The fourth and final phase of renovations at Apollo High School have begun and are expected to wrap up in December 2024. The final phase includes renovations to the existing building pods, the gymnasium, and the library; constructing a new kitchen/cafeteria; repurposing the commons area; and upgrading the atrium/dome for the front of the school.
Along with renovations to the campus, there is a new route for students to be picked up/dropped off by both parent/guardians and buses.
Families picking up students are supposed to enter the south end of the parking lot from Gemini Drive, drive around the back side of the campus, and pick students up at the front building facing the intersection with Tamarack Road.
Buses will pick students up at the new addition, utilizing a short loop by entering from and exiting on Gemini Drive.
Bailey Bennett, DCPS Construction Coordinator, previously said Phase 4 would include new floors, paint, LED lights, and ceilings; facility upgrades such as science rooms being converted into labs, and a general remodel of facilities such as restrooms and offices. It also includes new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing throughout the building.
The work for the overall Phase 4 renovations has been further broken down into phases of its own. RBS Design Group is overseeing the project. Jeanie Cannon, RBS project coordinator, broke down the details and timeline for Phase 4 earlier this week. Cannon’s presentation including the following highlights:
• Renovations for Pod A — which houses art, drama, and special education classrooms as well as the auditorium and stage — began Dec. 30 and has a substantial completion date of May 15 (meaning some small items may not be finished but the majority of the work will be done).
• Renovations for the upper level of the gym will begin April 10 with a substantial completion date of July 1. Cannon said they will be replacing bleachers and the floor on the mezzanine level this summer so they can keep using the lower level. Renovations on the lower level will be done next year.
• Renovations for the library/media center will begin May 15 pending the last day of school, with a substantial completion date of July 25.
• Renovations for Pod C — which primarily houses science and English classrooms — will begin May 15, with a substantial completion date of Dec. 30.
• Renovations for Pod D — which houses English and world languages classrooms and guidance offices in addition to the front office — will begin Jan. 1, 2023. The substantial completion date for work inside the circle (classrooms, some offices, restrooms) is May 15, 2023. Work on the dome/lobby will take an additional couple of months. Cannon said the dome will be removed and the pod will have a “real, hard roof … not a plastic roof.” The facade will also be designed to show an eagle with spread wings in the windows.
• Renovations for the lower level of the gym will begin April 10, 2023, with a substantial completion date of July 1, 2023.
• Renovations for the commons area/administrative offices will begin May 15, 2023, pending the last day of school, with a substantial completion date of July 25, 2023. Cannon said the commons area will have a dome skylight in the middle. The space, currently used as a cafeteria, will become more of a “gathering area” and integrated learning space with seats around the circle (as shown in the rendering). There will be about 4,500 square feet of open space with no tables.
• Construction of the new kitchen/cafeteria will begin May 15, 2023, with a substantial completion date of Dec. 30. Cannon said the new cafeteria will be about 8,000 square feet.
Phase 1 of the AHS renovation project involved erecting the new football stadium. Phase 2 involved turning the old football field into student parking. Phase 3 — with the exception of some minor work that is being finished up on weekends — was completed in December 2021 and was centered around a two-story addition to the school campus.
Major features of the Phase 3 addition included adding wings dedicated to the Engineering Academy and Ag Academy, with each containing three classrooms. The ag wing also has a new horticulture room, ag shop, and an animal science room, while the engineering wing has two engineering rooms and a computer lab.
