(Rendering courtesy of Redmond Proficiency Academy)
The Redmond Proficiency Academy will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new middle school facility on Wednesday, December 9 at 12:15pm. The ceremony will occur at the site of the new middle school, located at 150 SW 25th Street in Redmond. The public is invited.
The new 24,045 square foot school is scheduled to open in August 2016 and will be located on two-plus acres on the corner of Antler Avenue and 25th Avenue in Redmond. When complete, it will serve RPA’s middle school students becoming the first facility built and owned by RPA.
BBT Architects of Bend is designing the new middle school, and Griffin Construction of Prineville, Oregon is the general contractor for the project.
“We are excited for this incredible opportunity to create a unique learning environment for our middle school students,” said RPA Executive Director Jon Bullock. “Today marks the culmination of two-plus years of work and is the next step in ensuring our students can learn and grow in a facility that helps fulfill our mission of providing a proficiency-based education in a personalized learning environment.”
The facility is being financed through the sale of $6,685,000 in municipal bonds. RPA received approval from the Oregon Facilities Authority (OFA) and partnered with Piper Jaffray to market and sell these bonds. The proceeds from the bond sales will cover all associated project costs including land acquisition, design services, construction costs, furnishings, and the cost of issuance.
“This partnership between a charter school and a private investment firm is unique in Oregon,” Bullock said. “Working with Piper Jaffray allowed us to access the financing necessary to ensure we can design and build our new middle school. We utilized a public process through the Oregon Facilities Authority that allowed Piper Jaffray to market and sell these bonds on our behalf.”
RPA engaged in a public Request For Proposals (RFP) process last spring and summer and selected BBT Architects of Bend and Griffin Construction of Prineville as its Design-Build partners.
“Griffin Construction is excited to team up with BBT Architects for this unique design-build experience to create the new middle school for Redmond Proficiency Academy,” said owner Samuel Griffin. “We are also happy to be working with our MEP design-build partners: Mountain View Heating, Gowdy Brothers Electric, and Twin Rivers Plumbing. Griffin Construction is proud to be a part of this team, and together we will make it happen.”
The single-phase construction project is set to begin immediately and is scheduled to be completed next summer in the middle of August. The facility will feature classrooms, learning labs, and a multipurpose room, as well as speciality spaces for choir, band, Spanish, and other electives.
“The goal was to create a modern high tech space that is flexible and dynamic and that is also a source of great pride for RPA and the community,” said BBT Architect Matt Appleby. “This middle school design creates a modern “incubator” type space that will allow for maximum flexibility for RPA’s programs, while meeting the strict budget requirements set forth. The forms and finishes are based on a balance of use, looks and economies. We believe this design showcases all that RPA stands for.”
RPA began making plans for a new middle school facility over two years ago when Redmond School District announced plans to utilize the Hugh Hartman building beginning in the Fall of 2016. RPA has leased the Hugh Hartman building from RSD for the past four years.
“We have had, and we continue to have, a great relationship with the Redmond School District,” Bullock said. “We look forward to building our new middle school just down the street from our current location in Hugh Hartman building, and we look forward to being great neighbors to those around us.”
NAI Cascade Real Estate Consultant Ken Streater worked with RPA throughout the process.
“The site selection, development and construction process has always focused on what is best for students from throughout Central Oregon,” Streater said. “This has been a truly collaborative effort, with the City of Redmond, Deschutes County, and others pulling together to bring this project to life. The Bridge Church, who sold RPA the property, has been wonderful to work with. We believe this is the best site possible when all the variables for an exceptional 21st century education facility are considered.”
“Working with RPA has illustrated to me their commitment to community and education, as they
repeatedly returned to their middle school core values of being respectful, awesome, and dependable in determining where, what, why and how to build this efficient, welcoming and creative facility,” added Streater.
The new middle school facility will house students in grades six through eight, and once completed it will be the first facility owned by RPA.
“Moving forward with a project of this distinction and scope further builds on an amazing vision that first brought this board together,” said John Esa, President of Personalized Learning Inc., the nonprofit company that operates RPA. “This project allows us to continue providing amazing and unique educational opportunities for the young people of Central Oregon. I have complete confidence placed in the faculty and the students at the Redmond Proficiency Academy; they are the right ones to lead us down this next part of our journey.”
