and avoids additional costs to construct a temporary drop-off area. Students who are dropped off by car will also use this loop for six months while the final parent drop-off loop is constructed. This avoids delaying the construction of the Pre-K play area.
During the construction phase of the project, project staff will send regular updates to Patrick Henry parents and community regarding parking, drop-off areas and construction schedules. There will also be community meetings quarterly and updates will be posted on the ACPS website.
For more information on the Patrick Henry Project or to sign up for email updates, please visit the Patrick Henry Project page of the ACPS website.
The next community meeting will be on Wednesday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Patrick Henry Elementary School. At the meeting, the construction company, architects and project managers will discuss the groundbreaking ceremony, timeline, safety during the construction period and access to the site. Interpretation, babysitting and pizza will be provided.
The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Monday, June 19 (weather permitting) at 8:30 a.m. on the playing field of Patrick Henry Elementary School.