ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Kwame Building Group has completed a series of projects at the Normandy Schools Collaborative in St. Louis worth $23 million, including a $15 million early learning center.
The St. Louis-based company served as the construction manager and owner's representative on the projects, which were funded by Proposition N — a $23 million no-tax-rate increase bond issue passed in April 2017.
"By making the investment in our youngest learners, we have the opportunity to set a new standard within the district and the metropolitan area," officials said in a statement. "Very few public school districts offer free early childhood programs to their residents."
The Normandy Early Learning Center, located at 7855 Natural Bridge Road, is a 68,000-square-foot, two-story building that features a treehouse-themed library, outdoor playground, gymnasium and 35 classrooms. The project included demolition of the existing 120,000-square-foot middle school, site development and parking lot improvements.
Other projects included new library media centers and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) studios at Jefferson and Washington elementary schools. All five of Normandy's elementary schools underwent changes and additions to reconfigure them to a first- through eighth-grade model, officials said.
TRi Architects was the architect on the projects.
Kwame previously served as the program construction manager for the Normandy Schools Collaborative's $16 million bond program between 2004 and 2008, which included renovations and expansions of Normandy Senior High School and other facilities. In 2011, Kwame was the construction manager for the district's 65,000-square-foot Barack Obama Elementary School.
Normandy Schools Collaborative has five first- through eighth-grade schools, one high school and one early learning center.
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