CAÑON CITY – A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday at Washington Elementary School in Cañon City, Colorado, launching the construction of a new facility that will serve about 400 students in kindergarten through fifth grades.
Washington Elementary school is part of a multi-school project in Fremont RE-1 school district made possible by a successful bond and a Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant. Built in 1950, the original structure, which has significant deterioration, will be demolished and replaced with a new facility. GE Johnson Construction Co. and RTA Architects are performing the design-build services for the project, which is scheduled for completion in early August, along with several other Fremont RE-1 school improvement, renovation, and upgrade projects.
“We have a great partnership with Cañon City Schools,” said GE Johnson Construction Executive Todd Reynolds. “It is our honor to provide the students, staff, administrators, and volunteers in Cañon City a great facility for learning and that provides the best educational experience possible.”
The groundbreaking ceremony symbolized new life for the school as students and faculty donned hardhats and took turns putting shovels into the dirt. Washington Elementary Principal Brian Zamarripa led a program and members of the school board, the district superintendent, and local officials, including Mayor Preston Troutman, were in attendance.
Photo and rendering courtesy of GE Johnson