RICHMOND, Va. β Concrete steps and exposed wiring serve as an outline for what will eventually be bright lights and colorful walls at the brand new Richmond High School for the Arts.
Friday morning, school leaders joined project managers for a brief tour of the almost $140 million facility.
"This is going to be a state-of-the-art building," said Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras.
"This is just a dream moment right now," said Stephanie Rizzi, a school board member.
Construction progresses on massive project
Six days a week, crews work to finish the building designed to hold about 1,800 students.
"We are currently working on big structural pieces, particularly the foundations, plumbing and electrical. Once those are in place, we can move to really filling out this building and making it beautiful," said Kim Wilson, construction project manager.
Kamras said he's excited for the opportunities the new school will bring to RPS students.
"Everything from what you might expect: dance and music and art, but also video and podcasting and so much more that we will be attracting kids from all over," Kamras said.
New leadership focuses on safe learning environments
Patrick Harrel, who just started this week as RPS's Chief Operations Officer, said he's looking forward to future collaborations with the community and school administration on projects like this.
"Making sure that they are in safe and welcoming buildings is incredibly important, and doing that really well, best in class, is something that we can do to help the superintendent and the community think about how to continue to dream big in the way we've done here with this high school," Harrel said.
Funding challenges remain for other projects
Kamras added that he's hoping for help from the state and federal government to build and renovate other schools across the city.
"It's not cheap, but our kids deserve the best, and so we're going to keep fighting for every last dollar. The city can't do it alone. We need the Commonwealth, frankly, we need the federal government," Kamras said.
Set with high ceilings, a huge auditorium and what will soon be a courtyard, the new building will be one of the largest schools in the city.
"There are some incredible things planned to make this the premier arts high school in central Virginia," Kamras said.
Construction is set to be completed by the winter of 2026, and that is when they are looking to welcome students in as well.
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