The Portland Design Commission has approved design review of plans to replace the existing Ida B. Wells High School with a new 289,500-square-foot building on the south edge of the 35-acre site. The school is located at 1151 SW Vermont St., Portland.

The design review was approved last week with a conditional of approval that requires four public access easements, two press box options (a one-story and two-story alternative) and two options of either a textured or smooth thin brick for the building’s exterior.

Bora Architecture & Interiors designed the project for Portland Public Schools. The project team also includes Access Architecture of Vancouver, Washington (associate architect, Walker Macy (landscape architect), KPFF (civil and structural engineering), PAE Engineers (MEP), and general contractor Hoffman Construction.

There were three design advice request hearings on the proposal since 2024, with the last held last February.

The new high school building is proposed to be three stories with a fourth level on the west side, as the building form steps down the sloping site, the staff report states.

The new building will be built on the south edge of the site along Vermont Street. It will be constructed while the existing building remains open for students. The project will be developed in phases and some of the features of the site, such as a practice field, baseball field and tennis courts, will be relocated. A new track and field will be developed in the same space as the existing field.

An existing community swimming pool, operated by Portland Parks & Recreation, will remain open on the site. Becca Cavell, associate principal at Bora Architecture & Interiors, said the project will provide a new pool support building because facilities, such as locker rooms and showers, are currently in the existing Ida B. Wells High School. Portland Public Schools plans to coordinate with Portland Parks & Recreation for athletes to use the facilities when the pool is not open.

The final design of the new high school includes a thin brick combined with glass fiber reinforced concrete with both textured and non-textured options. The design team is pursuing the textured brick and keeping the smooth brick as a backup option.

“I think I’ve been convinced about the rough textured brick,” Commissioner Brian McCarter said. “It looks really, really promising in the renderings.”

Chelsea McCann, Walker Macy’s managing principal, said there will be two main outdoor spaces: at the main entry and a student courtyard and terrace on the west side.

“I think the part of the building with the main entry connecting visually and physically to the student terrace beyond is really compelling,” Commissioner Sarah Vaz said.

Pedestrian connections across the site will be improved and will include three north/south connections, including a sidewalk on the east side of the west parking lot between Rieke Elementary and the high school, a mid-campus connection between the football field and the pool facility and a third connection at the far eastern side of the campus.

There will be two crosswalks south of the main entry on each side of the intersection.

On the Rieke side, the design has provided some community access for bicyclists and pedestrians, while keeping safety in mind. Vehicles will not be able to use the Rieke driveway as a cut-through during school hours. For bicycles, there is a bike route around Rieke Elementary School. Outside of school hours, cyclists can either continue to use that route or share the roadway.

“I really appreciate the attention to public realm,” Vice chair Joe Swank said. “And I think the design team’s done a really good job of solving for Rieke Road in particular.”

On the north campus entry, there will be a raised, widened pedestrian crosswalk. There will also be some improvements to the back of the stadium, such as adding seating and signage.

Cavell said the design does not include a cover to the grandstands, due to cost, but is planning for a possible future roof, which would be part of a future land use review process.

There was some concern from Commissioner Sarah Vaz regarding screening of mechanical equipment on the roof and that the equipment might be visible in faraway views. Commissioners Swank and Chair Chandra Robinson felt that the equipment would not be visible.

Up next for the project is a Type III conditional use hearing that is for July 22 by the city’s hearings officer, as the project requires both design review and conditional use review.

Construction is estimated to start in December, with the new building being complete in summer 2029 and the athletic fields in fall 2030, according to Portland Public Schools’ website.

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The Portland Design Commission on Thursday got its third look at plans to replace Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School with a new 300,000-square-foot building.

The school is at 1151 S.W. Vermont St., in the Hillsdale neighborhood.

The project is being designed by Bora Architecture & Interiors. The project team also includes Walker Macy (landscape architecture), KPFF (civil and structural engineering), Rivero Design (civil engineering), and NBZ Consulting Engineers (structural engineering).

Plans call for redeveloping parking areas, athletic fields, field support structures and pathways on the 35-acre site. The swimming pool, run by Portland Parks & Recreation, will remain in the center of the site. The track and field will remain in the same location due to budget constraints, according to a staff report.

The Portland Public Schools project is valued at approximately $349.1 million, according to Portland Permitting & Development.

Currently, the design includes a plaza east of the school, Bora Architecture & Interiors associate principal Becca Cavell said. On the west side, a student terrace would connect to the student commons.

“Our entrance to the building is on the east side,” Cavell said.

The proposed three-story building would have a partial lower level to the west, and an overlapping four-story element as it steps down the sloping site. The difference in elevation from the site’s east side to its west side is approximately 60 feet, according to the staff report.

The design calls for enclosing certain parts of the site, including the athletic fields and the pool, with fencing and gates. Commissioner Joe Swank said he hopes the gates around the pool will be sizable and open during the day. Sarah Norman, senior director of school modernization for Portland Public Schools, said the gates are intended to be oversize. However, she didn’t know if they would be open during the day.

Gates are also planned on the north-south driveway – also known as Rieke Road – through the center of the site between the high school and Rieke Elementary School. Use of vehicles, including bicycles, will be restricted in this location during school hours.

“These gates are going to take maintenance and a bunch of other things,” Swank said. “I would challenge the landscape team, the design team, and PPS to think a little more creatively about how to separate those things.”

Commissioner Zari Santner acknowledged the much-improved design of drop-off and pick-up circulation.

Since the previous Design Commission hearing, the north entry has been widened to a 20-foot-wide crossing, Walker Macy managing principal and landscape architect Chelsea McCann said. Also, a seating nook and a monumental entry sign are planned.

Other design elements include a plaza space outside the swimming pool and carved walkways outside the after-hours gym entrance.

In the previous design, glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) was the sole façade material, Bora Architecture & Interiors associate and project designer Amelie Reynaud said. The design team was inspired by different colors of bark and ultimately, darker colors were preferred.

The updated design includes use of thin brick and GFRC woven together. The team is looking at two options for brick: a lighter, smooth one or a darker, textured one. The student commons would have a mass-timber interior.

Commission Chair Chandra Robinson said she likes the new choices for different reasons and that the textured look is more visible, adding that the textured brick is hard to clean. Swank said he would like to hear PPS’ analysis on cleaning the exterior materials.

The project team intends to submit for land use review and conditional use approval on March 12.

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A trio of school replacements and a renovation to create a new Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) will create job opportunities for minority-owned contractors and subcontractors.

Voters in May 2025 gave Portland Public Schools the green light to issue up to $1.83 billion in bonds to pay for new Jefferson, Cleveland and Ida B. Wells high schools as well as updates of other buildings to hold the CBSE, and other work. Construction is expected to begin soon after a five-year delay.

PPS awarded a five-year, $61.1 million contract to Procedeo, a construction program management company based in Grapevine, Texas, to oversee the projects. Procedeo will base its local operations in the One North development at 25 N. Fremont St. Space there and at 3506-3514 N. Vancouver Ave. will be used for the CBSE.

Procedeo has partnered with NAMC-Oregon to focus on advancing equitable participation, transparent engagement and meaningful access to opportunity throughout the life of the bond program, Procedeo President Brian Johnson said.

“Working alongside PPS, contractors and community stakeholders, Procedeo will help ensure that all contractors, designers and related professionals are informed, prepared and positioned to participate in both the construction process and the broader planning conversations that shape these projects,” he said.

Nate McCoy, NAMC-Oregon’s executive director, said the partnership combines Procedeo’s deep expertise in program management and delivery and NAMC-Oregon’s long-standing relationships with the contracting, workforce and community-based ecosystems, including services in technical assistance and community engagement.

“Together, we are aligning technical oversight with intentional equity, workforce and business inclusion strategies to ensure the PPS bond program delivers both high-quality facilities and lasting community benefit,” McCoy said.

Johnson described the projects as historic investments in public education infrastructure in Portland because, beyond delivering modern, safe and inspiring school facilities, they support local jobs, strengthen small and minority-owned businesses, and reinforce schools as community anchors.

“The bond improves learning environments while also creating economic opportunities that extend well beyond school walls, benefiting families, neighborhoods and the regional workforce,” he said.

The projects will integrate career technical education by connecting students to real-world exposure in construction, engineering, architecture and skilled trades, Johnson said. Through site visits, classroom presentations, mentorship opportunities and hands-on learning experiences, students will be able to see how academic concepts translate into viable career paths.

“These experiences help demonstrate that high-quality, well-paid careers exist right in their communities,” Johnson said, adding that other engagement will be encouraged as well.

“Architects, engineers and designers involved in the bond projects will have opportunities to share their career journeys, explain the design process, and involve students in problem-solving exercises related to real school projects,” he said. “This engagement helps students envision themselves in design careers while fostering a culture of mentorship within the profession.”

During the projects, Procedeo will prioritize clear, consistent communication with students’ families through community meetings, school-based events, multilingual materials and accessible project updates, Johnson said.

“Engagement efforts are designed to explain not only what is being built, but why these investments matter over the long term for student success, neighborhood vitality and economic opportunity,” he said. “By keeping families informed and involved, the project builds trust and ensures that community voices remain central to the bond’s success.”

Procedeo’s services for each project will include fiscal and budget management, development and maintenance of the project management plan, project scheduling, project controls, management of contingencies, design and engineering review, preconstruction, construction phase oversight, and occupancy and post-occupancy services.

Procedeo will receive base compensation of approximately $55.1 million, which represents 4 percent of the estimated remaining budgets for the three school modernizations combined, CBSE construction, and administrative oversight of the Office of School Modernization, which is administering the bond projects.

The contract includes an additional $6 million incentive for the three school projects to be completed on time. They are scheduled to be built and completed simultaneously. Rather than have three firms manage the projects separately, PPS opted to lean on one firm for accountability and advance the projects collectively.

Placing management of the billion-dollar-plus bond program under one firm also will reduce price escalation, according to PPS Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong.

In addition to the Jefferson, Cleveland and Ida B. Wells high school projects, the 2025 PPS bond program will prioritize seismic improvements at eight to 10 schools most at risk during earthquakes. A reserve fund will be established for replacing major systems, such as HVAC, and emergency and unplanned projects.

Any remaining funds, including cost savings from the high school projects, will be used to update or replace leaking or deteriorating school roofs, mechanical systems, plumbing, electrical systems, fire alarms and sprinklers, safety and security systems, elevators, site elements, exterior enclosures as well as other work.

In addition, athletic facility upgrades will be done at Roosevelt, Lincoln, Franklin and Grant high school, and West Sylvan Middle School. Athletic hub facilities will be created at Jackson Middle School and the Marshall campus. Physical education spaces and high school performing arts and theater facilities will be updated as part of the most recent round of bond funding.

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The Portland Design Commission on Thursday got a second look at plans to replace Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School with an approximately 291,000-square-foot building on the site’s south side.

The new building is planned as part of an effort to modernize the campus, at 1151 S.W. Vermont St.

The project was first presented to the Design Commission in September 2024. The biggest change from then is that the track-and-field element, previously oriented north to south, is now proposed to remain where it is due to budget constraints.

The project is valued at $349 million, according to Portland Permitting & Development. Bora Architecture & Interiors designed the project for Portland Public Schools. The project team also includes KPFF (civil and structural engineering), Rivero Design (civil engineering), NBZ Consulting Engineers (structural engineering), and Walker Macy (landscape architecture).

The existing school will remain operational during construction, because it sits upon a hill away from the buildable area.

The new school will include a theater, band and choir rooms, a cafeteria and commons, and a media center as well as classrooms and science labs, art rooms, shop spaces, a variety of specialized learning environments and administrative offices. A community health clinic may be included in the project if a service provider can be identified, the applicant’s narrative states.

Planned site improvements include a new track and field with grandstand and support buildings, new baseball, softball and soccer fields with associated site structures, new tennis courts, reconfigured parking areas, and new pedestrian pathways. The existing swimming pool, run by Portland Parks & Recreation, will remain. Facilities associated with Rieke Elementary School will also remain.

The main entrance would be on the building’s east side. Another entrance on the south side would lead to a potential health clinic. Commissioner Thomas Eldridge said the main entry does not strike him as such. Commissioners suggested adding more signage to indicate the main entry.

The site plan is extremely constrained in creating a direct north-south link by the existing locations of the track and field and pool, which push the north-south connection significantly eastward. A north-south path is thus proposed east of the pool, the city staff report states.

“The north-south connection is a really important connector,” said Tanya Paglia, a city planner for Portland Permitting & Development.

Commissioners agreed that the path should be wide. They asked the team to provide more details at the next design advice request (DAR) hearing.

Building materials and composition are still being decided, but thin brick tile in an alternating pattern is being considered as the primary cladding. Commissioners agreed that the color of the brick may be too dark, acknowledging that the shade is popular right now but may not be in the future.

“I think the kind of pathway through the building from the entry to the commons is so beautiful with the use of wood on the inside,” Commissioner Sarah Vaz said. “I love the general concept of having bark on the outside, wood on the inside. It’s just not feeling very bark-like right now.”

Vaz suggested the project team work with the school’s design advisory group and community members to determine the color of the brick, if the team hasn’t already.

Commissioner Zari Santner asked the project team to address bus and parent drop-off locations, including near the grandstand, before the next DAR hearing.

A third DAR hearing will take place on Feb. 19, 2026. The project will require a Type III conditional use review and a Type III design review. The design team plans to submit a design review application in March.

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Portland Public Schools has selected Procedeo, a construction company based in Grapevine, Texas, to manage the school district’s bond program encompassing the modernizations of three schools (Jefferson High School, Cleveland High School and Ida B. Wells High School) as well as creation of the Center for Black Student Excellence.

The school board voted 5-2 in favor of the $61.1 million contract on Tuesday night, with board members Virginia La Forte and Stephanie Engelsman voting no.

The district continues to face costly and significant delays in its capital projects, Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong said, adding that the Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) project is set to advance after a five-year wait. The board approved a $16 million purchase of the One North property at 25 N. Fremont St. and 3506-3514 N. Vancouver Ave. for the center.

Placing management of the billion-dollar-plus bond program under one firm will reduce price escalation, Armstrong said.

Portland Public Schools (PPS) issued a request for proposals on Oct. 7. They were due Oct. 30, and three national firms submitted proposals. Two firms advanced to interviews held Nov. 14. The school district issued a notice of intent to award to Procedeo on Nov. 17.

The scope of work for this contract includes full project management services for the three high school modernizations and a renovation to suit the CBSE. It also includes administrative oversight of all bond projects in the program, said Sharon Toncray, chief legal officer at PPS.

Procedeo’s services for each project will include fiscal and budget management, development and maintenance of the project management plan, project scheduling, project controls, management of contingencies, design and engineering review, preconstruction, construction phase oversight, and occupancy and post-occupancy services.

Procedeo will receive base compensation of approximately $55.1 million, which represents 4 percent of the estimated combined remaining budgets for the three school modernizations, CBSE construction, and administrative oversight of the Office of School Modernization.

The contract also includes a $6 million incentive for the three school projects to be completed on time. The projects are scheduled to be built and completed at the same time.

Rather than have three different firms manage the projects separately, Armstrong said, the district wants to lean on one firm for accountability and advance the projects collectively.

The contract will be in effect for five years. PPS has the right to cancel the contract at any time with 30 days’ notice.

Board member Christy Splitt asked to postpone the vote to allow the school district to perform cost analyses of other school districts’ capital projects. But Armstrong said no comparable situation exists in another school district in Oregon.

La Forte and Engelsman also expressed concerns in the absence of a cost analysis and the lack of transparency.

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Project name: hayu alqi uyxat

Location: Portland

Completion: August 2024

Size: 85,000

Cost: $67 million

Owner/Developer: Portland Public Schools

Owner’s Representative: Turner & Townsend Heery

Architect: Bassetti Architects

Interior Designer: Bassetti Architects

Engineers: KPFF, Vega Civil Engineering, Arris Consulting

General Contractor: Andersen Construction

Submitting Company: Bassetti Architects

Other Associates/Key Consultants: Adams Consulting and Estimating, Construction Focus, JBK Consulting & Design, Mayer Reed, Samata Consulting Engineers, TFWB Engineers, The Greenbusch Group

Subcontractors: Affordable Electric, All Trades General Contractors, Alliant Systems, American Heating, Amodeo Structural Engineering, AT Publix, B & T Striping and Curbing, Carr Construction, CHI Companies WA, Chown Hardware, Convergent Pacific, Coria Landscape, Curtis Restaurant Equipment, Custom Designed Skylights, Dallas Glass, Elmer’s Flag and Banner, ELTEC Systems, Floor Factors, Griffith Roofing, H2I Group, Interior Technology, Kelar Pacific, Kent Crane, Konell Construction & Demolition, Kraft Masonry, Linden Comansa America, McKinstry, Merit Contractor of Oregon, Mt. Hood Window Coverings, Multivista, Ness & Campbell Crane, Nor-Pac Seating, Northwest Precast, Northwest Scaffold Service, Northwest Waterproofing, Overhead Door Co. of Portland, Pacific Foundation, Pacific Stair, PBS Supply, Professional Lath and Plaster, Pure Floors, Rich’s Tree Service, Roedel Tile Contracting, Safeguard Security, Standard TV & Appliance, T & T Contractors, Teufel Nursery, Town & Country Fence Co. of Oregon, Vaagen Timber, Valar Consulting Engineering, Vibetech Specialties, Viking Automatic Sprinkler – Oregon, Waypoint Sign, Western Partitions, Wildwood Playgrounds NW, Willliamsen and Bleid

A groundbreaking educational facility is transforming how Portland Public Schools serves students who thrive outside traditional classroom settings.

The hayu alqi uyxat facility – Chinook wawa for “Many Future Paths” – has brought multiple alternative education programs under one roof in an 85,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified building that stands where a parking lot once was.

The facility, designed by Bassetti Architects and built by Andersen Construction, now houses Alliance High School, Portland DART (Discovering and Rising Together) School and Teen Parent Services with integrated childcare. These programs previously operated in scattered locations, often relegated to the basements of existing schools.

The concept emerged during master planning for Benson Polytechnic High School when a stakeholder suggested using the parking lot space. This shifted how the district approached alternative education, recognizing these programs deserved more than leftover spaces.

Developing the facility required extensive coordination among administrators, educators and community stakeholders. The design team conducted workshops where students expressed needs for spaces that felt safe and connected to nature.

The building features mass timber construction with biophilic design elements that evoke a treehouse environment. Natural wood, warm lighting and textured materials create a calm, stable atmosphere.

An experiential graphic design system weaves throughout the interior, incorporating digitally printed natural patterns on maple wall paneling and featuring overlapping linework representing individual student voices converging into a unified whole. Like the rings of a tree, the graphics tell a multilayered story – bringing a connection to nature, a celebration of individuality and incorporating student voices into the space. That last design feature is one of the most powerful layers: quotes from students are embedded into the design, ensuring their voices are literally part of the building.

“Most people don’t care what I have to say, and now I get quoted on a wall,” one student said during a presentation. This moment encapsulated the true essence of the project – the transformative power of being seen, heard and valued.

The fully electric building is powered partly by solar panels and incorporates trauma-informed design principles, ensuring spatial layouts and lighting support a calming atmosphere for students who struggled in traditional settings.

By integrating childcare services, therapeutic resources and flexible learning environments, the facility removes obstacles that traditionally push students out of the education system.

The project stands as a national model for how architecture can support alternative education.

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The beginning of a phased, three-year effort to update Benson Polytechnic High School is now in motion, with general contractor Andersen Construction seeking sub-bids for the start of demolition.

Benson, located at 546 N.E. 12th Ave., is one of three high schools being modernized by Portland Public Schools with money from a $790 million bond approved by voters in 2017. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021; design and pre-construction work is ongoing.

Andersen Construction has issued a request for proposals for demolition and abatement, restoration of both wooden and steel window frames, and steel work in the buildings to remain on the renovated campus.

A mandatory pre-proposal walk-through at Benson is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 15, with an optional second one set for 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 22. All bids are due by Feb. 5.

The project, estimated to cost more than $330 million, is being designed by Bassetti Architects. The 102-year-old school is due to gain a host of new features, new classroom space and more. Plans call for a new, accessible front entry with a gathering area; a modernized auditorium with a retained balcony and updated lighting and AV equipment; a modernized gymnasium and indoor running track; a new student commons and cafeteria; a new outdoor courtyard; and a redesigned courtyard on the campus’ east side. All existing buildings will receive a seismic retrofit and other upgrades, and a pair of new, two-story classroom wings will be built.

Benson staff and students are expected to relocate to Marshall High School during construction.

Prospective bidders can learn more by visiting /news/2020/01/08/andersen-construction-benson-high-school-modernization-3/.

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After standing vacant for over a decade, Kellogg Middle School in Southeast Portland was finally demolished in 2018.

Now, a new $60 million Kellogg is rising on the same site, at 3330 S.E. 69th Ave. This week, crews from general contractor Todd Construction and NessCampbell Crane + Rigging placed the first of 27 concrete tilt panels that will form the backbone of the new school’s gymnasium and auditorium.

“PPS is hoping that this becomes a model for our middle schools,” Portland Public Schools spokesman David Mayne said on Wednesday. “These walls here are preformed walls; they were poured over the last few weeks and now (crew members) are attaching cable lifts and raising them up. We started yesterday, and these are the very first walls going up at the new school.”

Designed by Oh planning+design, architecture, the new middle school will have roughly 110,000 square feet spread across three stories. A T-shaped configuration will be used, with the gym and auditorium forming the base of the T and the classroom wing serving as the crossbar. Administrative and other common space will form the stem.

Underground utilities as well as gymnasium and commons footings and foundation slabs have all been completed. This week, the concrete tilt wall forms were removed and the walls were lifted into place for the new auditorium and gymnasium.

“The gymnasium and the stage area is the only section that has the concrete tilt panels,” Todd Construction superintendent Monte Carothers said. “The rest of the school is all structural steel and metal stud framing.

The weather has so far been advantageous for the project team, Carothers noted.

“So far, we’ve had a mild fall … and we’re very fortunate to get that,” he said. “But we know with the extended forecast that things are changing.”

Meanwhile, half of the forms and concrete pours for learning suites building footings are done, while excavation for remaining footings is wrapping up. Final excavation and decommissioning of existing underground drywells and debris piles also has been performed.

Construction is expected to finish by the end of 2020, with the new school scheduled to open in fall 2021, according to Portland Public Schools.

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A massive $790 million capital bond measure approved by voters in 2017 is paying for a lot of improvements at facilities operated by Portland Public Schools. One construction project that began this past summer is the modernization and expansion of Madison High School, at 2735 N.E. 82nd Ave.

The 62-year-old school is being mostly demolished, save for a pair of two-story classroom wings. The remainder will be renovated into modern educational space (including Career Technical Education space), while a new 1,700-seat gymnasium, new commons and new performing arts center will be built by general contractor/construction manager Fortis Construction.

Opsis Architecture and DAO Architecture collaborated on the design.

In total, the renovated school will hold 292,000 square feet of usable space and be able to accommodate as many as 1,700 students. Over 170,000 square feet will be new construction.

Recently, crews from NorthStar, Finish Line Concrete Cutting and other subcontractors utilized an array of machinery to take down the reinforced concrete structures that comprised former gymnasium, auditorium and administrative spaces.

Project completion is scheduled for summer 2021, in time for the facility to be used for the 2021-22 school year.

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One of Portland’s most storied high schools is due to soon receive a major face-lift, and the Historic Landmarks Commission on Monday provided the project team with design advice. The modernization proposal for Benson Polytechnic High School calls for demolition of old buildings and contemporary upgrades, and commissioners said greater explanation of those decisions must be given before they could give approval.

Bassetti Architects has designed the project for Portland Public Schools. Three firms – KPFF (structural), PAE (mechanical) and BHE Group (civil) are handling the engineering, while Mayer/Reed is taking care of landscape architecture.

The school, at 546 N.E. 12th Ave., opened in 1917 after the district received donations from local logging magnate Simon Benson, who wanted to support a trade school in the city. Benson High was one of many schools that opened in Portland in the early 20th century, when the population was growing massively; its classical revival style was popular at the time.

Plans call for removal of the south wing and most of the north wing (apart from the iconic façade facing Northeast Irving Street). The team also plans to remove existing library and automotive buildings, which were added to the school decades after it opened.

Upgrades will be made to the front entry terrace, which sits on the west side of the 7-acre site, and the rear courtyard. The new north and south wings are to have a second story, which will be set back 20 feet from the outer walls of the first story.

The buildings at the front of the campus – including the main entrance, gymnasium and auditorium – will be preserved and retained for their current purposes. Vestibules will be added to the entrances of the auditorium and gym for safety, while the main entrance will be set back upon a terrace.

Glass and terra-cotta will be used throughout to create an aesthetic combining historic and contemporary elements. Floor, shop, studio, science lab and classroom areas will each be significantly larger than they are now.

Commissioners were mixed in their assessments of the design. They recognized that the project is still in the early planning stage, and will probably change before it is presented for final review.

“Generally, the site organization is probably how I’d have it,” Commissioner Matthew Roman said. “I think it’s a good plan overall.”

While commissioners had no issues with the materials used or the proposed aesthetics, they did raise questions concerning plans for the campus – in particular, why certain buildings would be removed. The entire school is considered a historic landmark, and several commissioners said that while they appreciated the iconic façade being preserved, the design team’s presentation did not sufficiently justify removing the wings.

“You need to let us know more of what you looked at,” Commission Chairwoman Kristen Minor said. “We need to be convinced.”

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