Fort Collins-based design-build firm The Neenan Company will break ground on two separate projects for Yuma School District this month. Funded in part by a bond measure passed by voters last year, these projects will enhance building safety and security, while also modernizing school facilities.
The first phase of the High School project, located at 1000 South Albany Street in Yuma, will provide a practice and PE gymnasium and weight room. In the next phase of project work, which is slated to begin later this summer, Neenan will create a new wing to bring the high school’s Career Technical Education (CTE) into the main high school building and provide new space for the school’s science and STEM programs. This phase of the project also includes significant upgrades to the face of the building, with a more easily identifiable main entry and administrative area to increase safety and security measures for teachers, students and school staff. The second phase of the project involves a plan to reconfigure every classroom in the building with upgrades to all HVAC and electrical systems. Neenan’s design will also add collaborative spaces to support education programs.
Alongside improvements to the high school, The Neenan Company is also beginning site and building work at 500 South Elm Street, a facility that is home to Yuma’s pre-K–8 students. Major improvements include the addition of a bus loop to enhance safety for foot traffic at student drop-off points, as well as a remodel of classrooms and the kitchen area inside the middle school.
In total, The Neenan Company will add, renovate and reconfigure more than 69,000 square feet of education space with CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) certification. The project is slated to be delivered in winter 2022, following the completion of several phases of construction that require complex planning to manage a job site that is in active use by teachers, parents, students and staff.
“This is an exciting day to see this project move forward,” said Dianna Chrisman, superintendent of Yuma School District. “We are proud and grateful to our local community, and The Neenan Company, for the enthusiastic support of our students, and look forward to seeing the result of these renovations, which will help us provide new opportunities for students, teachers and staff to thrive.”
In addition to the voter-passed bond measure, project funding also comes from the State of Colorado’s BEST Grant Program. The district was the recipient of a 2019 grant to support and enhance the safety and security of Yuma schools.
“Schools stand as symbols of community, so we are thrilled to be partnering with Yuma School District to help create spaces that will support the next generation of Yuma students in their pursuit of quality education,” said David Kurtz, senior architect for The Neenan Company. “It’s an honor to have this opportunity to help advance these buildings and play a small role in shaping the future of this great community.”
The Neenan Company joined on for this project in 2018 during the early stages and helped support the district’s master planning, as well as efforts behind the successful bond campaign.
Photo courtesy of The Neenan Company