Grand Junction, CO - Community members, students, families, educators, and members of the media are invited to join Mesa County Valley School District 51 leaders for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the official start of construction on the new Grand Junction High School. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 1, near the current GJHS baseball field.
The new, 250,000-square-foot high school is designed to accommodate 1,600 students and features a 1,500-seat auditorium, the largest community-use auditorium between Denver and Salt Lake City. The new school will be constructed on the northeast portion of existing GJHS property and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
DLR Group is designing the school in partnership with local firm BG+co and FCI is the general contractor on the project. As a replacement school, the design team facilitated input from district leadership, a community advisory group, a design advisory committee, students, and faculty to craft a design that supports three important guiding principles: reinforce connections between students and faculty to encourage a personalized approach to student success; incorporate four learning academies, each designed to empower collaboration and support diversity of learning styles; and create a hub for the school to gather, host, and connect with the community.
“DLR Group is incredibly proud to be an integral part in crafting educational environments for GJHS students and faculty to leverage for their success”, said DLR Group Principal Greg Cromer. “Reflecting the community interest and heritage of GJHS was a complementary driver in the design solution, and I certainly hope it will be embraced as a community asset.
The design creates a unique sense of place by reflecting the surrounding natural features of the area such as Colorado National Monument; Grand Mesa; and the Bookcliffs.
“As a community-based firm, our focus was to bring together a team that would exceed the expectations of the district and elevate the conversation specific to educational trends and the impact that can have on student success,” said BG+co Principal Peter Icenogle. “We believe this facility will provide a long-term solution for meeting district and community needs and will do so in an energy efficient manner.”