Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Upcoming Event

Best Places to Work in Virginia

Hamburger Menu Hamburger Menu

byline: Robyn Sidersky

Siemens Gamesa cancels $200M Portsmouth wind blade factory

Amid failing turbine components and financial challenges, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy said Friday it has “discontinued” its plans to build the nation’s first offshore wind-turbine blade manufacturing facility at the Port of Virginia’s Portsmouth Marine Terminal.

“Siemens Gamesa will continue to meet our obligations for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Siemens Gamesa discontinued plans to build and operate an offshore blade facility in Virginia, as development milestones to establish the facility could not be met,” a spokesperson for the Spanish-German wind turbine company said in a statement. 

The $200 million project, first announced in October 2021, was expected to create 310 jobs in Portsmouth — and also was viewed as a major step toward creating a U.S. offshore wind manufacturing hub in Hampton Roads. The factory was set to support Dominion Energy’s $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, and Siemens Gamesa had leased 80 acres at the port’s Portsmouth terminal next to 72 acres leased by Dominion for staging and preassembly of the foundations and turbines for the wind farm.

When completed, the 2.6-gigawatt, 176-turbine wind farm will power 660,000 homes, according to the Richmond-based Fortune 500 utility. Last week, Dominion passed critical hurdles to start construction as planned in the second half of 2024, with a 2026 delivery date. The first foundation posts, or monopiles, for the wind turbines began arriving at Portsmouth Marine Terminal in late October.

The Port of Virginia was notified several weeks ago that the Siemens Gamesa project was not going to proceed, and Siemens Gamesa honored the port’s termination fee, according to Aubrey Layne, board chair for the Virginia Port Authority, which oversees the Port of Virginia.

“Obviously from the economic development perspective for the state, that’s a disappointment,” Layne said Friday. “While we are disappointed, it doesn’t impact our ability to move forward in terms of how we would use the facility. [We’re] more saddened by the fact that it did not work out for offshore wind development with them, and we’ll see if somebody else steps in their place.”

“This announcement has no impacts on our project,” Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton said Friday. “Due to the timing of our project, the proposed facility was not scheduled to manufacture our blades.”

Components for Dominion’s project are being manufactured at another Siemens Gamesa facility in Europe, where the company is making the turbines, consisting of blades, nacelles and hubs.

“We have confidence in Siemens Gamesa, a turbine vendor with decades of experience as the global leader in wind turbine technology,” Slayton said. Dominion locked in the costs and production contract early. Siemens Gamesa made the pieces for the two pilot turbines currently operating off the coast, which Slayton noted “are exceeding expectations” since becoming operational in 2020.

Asked how the cancelled project will impact regional plans for Hampton Roads to become an East Coast manufacturing hub for offshore wind operations, Layne said the port will continue to work with state and local economic development officials to develop the property. “We’ve got other uses for it, so we’re gonna be a good partner,” he said.

The Hampton Roads Alliance also weighed in on the potential impact to Hampton Roads.

“As the offshore wind industry shifts its focus from Europe to the United States, changes in the scope of emerging projects bring with it changes in supplier demand,” Doug Smith, president and CEO of the alliance, said in a statement. “Just last week, however, Dominion was granted approval to build the largest offshore wind farm in America off the coast of Hampton Roads. In addition, the City of Norfolk was awarded a $39 million grant to work with the Miller Group to turn Fairwinds Landing into an offshore wind logistics facility. These announcements put Hampton Roads in a better position than ever to serve as America’s East Coast offshore wind logistics and manufacturing hub and to create thousands of jobs over the next decade.”

Heavy headwinds 

However, Siemens Gamesa has had major economic difficulties in recent months stemming from malfunctioning turbine parts.

The company scrapped its profit guidance in late June, citing a “substantial increase in failure rates of wind turbine components” at its wind division, CNBC reported in July, and in a single day in June, Siemens Energy’s stock fell by 37%.  Specifically, the problems involve turbine platforms, rotor blades and main bearings, Reuters reported. And two weeks ago, Siemens Energy said it was in talks with the German government to secure financial assistance to finish future large projects.

Other wind energy companies have also seen difficulties in recent months, indicating a wider problem in the industry. On Tuesday, a Philadelphia news channel reported that Ørsted, the Danish firm that built Dominion’s first two offshore turbines in 2020, is trying to get out of a $300 million payment to New Jersey after canceling two offshore wind farm projects in southern New Jersey. In late October, Ørsted said it had booked an impairment charge of more than $4 billion against its U.S. offshore portfolio, while announcing its decision to scrap its two New Jersey projects.

Layne said he and port officials have been in regular contact with Siemens Gamesa about the reported turbine issues and concerns with the wind industry.

Slayton said Dominion still plans to help establish a domestic offshore wind supply chain in Hampton Roads, saying that the region is ideally situated to capitalize on the wind industry.

“The offshore wind supply chain in the U.S. is in the development stages,” he noted. “We have that tangible evidence that offshore wind is happening in Virginia, and we are moving forward full steam ahead to start that offshore construction in May of next year.”

Newport News Shipbuilding expands to Norfolk

With the largest workload it’s had in four decades, Newport News Shipbuilding has had to get creative about how to use the limited footprint at its shipyard in Newport News.

So when an opportunity to set up a second campus not far away — on the other side of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, in Norfolk — popped up, the wheels started turning.

The shipyard, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries that employs about 25,000 people, has started production at a satellite campus at Fairwinds Landing in Norfolk to support its main shipyard.

The Norfolk campus of NNS will span eight acres at Fairwinds Landing, a new maritime operations and logistics hub supporting Hampton Roads’ offshore wind, defense and transportation industries. Fairwinds Landing is located at Lambert’s Points Docks across from Portsmouth Marine Terminal and is a joint venture between The Miller Group, Balicore Construction and Fairlead Integrated. Norfolk Southern owns the property.

“HII’s continued investment in our community is a testament of the strength of our local workforce,” Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander said during an event at Fairwinds Landing on Monday to celebrate the satellite’s opening.

For the past few months, about 20 shipyard workers have been constructing steel panels that will make up units on the future USS Enterprise, the third ship in the Navy’s Gerald R. Ford class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

By the end of the year, the campus expects to have 80 employees, and next year it will grow to 150, said Les Smith, vice president of the Enterprise and Doris Miller aircraft carrier programs. Doris Miller is the Navy’s fourth ship in its Ford class. The Enterprise and Doris Miller are under construction at the shipyard, which is the country’s only builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

So far, Newport News Shipbuilding has invested about $25 million, but NNS is going to work with the Navy to look for opportunities for future expansion. That could be upwards of $100 million over a five-year period, Smith said.

Though panels for the Enterprise will be produced and stored at Fairwinds Landing, the satellite campus will help free up space at the shipyard’s main campus to support other programs, such as nuclear-powered submarine production. Shipyard executives say they have not ruled out the idea of expanding the campus at Fairwinds Landing.

Workers demonstrated moving one of the panels Monday at Fairwinds Landing. It weighs 8,200 pounds and is 3/8 of an inch thick.

It’s the first time NNS has set up a satellite campus of this kind.

“There is a great need right now,” Smith said. “We’ve got more work than we’ve had over the last four decades … we’ve got 20 ships and boats at the shipyard right now in some form, being built or repaired. So the more that we can expand and augment our footprint frees up our footprint there for other work to be done. So, this is innovation. This is an opportunity for us to think outside the transactional box that we have done in the past and s that’s why we’re starting here …We’re two months into this process now.”

Smith noted that the shipyard already works with about 70 suppliers based in Norfolk and has spent upwards of $309 million in the city during the past five years.

“The new Norfolk campus will help us to grow our business and positively impact Hampton Roads,” he said.

Fairwinds Landing is making waves in its own right, and the addition of NNS is bolstering its early success.

Last week, Norfolk’s Economic Development Authority learned it will receive $39.2 million in federal funding to assist in transforming the property into an offshore wind logistics facility.

The funding was awarded through the Port Infrastructure Development Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The EDA jointly submitted the application. The funding will assist in financing the restoration of the aging waterfront infrastructure.

Fairwinds Landing in June broke ground on its Monitoring and Coordination Center, an offshore wind energy monitoring and coordination facility occupying 7.5 acres. The MCC will include two buildings — a 31,167-square-foot operations and maintenance center and a 17,280-square-foot warehouse. The operations center will be used by Dominion Energy to monitor maritime activities, analyze asset performance, provide strategic planning and ensure regulatory compliance around the Richmond-based Fortune 500 utility’s $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project under development off the coast of Virginia Beach.

It has deep-water access to the Elizabeth River and is across from Portsmouth Marine Terminal. Expected to be completed in 2025, the MCC is expected to support more than 200 construction and engineering jobs. Dominion Energy has 45 shore-based personnel there and more than 60 vessel-based personnel who will be deployed to the offshore wind farm, which is expected to start construction in May and wrap up in 2026.

Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries, the parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia and the nation’s largest military shipbuilder. The Fortune 500 company employs more than 44,000 workers. Newport News Shipbuilding plans to expand its workforce to 28,000 during the next decade.

EVMS, ODU merger pushed to July 2024

The merger of Eastern Virginia Medical School into Old Dominion University has been pushed back six months, to July 1, 2024, instead of January as originally planned, ODU President Brian O. Hemphill announced Friday during his State of the University address.

While that date still meets the deadline set by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly — July 1, 2024 — ODU and EVMS had been aiming for January 2024. But Hemphill and EVMS President, Provost and Dean Dr. Alfred Abuhamad said there’s more work that needs to be done before EVMS is folded into ODU, though Abuhamad added that the merger is “very, very close” to being finalized.

“We have a number of subgroups that are working hard and looking at issues from IT to finance and that work will continue, but the next step is that we are going back to [the General Assembly],” Hemphill said. “There’s a little more funding that we’re going to have to receive from Richmond.”

The creation of Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center at ODU — making EVMS into ODU’s medical school — was included in a bill sponsored by state Sen. Louise Lucas during the 2023 Virginia General Assembly. Then, in September, the General Assembly approved $14 million to support startup costs for the initial integration and launch.

Friday’s announcement wasn’t exactly a surprise. The formal announcement comes about a month after a letter written by Hemphill and Abuhamad indicating that the merger had been pushed to July 2024 was posted on an EVMS website dedicated to the merger.

“While we are confident that we will conclude these conversations soon, it is unlikely this will happen before we reach some important … accreditation approval deadlines” from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Hemphill and Abuhamad wrote. “As these important discussions continue, our functional teams and the Integration Management Offices (IMOs) continue to make substantial progress. Both institutions are fully immersed in the remaining work toward the goal of a successful integration.”

ODU and EVMS will submit the materials for accreditation in March 2024 with the expectation to receive word on approval in June, an ODU spokesperson said.

Though EVMS and ODU missed their self-imposed Jan. 1, 2024, deadline, the two institutions remain on track to meet the July 1, 2024, deadline set by Youngkin and the state legislature.

“It’s very complex to bring two large institutions together,” Abuhamad said, talking with reporters after Hemphill’s speech. “There’s a lot of things that need to get worked through prior to getting to Day One and we’re on schedule and on time to reach them.”

He said the January deadline was predicated “on us getting support, financial support and making sure that all the work is accomplished to be able to integrate.”

Hemphill and Abuhamad did not elaborate further on how much financial support is needed.

In addition to financial support, Abuhamad said Friday that the schools’ desire to integrate and the creation of a symbiotic culture between EVMS and ODU are two pieces that are necessary for a successful merger. “We feel very good about this because all these three major things that typically derail mergers are very solidly founded,” he said.

Another aspect of that success is Sentara Health, which already has an agreement with EVMS for residencies, and has “doubled down” on the merger, Hemphill said Friday.

In his speech, Hemphill said ODU, EVMS and Sentara’s leadership approved a long-term deal. “It’s a significant investment that will drive this merger and ensure we are going to be successful.”

The two schools have been working on the merger for at least two years and it’s not the first time they have worked together. They have previously entered into agreements with Sentara Health and Norfolk State University on health care collaborations.

A dozen committees are working on the integration between ODU and EVMS, some meeting as often as two or three times per week. In July 2022, ODU hired Dr. Alicia Monroe as chief integration officer and senior adviser to Hemphill.

 

Kings Dominion parent Cedar Fair and Six Flags announce $2B merger

Cedar Fair Entertainment, the parent company of Kings Dominion, is merging with Six Flags Entertainment in an all-stock deal valued at $2 billion, the companies announced Thursday.

Cedar Fair unitholders will own 51.2% and Six Flags shareholders will own approximately 48.8%.

Together, the two companies will have a combined 27 amusement parks, 25 water parks and nine resort properties and will be valued at about $8 billion.

Richard Zimmerman, president and CEO of Cedar Fair, will serve as president and CEO of the newly combined company and Selim Bassoul, president and CEO of Six Flags, will serve as executive chairman of the combined company’s board of directors. Brian Witherow, chief financial officer of Cedar Fair, will keep his position in the new company and Gary Mick, chief financial officer of Six Flags, will serve as chief integration officer. After the deal closes, the new board of directors will have 12 seats, six from each original board.

The company will operate under the name Six Flags and trade under the ticker symbol FUN on the New York Stock Exchange and be structured as a C corporation. The Six Flags chain started in 1961 in Arlington, Texas, the company’s current headquarters, but it will move to Charlotte, North Carolina. The company will keep significant finance and administrative operations in Sandusky, Ohio, the headquarters of Cedar Fair. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2024.

The companies expect $120 million in cost savings within two years of closing the deal and $200 million in other benefits. Existing intellectual property and licensing deals for franchises such as Looney Tunes, DC Comics and Peanuts will belong to the new company for use in all its parks.

Over the past 12 months, the two companies collectively brought in 48 million guests. Together, the entertainment companies say they will have greater flexibility to invest in new rides and attractions, broader food and beverage selections, more in-park offerings and cross-park initiatives.

In February 2022, Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment, the parent company of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, made an unsuccessful bid to acquire Cedar Fair.

Kings Dominion, in Doswell, hosted about 20,000 people on its opening day in May 1975 and 1.5 million visitors in its first season, according to the company’s website. Today, the 400-acre park has more than 60 rides and a dozen roller coasters plus the Soak City water park. A year ago, Kings Dominion announced it would expand to year-round operations, adding nine weekends to the operating calendar, beginning in January 2023. The park reversed course recently, scaling back and closing for January, February and some of March.

 

 

$14.9M manufacturing facility coming to Russell County

Tate, a data center supplier, will invest $14.9 million to establish a new manufacturing facility in Russell County, creating 170 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday.

The new plant will focus primarily on data center component manufacturing and containment products to serve clients in Virginia and other data center sites.

“I’m proud that the commonwealth has once again proven itself against other states as the top choice for a global company like Tate to invest in a new manufacturing facility,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Southwest Virginia is committed to business attraction and offers the environment and skilled workforce to help its corporate partners succeed. We are excited to see all that Tate accomplishes in Russell County.”

Tate is hiring for a quality supervisor and maintenance manager, according to its hiring website. The company also said it soon will be hiring for positions such as mechanical techs, electrical techs, paint techs and laser techs.

The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority provided $2.5 million to the Russell County Industrial Development Authority in 2020 that enabled the Russell County to buy the building in St. Paul that will be occupied by Tate for the project, VCEDA Executive Director and General Counsel Jonathan S. Belcher said in a statement. It has also approved up to $250,000 in workforce development and training funds for Tate, he added.

“This is one of the most significant manufacturing projects to locate in the VCEDA region in many years, and it will greatly enhance and diversify the economy of St. Paul and of the region as a whole,” Belcher said.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Russell County and the VCEDA to secure the project for Virginia. Youngkin approved a $700,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Russell County with the project. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission approved a $146,000 Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund grant to support the project.

Support for Tate’s job creation will be provided through the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, a VEDP workforce initiative.

Fairfax AI firm acquired by Texas-based tech company

Fairfax-based ARInspect, a firm specializing in artificial intelligence products for public sector field operations, has been acquired by Texas software company Tyler Technologies, the companies announced Tuesday.

Tyler declined to disclose the price and terms of the deal.

Tyler will add ARInspect’s AI-powered platform to its portfolio and use the Fairfax company’s technology across its verticals with a focus on all regulated entities, including environmental protection, disaster recovery and human services, according to a news release. ARInspect’s platform allows public sector employees to work independently to manage all activities in the field. The platform analyzes historical data, completed inspections, violations, integrated census data and more, and helps agencies identify sites, assets and facilities that may be at risk.

“Over the last few years, we have seen a great demand for public sector edge technology with the power of AI and automation,” Vivek Mehta, founder and CEO of ARInspect, said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to combine our expertise with Tyler’s to provide a powerful and user-friendly field operations platform. Our similar values and commitment make this the ideal partnership for all ARInspect and Tyler clients.”

The 40 employees of ARInspect will join Tyler’s platform solutions division, and the management team is expected to be a key part of the division, a Tyler spokesperson told Virginia Business. Tyler also has offices in Herndon, with 178 employees; Arlington County, where 48 employees work; and Richmond, with 30 workers. ARInspect’s employees will move to Tyler’s Herndon office.

“Tyler understands the challenges that government agencies have in providing resources to field workers, including access to smart capture tools, real-time data, and the decision-making capabilities that can impact effectiveness,” Brian Combs, president of Tyler’s platform solutions division, said in a statement. “ARInspect’s platform and expertise in AI and machine learning combined with Tyler’s public sector experience and robust portfolio will help deliver on our promise to create smarter, safer and stronger communities for our clients.”

Dominion offshore wind farm moves closer to final approval

Dominion Energy has passed another critical federal hurdle on its way to gaining approval to begin construction on its $9.8 billion, 176-turbine offshore wind farm 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management granted a favorable record of decision for the Richmond-based Fortune 500 electric utility’s 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project Tuesday. The decision represents the final step in the National Environmental Policy Act review process for its construction and operations plan.

“Today’s decision balances the orderly development of OCS renewable energy with the prevention of interference with other uses of the OCS and the protection of the human, marine and coastal environments,” BOEM said in the record of decision. “A decision that balances these goals where they conflict and does not hold one as controlling over all others is consistent with the duties required.”

Also Tuesday, Dominion earned approval from the Department of the Interior for its construction and operation plan.

“The Interior Department is committed to the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government approach to the clean energy future, which helps respond to the climate crisis, lower energy costs, and create good-paying union jobs across the manufacturing, shipbuilding and construction sectors,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a statement. “Today’s approval of the largest offshore wind project in U.S. history builds on the undeniable momentum we are seeing. Together with the labor community, industry, trribes and partners from coast to coast, we are aggressively working toward our clean energy goals.”  

The final approval for the wind farm’s construction and operations plan is expected to come from BOEM on Jan. 29, 2024, with Dominion slated to begin construction in May 2024. Once fully constructed in late 2026, the turbines will power up to 660,000 homes. 

“Receiving a favorable record of decision from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is a monumental achievement for Dominion Energy and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind team,” Dominion CEO, Chair and President Bob Blue said in a statement. “More than a decade of work has gone into the development, design and permitting of CVOW. Offshore wind is a vital part of our strategy to provide our customers with a diverse fuel mix that delivers reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy.”

The project will be the nation’s largest offshore wind farm and aligns with a state mandate that the Richmond-based Dominion go carbon-free by 2045. 

In mid-October, the first eight monopiles, the foundation posts for the massive wind turbines, arrived at Portsmouth Marine Terminal and state officials and Dominion executives celebrated their arrival from Germany Friday.

The monopiles, which are each about 272 feet long — about the length of a football field  — and 31 feet in diameter, will be driven into the seabed. Each turbine, when fully assembled, will be 836 feet high. 

In late September, BOEM announced it completed its environmental assessment of the project, a little more than two years after the review began.

Dominion is already operating two wind turbines off the Virginia Beach coast as part of a pilot project. The company said that more than 750 Virginia-based workers, about 530 of whom are in Hampton Roads, are working on the project or with businesses supporting it. Another 1,000 jobs are expected to be created to operate and maintain the turbines.

The record of decision will be published in the Federal Register later this week.

Thalhimer hires exec to lead multifamily biz

Drew Harbrecht has joined Thalhimer as senior vice president and will lead Thalhimer Multifamily, the firm’s residential property services division.

He joins from Charleston, South Carolina-based Greystar Worldwide, where he led a management portfolio of nearly 10,000 units in Central Virginia and the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia corridor. He will be based in Thalhimer’s corporate office in Glen Allen. A Radford University graduate who holds a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing, he previously worked in Richmond.

Harbrecht has more than 17 years of management experience and is active in the Urban Land Institute and has multiple industry accreditations, including with the Institute of Real Estate Management and the National Apartment Association.

“We are thrilled to welcome Drew Harbrecht as the new leader of Thalhimer Multifamily and as a member of the firm’s executive leadership team,” Lee Warfield, president and CEO of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer said in a statement. “Drew brings an impressive depth of experience in the multifamily asset services and management world. From institutional-quality apartment communities to value-add assets, he knows what it takes to provide best-in-class service for clients, owners and residents. Under Drew’s leadership, Thalhimer is focused on expanding its multifamily portfolio and enhancing the visibility of our business capabilities. Drew’s leadership style supports a positive culture and a level of engagement that will inspire his entire team to perform at the highest level.”

Thalhimer Multifamily is a fully integrated property management firm handling acquisitions, dispositions, troubled asset turnaround, property operations and other related services. Its management portfolio includes more than 10,000 units in Virginia and North Carolina.

Capital Square moves Glen Allen HQ

Glen Allen-based real estate company Capital Square has relocated to a new, expanded corporate headquarters in Henrico County’s Innsbrook area, not far from its original headquarters.

Capital Square has subleased the space at 4851 Lake Brook Drive in the Innsbrook Corporate Center until March 2028. The new office, which is 44,867 square feet, is more than double the size of its previous office, at 10900 Nuckols Road, also in Innsbrook.

The new office has multiple conference room configurations with a glass wall and garden views, an onsite classroom for training, updated technology, a full-service cafe, a fitness center with locker rooms, parking and other amenities.

“This workplace of the future for real estate professionals provides a sense of home, where team members can gather and brainstorm, with a positive impact on their careers and relationship with the firm. The new headquarters creates an upward spiral of success for all stakeholders,” Louis Rogers, founder and co-CEO of Capital Square, said in a statement.

Both Capital Square’s expanded development and in-house property management divisions will be housed in the space.

Since Rogers founded Capital Square in 2012, the firm has completed more than $7.5 billion in transaction volume.

Capital Square is a developer of multifamily properties and has been the largest developer of multifamily housing in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood.

Skanska tops off VSU academic commons building

New York-based development and construction firm Skanska USA held a topping-out ceremony this week for the $120 million Alfred W. Harris Academic Commons building being built at Virginia State University.

The 175,000-square-foot building replaces VSU’s Harris Hall and Daniel Gymnasium and consolidates its College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Education into one complex. It will be the largest building ever constructed on VSU’s Petersburg-area campus in Ettrick.

VSU’s $120 million Alfred W. Harris Academic Commons is on track to be completed in 2025. Rendering courtesy Skanska

The topping-out ceremony marks the milestone of 800 tons of steel being installed, along with other construction milestones including:

  • 700 cubic yards of concrete foundations;
  • 5,766 square feet of concrete block foundations;
  • 22 castellated beams, each 106 feet long;
  • 35,719 square feet of brick veneer;
  • 23,527 square feet of metal panels;
  • and 16,600 square feet of 12-inch glazed concrete blocks around the pool.

The project started in January and will be completed in 2025. The three-story facility will have academic classrooms, media labs, broadcast production labs, multipurpose auditoriums, art and design department ceramic labs and studios, a black box theater and scene shop, distance learning technologies, faculty offices and support space. It will also have an elevated running track, six basketball courts and a natatorium with a six-lane, 25-yard competition swimming pool and diving boards.