We were excited to meet with representatives from the Redwood Area Schools to share an update on the new elementary school build. A mild winter has served the area well to be able to continue progress in achieving an ambitious timeline.
Referendum Passed in April 2023
The original proposed bond referendum for the new Redwood Area Elementary School failed to pass in August 2022. In April of 2023, the bond referendum was modified to be slightly more conservative and passed with a 1137 yes to 1059 no vote. This referendum allows the district to build a new pre-kindergarten through fourth grade elementary school on the current Reed Gray and Wood Dale Nursing Home sites.
Wood Dale Nursing Home
In August 2023, the Redwood Area Schools issued an RFP for the demolition of the Wood Dale Nursing Home per their new school plan. However, the bids came back too high so it was decided to wait until the winter season in an attempt to achieve off season savings. The school reissued a bid with a longer window to accomplish the demolition work the second time around and a company was awarded the bid within the budget.
Current Demolition Work
Wood Dale Nursing Home is in the process of being taken down. There have been a few pauses in the timeline to accommodate the proper disposal of things such as asbestos. This work is still slated to be completed in the beginning of February 2024.
The site formerly known as Wood Dale Nursing Home will primarily be used as a staging area. Equipment and materials will be housed here throughout the build project. The area will be secured with fencing to provide security and separation from the current elementary space. Upon completion of the new elementary school, the site formerly known as Wood Dale Nursing Home is anticipated to serve as an additional parking area for faculty, staff and parents.
Next Steps in Construction
The 300+ page construction documents are anticipated to be completed soon to allow for an opening of bids in March of 2024. The Redwood Area School Board is hoping to award bids at the March board meeting to allow for ground breaking in mid-April of 2024.
The goal is to have the new elementary school open for students for the 2025-2026 school year.
Visioning for the Future
We’re excited to share documents from Wold Architects that show the current layout of the future building as well as mockups of what the building might look like.
