New Mexico school for visually impaired students breaks ground on $9.2 million residence hall

The New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Alamogordo, N.M., is building a new residence hall.

The Garrett Dormitory, built in 1964, has been torn down and a new, safer and more modern facility will take its place at the same location, reports Alamogordo Daily News. 

The $9.2 million residence hall will be slightly larger and will provide students with a computer room and spaces that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The new facility also will have two apartments for teaching independent living skills such as cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping.

Once the new Garrett Dormitory is completed, the Sacramento Dormitory will be demolished and rebuilt closer to the Garrett Dormitory.

The project is funded by the New Mexico Public Schools Facility Authority and the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired General Obligation Bond. 

The construction contractor is Jaynes Construction and the designer is Vigil and Associates.