The Norfolk (Va.) school district has dedicated a rebuilt Camp Allen Elementary School—the last of five schools that have been constructed in the last four years in partnership with the city of Norfolk.
The city says in a news release that Camp Allen Elementary was built with was built with a $22.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense and $5.7 million from the city.
The city says the building has received LEED Silver certification, has a full-sized gymnatorium, inclusive playground equipment, cafeteria, large media center and outdoor classroom. It has capacity for 571 students; the majority of those enrolled there are children of military personnel.
The 97,492-square-foot Camp Allen campus is the final chapter in the “Building the Future Initiative." The city invested $133.1 million in five new school facilities:
- Southside STEM Academy at Campostella (K-8) dedicated September 2016
- Richard Bowling Elementary (PreK -5) dedicated September 2016
- Larchmont Elementary (PreK – 5) dedicated October 2017
- Ocean View Elementary (PreK – 5) dedicated October 2017
- Camp Allen School (PreK-5), in partnership with the Department of Defense
“This modern facility will inspire students to be innovative and active learners," says Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander. "The design of its many features encourages inclusion, intellectual curiosity, and achievement."
Construction and demolition occurred in two major phases, according to the contractor, S.B. Ballard Construction Company. Phase 1 consisted of demolition of a portion of the existing building that consists of pre-engineered metal building addition, construction of about 80% of the new building, and site amenities on the northwest portion of the site.
In Phase 2, the existing school was demolished, and the remainder of the new building was completed, along with remaining site work.
