GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The official groundbreaking and start of construction on the new Grand Junction High School building is set to begin. Students, families, educators, and community members are invited to witness this historic event! The ceremony will be held near the current GJHS baseball field and will kick off at 10:00 AM on June 1, 2022.

The new building will be constructed in the northeast portion of the existing GJHS property and is expected to be completed in 2024. The building will encompass 250,000-square-feet, is designed to accommodate 1.600 students, and features a community-use auditorium that is the largest between Denver and Salt Lake City.

The school is being designed by DLR Group in partnership with local firm BG+co while FCI is the general contractor on the project. Based on the project being a replacement school, the design team facilitated input from a bevy of sources including district leadership, a community advisory group, a design advisory committee, students, and faculty. This was done in hopes of crafting a design that supports three guiding principles:

• Reinforcing connections between students and faculty to encourage a personalized approach to student success.
• Incorporating four learning academies, each designed to empower collaboration and support diversity of learning styles.
• Creating a hub for the school to gather, host, and connect with the community.

“DLR Grup 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.”

By reflecting the surrounding natural features of the area such as the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa, and the Bookcliffs, the design is meant to evoke a unique sense of place.

“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.”