Denver, Colo. – January 14, 2019 – 27J Schools celebrated the completion of Northeast Elementary’s and Overland Trail Middle School’s expansion and renovation projects at two ribbon cutting ceremonies in Brighton on Thursday, Jan. 10. Attendees included Board of Education members, elected officials, current and past teachers and faculty, project team members, students and families and other community members.
“We are proud to share with the community how our school looks after being renovated this past summer,” said Northeast Elementary Principal Toby Karr. The parking lot in front of Northeast Elementary has been changed with the drop-off/pick-up configuration upgraded and more parking spaces have been added.
Overland Trail Middle School (OTMS) has a new look with updated signage, a new addition and seating boulders located in areas around the school.
“Student and staff reaction to the new look at Overland Trail Middle School has been overwhelmingly positive!” said Overland Trail Middle School Principal Eric Lambright.
He continued: “We feel like we are in a new school with all the changes including new carpet, paint, windows and new furniture and brighter LED lighting. Our campus is now very neat and clean. We have also increased our opportunity to learn outside our traditional classrooms with the IB flex space and an outdoor classroom.”
Construction, which started last March at both schools, was completed in December. This project was funded through a $248 million 2015 School Construction Bond passed by voters. Northeast Elementary School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, and OTMS is an IB candidate school.
GE Johnson Construction company completed the expansion and renovations projects. For more than half a century, GE Johnson Construction Company has been dedicated to enriching communities by leading and building projects with the best people and ideas. The company embraces the power of ingenuity and trusting relationships, and values integrity, safety, collaboration, and excellence. GE Johnson is headquartered in Colorado Springs with offices in: Denver; Vail; Jackson and Casper, Wyoming; and Oklahoma City.
It was a unique construction project with two schools on the same campus being renovated during summer months; and additional new space was built on to both schools in the past nine months.
Several site improvements were made at the shared school campus including a donated artificial turf field from the Denver Broncos Football organization being installed for an outdoor student play space.
“Seeing the students have the joy of running around on their new turf field and enjoying the facility is the most rewarding part of this project,” said Theron Skidmore, GE Johnson senior project manager for the Northeast Elementary and Overland Trail Middle projects. “Besides working with an amazing team and an involved owner, the educational experience the kids are getting and the pride it brings to the community make working on this project an honor.”
The project also enhanced the shared campus space by adding a concrete walking trail between the two schools and creating an outdoor learning space with natural seating to be used by both schools.
The Overland Trail Middle School project included: building a new 949-sq.-ft. addition in the front of the school, new windows, an interior refresh with carpet and paint, an entry security enhancement, new energy-efficient LED lighting, enlarging six student restrooms, heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades, new furniture and a new, outdoor basketball court.
At Northeast Elementary, a four-classroom, 6,330-sq.-ft. addition was constructed as a new Kindergarten wing. There are 87 Kindergarten students who will move into the new addition next week.
Also, at Northeast Elementary, a media center hub was created, and a new computer lab was opened. The inside of the school was completely renovated including new energy-efficient LED lights, ceiling tiles, carpeting and paint. Other upgrades were made to heating and air conditioning systems, and the fire alarm system and new furniture was installed.
Featured performers at the events included Northeast Elementary’s fifth grade chorus and Overland Middle School’s eight grade band. GE Johnson Construction Co. and MTech Mechanical provided a pizza dinner for all attendees.
About the architect
The architect on the project is Studiotrope in Denver founded in 2003 around a unique collective of design studios. Their motto is that every project is born from an idea. Studiotrope is the action which gives life and significance to that idea. Studiotrope has experience designing library projects, business space, government buildings and educational facilities for colleges and K-12 schools.
About MTech Mechanical
MTech Mechanical provided both mechanical and plumbing services to both the Overland Trail Middle School and Northeast Elementary remodel and expansion projects. MTech Mechanical is a premier design-build contractor with offices in Westminster, Avon and Colorado Springs. MTech provides comprehensive design/build/maintenance services for commercial clients and offerings include HVAC, plumbing, chemical process, repair and preventive maintenance services.
About the District 27J
27J Schools educates over 18,000 students from Aurora, Brighton, Commerce City, Lochbuie and Thornton and encompasses parts of Adams, Broomfield and Weld counties. The mission of 27J Schools, with the support of the family and community, is to ensure that all students have the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for present and future competence and success. 27J Schools operates on a four-day school week schedule. Classes are held Tuesday – Friday. www.sd27j.org
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About GE Johnson
| For more than half a century, GE Johnson Construction Company has been dedicated to enriching our communities by leading and building projects with the best people and ideas. The company embraces the power of ingenuity and trusting relationships, and values integrity, safety, collaboration, and excellence. GE Johnson is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado with offices in: Denver, Colorado; Vail, Colorado; Jackson, Wyoming; Casper, Wyoming; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. |
