The new $9M Missouri Avenue Elementary School broke ground on May 26th in Roswell, New Mexico, and will be occupied by students and staff in the fall of 2012.
The classic brick exterior is a prevalent building style in Roswell, and the neighborhood demonstrated their enthusiasm by turning out in numbers for the ground breaking. The school will serve 375 students, and is the first new elementary school in Roswell in 60 years. This 53,000 square foot school is being built on a park site; when complete, the old school will be demolished and the original campus renovated into a city park. Janet Lacy, RA, Project Manager, worked closely with the district and school staff and faculty in designing the two-story building on a very tight site.
The classroom layout is arranged in small learning communities, with break-out areas for small groups or special projects. State of the art technology, finishes, systems and equipment are prevalent throughout this new school. The design includes new educational opportunities such as a dedicated art room and patio, outdoor classroom, music room, and a separate gym and cafeteria. The construction contract was awarded to McCarthy, NM, and came in $1.3M under the budget.