Tag: K-12 Construction

Exciting Addition to Knights Campus

Posted on September 17, 2024

Ready for Fall

The Norwell community was elated as we celebrated the opening of their new middle school building. Joined by project partners Schmidt Architects, ERI, and Weigand Construction, Superintendent Mike Springer noted that collaboration helped to bring this project together. Not only so, but our team delivered this building more than a month ahead of schedule. This ensured that faculty and staff would have ample time to transfer their offices and arrange their classrooms well before the start of the fall semester.

Students Welcome

The new two-floor, 160,000 square foot middle school building is fitted to help meet current and future space needs as its student influx grows with features such as:

Media Center

Band and Choir Rooms

Art Classrooms

Commons Spaces

Science Classrooms

Multipurpose Rooms

Resource Rooms

Intense Intervention Classrooms

Sensory Room

Skills Development

Dedicated Alternative School Space

Office Wing

And More

This project also included some new additions and renovations to the existing baseball and football fields on the campus sports complex. These included:

Steel Archway Entrance

Football Building with Concessions, Bathrooms, and Ticket Booth

Baseball Building with Concessions, Bathrooms, and Ticket Booth

These features set Norwell Middle School up for success with future education programs, student learning experiences, and improved daily operations. Prepared to address a wide range of needs both academic and athletic, students and faculty can now enjoy the many benefits that their brand-new facility offers.

Proud Partner

We’re excited to have played a role in taking this amazing project from a blueprint to real bricks and mortar. Our team is currently hard at work on Phase II of this project, which will involve demolition and renovation of the old middle school building.

Fine Arts School Now Open

Posted on September 17, 2024

Strengthening School Programs

Excitement from many months of anticipation was felt as the Canterbury Community came together to officially open its new Fine Arts Center. Joined by the project team, the board of trustees, and key project donors, the group cut the ribbon, highlighting the final milestone since construction began in May of 2023.

“The campus has transformed dramatically with the Fine Arts Center now serving as a welcoming front door to the High School Campus.” – Larry Weigand, CEO, Weigand Construction

Designed for the Arts

Developed as the central hub for Canterbury’s Academy of the Arts, the new, 18,000 square foot facility has several specialized offerings for students such as:

A Gallery

2D Art Studio

3D Art Studio

Blackbox Theatre

Theatre Dressing Rooms

Music Classroom

Choral Room

Practice Rooms

Recording and Podcasting Studios

Media Lab

And More!

These features allow for a diverse range of artistic disciplines for students to discover, explore, and hone throughout their learning journeys. Not only that, but access to this facility will be available for students in every grade, allowing them to foster creativity at all stages of their education.

More Lasting than Bronze

This tremendous effort strengthening Canterbury’s educational experience resulted in a structure set to make an impact on every student passing through its doors.

“In the building that stands behind us, our students, guided by their incredible teachers, will produce art that will last a lifetime. We could not be more thankful to the Surack and James families, and to all of our donors for your support. You have, in the words of Horace, helped us to construct ‘a monument more lasting than bronze.’” – David Jackson, Head of School, Canterbury School

We cannot wait to see how students’ creativity flourishes through the programs at the Canterbury Fine Arts Center in the years to come!

Groundbreaking Sports Complex Project

Posted on June 25, 2024

A New Field for the Home Team

Community members, school leadership, and project partners came together in early June to celebrate the official start of construction on the new Baseball/Softball Complex for Goshen High School. Set to be built on the campus of Prairie View Elementary, the new sports complex is a project that comes after more than 60 years spent playing on existing, outdated fields.

“We had a baseball field, it was in terrible shape, I hate to say, I think it’s probably one of the worst baseball fields in northern Indiana. But our softball field wasn’t any better and that was at the park, and we couldn’t play the games there.”
Jim DuBois, Superintendent, Goshen Community Schools

A Better Playing Experience

With conversations about finding a new home for the baseball and softball teams starting 20 years ago, planning for this new facility has been a long time in the making. Some fresh amenities that will come with the complex include:

Baseball Diamond
Softball Diamond
Field Lighting
Turf
Press Boxes
Parking
Team Dugouts
Concessions and Restroom Facility
And More

Turf on fields will allow rain during the Spring season to drain more efficiently, preventing fields from flooding. This reduces the number of postponed games. On top of that, new lighting fixtures will allow for better visibility in the dark, making support for night games possible.

Better Access for Everyone

Parking has been a known issue at the field where the baseball team plays, but that problem will be resolved after this project’s completion.

“This plan there’ll be parking right there next to the softball/baseball facility. If we do need overflow, the elementary school here will have extra parking spaces. It would be after school hours so there’ll be plenty of room to park at the elementary school.”
Jim DuBois, Superintendent, Goshen Community Schools

We’re excited for the opportunity to partner with Goshen Community Schools and provide the softball and baseball players with a brand-new space that meets their needs now and into the future. Families and spectators can expect to see teams in action at the sports complex by 2025!

NACS Carroll High School To Have Tremendous Expansion

Posted on April 2, 2024

Investing in the Future

Staff and leadership from throughout the Northwest Allen County School community came together to celebrate the beginning of the construction phase for Carroll Highschool’s newest construction project. One of three major NACS projects that broke ground in February, Carroll Highschool’s is an expansion and renovation that will address the need for more space as the student population continues to grow. Barton Coe Vilamaa is the operating architect while WCI is partnering in a Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc) role.

Space to Stretch Out

The school’s expansion will prevent overcrowding issues and ensure that there are enough resources to care for every student in attendance at any given time with additions such as:

- 27 Classrooms and Support Spaces
- New Central Media Center
- New Weight Room
- 4,000 Square Feet Added to Cafeteria
- Facility Renovations/Repurposed Classrooms
- And More

In total, this scope of work will create capacity for another 500 students to enter the Carroll Highschool system.

Extended Partnership

This is not the first major construction project that Weigand has performed for this client. In 2021, we teamed up with NACS to bring several large site upgrades to the Charger campus, including a new football field, parking improvements, bleachers, baseball and softball fields, press box, concessions stand, and merchandise store amongst other additions. These developments helped to advance Carroll’s athletics programs, and we’re looking forward to being part of another project that will enhance the learning experience, efficiency, and overall operational strength of the school.

New NACS Administration Building is On the Way

Posted on April 2, 2024

A Facility to Serve the Region

In January, we joined with our partners from Elevatus Architecture and Northwest Allen County Schools to kickoff construction at the site of the upcoming NACS Administration Center. This building will allow the school community administrative team to conduct daily operations outside of a school campus, as the current office is located within Perry Hill Elementary. The relocation of the NACS offices will also allow Perry Hill to utilize this space for four more classrooms.

Central Administrative Hub

When finished, the 33,000 square foot Administration Center will feature:

A Multi-Use Board Room for Meetings and Training
Base of Operations for Multiple Departments
Office of Superintendent
Technology Headquarters
Multi-Use Kitchen Space
And More

These components add up to a successful execution of NACS’ future workload, thinking ahead to best serve the needs of each school in the district. Being only one of three large construction projects taking place in their community, the Administration building will help to place every arm of the organization under one roof amidst the imminent population growth in the region.

A Bright, Hopeful Future

“It will be a place where ideas are born, decisions are made, and strategies are implemented to further our mission to ensure a high-quality, personalized education for every student…Together, we’re building more than just a building. We’re building a stronger, more vibrant future for NACS and our school community.”
Wayne Barker, Superintendent, Northwest Allen County Schools

We are proud to have a role in this project with NACS and Elevatus. Once completed, this facility will be able to create a profound impact on the schools, families, and students in the community, making Northwest Fort Wayne a better place to live, learn, work, and play for years and years to come!

Exciting, Newcomer School Project Kickoff!

Posted on April 2, 2024

A New School for a New Region

In Huntertown, IN, rows of shovels plunged into soft earth on a rainy morning, tossing soil across the gravel covering the site of a brand-new middle school in the Northern Allen County Schools community: Willow Creek. Backed by a row of earthworks equipment, NACS representatives, the Moake Park Architecture Team, and community leaders commemorated the start of the construction phase, eager to bring this dream project into the real world.

Learning Path Opportunities

This school, which will feed into Carroll High School once completed, will have features such as:

Space to Accommodate Up to 1,000 students
Span 185,500 Square Feet
Administrative Space
Gymnasium
Student Library
Cafeteria
Auditorium
Social/Study Spaces
Band Room
And More

These elements speak to the intentionality and preparation that NACS leadership has put into planning this project, as the Huntertown region is continually expanding, with neighborhood developments continuing to expand into all pockets of Northwest Fort Wayne.

“This is just another step forward in our mission to ensure high quality, personalized education for every student.”
Wayne Barker, Superintendent, Northwest Allen County Schools

Community Legacy

This project was also made possible with the help of the Malcom and Hatch families, who agreed to sell sections of their land to be used to build Willow Creek.

“As we break this ground today, let’s look back and be thankful for the generations of Malcom’s and Hatch’s that have farmed this land and let us also look forward and envision the vibrant learning community that will soon take shape within the school walls that are constructed here. A community where curiosity is encouraged, talents are nurtured, and friendships are forged.”
Wayne Barker, Superintendent, Northwest Allen County Schools

We’re excited to serve on this NACS project, bringing more education opportunities to more families in the community!

Fine Arts Facility Tops Out at Canterbury

Posted on September 18, 2023

Touch Down

This August, we marked a momentous occasion and celebrated the completion of the steel framing at the new Canterbury Fine Arts Center. With an audience that included donors, architects, students, faculty, and staff, our crew carefully secured the final steel beam, a symbolic touch that signifies the culmination of this important phase.

Fostering Artistic Passion

Once finished, this 18,000 square-foot facility will provide students with a dedicated space to cultivate their artistic talents. From visual design to musical performance, acting in theatre to creating stunning artwork, or even recording audio, this center is meticulously crafted to offer learners an environment that will elevate their educational experience and empower them to pursue their dreams.

The Fine Arts Center will feature:

A Gallery
2D Art Studio
3D Art Studio
Blackbox Theatre
Theatre Dressing Rooms
Music Classroom
Choral Room
Practice Rooms
Recording and Podcasting Studios
Media Lab
And More!

The wide range of artistic disciplines supported in the new building guarantee opportunities for students across a broad swathe of interests and focuses. For David Jackson, Head of School at Canterbury, the intent behind this project was to ensure that education in the arts wasn’t an after-school activity, but rather “a core part of the academic experience…This facility will ensure generationally that Canterbury students, and students from the Fort Wayne area will have access to an incredible arts education.” Jackson recognized the generous donations by the Surack and James families. Their philanthropy funded this $10.5M project, making a way for this dream to become a reality.

The Next Step

From here, our team will embark on the next steps, which involve enclosing the facility. We are eagerly looking forward to the day when students can step into this new home of the school’s Academy of Arts and embark on an exciting journey of creativity and discovery!

Students and faculty watching the ceremony

Worker tightening the final beam in place in the frame

Workers removing the cables from the beam

From K-12 to Construction: Dr. Diane Woodworth’s Story

Posted on September 30, 2022

An Excerpt from our Q3 Newsletter

My name is Diane Woodworth, and I serve as the Business Development Education Specialist at Weigand Construction. During my K-12 career, I was a high school mathematics teacher, school counselor, and principal. I also served in various roles in district offices, retiring as the superintendent of Goshen Community Schools. I enjoyed each of the roles I had in public education, as I believe good education can truly change the trajectory of young lives!

During my career, I oversaw over $100M in projects utilizing a wide variety of delivery methods. At Goshen, a referendum was passed to build a new intermediate school as well as an addition to our high school. We utilized the delivery method known as CMc (Construction Manager as Constructor) to build these projects and chose Weigand Construction as our construction manager. I became a big fan of both CMc and Weigand during that final construction project before my retirement. It was the most transparent, efficient, and pain-free of all the projects I have ever been involved in.

Every Weigand employee I met demonstrated high levels of honesty and responsibility. I was not surprised at all when I began working for Weigand to find that our company values integrity tremendously. I have greatly enjoyed being part of a team that continues to “Build landmarks that impact the lives and communities we serve.”

Dr. Diane Woodworth
Business Development Education Specialist