Cor Jesu Academy has chosen S. M. Wilson & Co. to manage construction of the school’s new $8.9 million, 39,400 square foot, three-level performance gymnasium and student commons complex as part of the school’s long range campus enhancement plan. Slated for completion in the fall of 2017, this innovative new space gives Cor Jesu the opportunity to add new course offerings and state-of-the-art learning, while also growing the school’s sports programs. The project is being funded by a $9.5 million capital campaign launched in 2014 to provide a range of new facilities including a new chapel, plus site improvements and more financial aid for qualifying students at this private Catholic girls’ high school in South St. Louis County.
The new gymnasium will feature two full courts on the first floor with state-of-the-art features conducive to basketball and volleyball competition, along with permanent bleachers and expanded weight and workout rooms. The second floor will feature a multipurpose room, student commons and athletic offices. Four new specialized classrooms will be added to the third floor.
The new student commons will be built in the open space between the new addition and the existing school building, and will overlook into the new gymnasium. This will be a designated community area for students to gather, meet with faculty and provide collaborative study areas.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for April 22, 2016, and the project is scheduled for completion in time for the 2017-18 school year. Hastings + Chivetta is the project architect.
Cor Jesu Academy is a leading Catholic college preparatory high school for young women founded in 1956 and operated by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Students from 61 zip codes across the St. Louis metropolitan area currently attend the school and come from 106 different Catholic, public, private and home schooling learning environments. For more information, visit www.corjesu.org.
S. M. Wilson is a full-service construction management, design/build and general contracting firm with headquarters in St. Louis.