K-12 School Renovations in Michigan Seek to Bring Old and New Together

8/28/2024

When voters in one of the best public school districts in Michigan approve a $195 million bond proposal, the expectations are high. Especially when work on historically significant buildings is involved. 

“There’s homework to do,” Ed Bloom says. “All the preparation and planning takes over a year.” 

Bloom is the vice president for the education market of Rockford Construction, a real estate development and management firm with offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids. Rockford has been making significant improvements to elementary and middle schools in the Birmingham Public Schools district, in the northern suburbs of Detroit. 

The bond program was approved by voters in March 2020. Work began the following year and has involved major upgrades to facilities, technology and security across the district, which has 13 schools and 7,300 students. 

An example of the challenges involved was a 7,000-square-foot addition to Pierce Elementary School that houses a cafeteria. It was important to the district that the addition mirrored the brick-and-limestone elements of the school and provided aesthetic continuity. 

“You have to understand the tie-in points,” Bloom says. 

Furthermore, this wasn’t just a cafeteria to the faculty, staff and students at the school. It was seen as more of a community center, the hub of the school’s day-to-day environment. 

“We love open concepts with windows, bright lights, open space, where the kids can see the playground, because we correlate healthy food with physical activity for a healthy lifestyle,” says Pattie Guck, director of food services for the Birmingham district.  

“It was awesome for us to have this new place. It brought new students in, we increased our participation, and we saw more students eating fresh, healthy foods, which is always exciting for us.” 

Extensive work also has been performed to date at the Covington and Berkshire middle schools in the district, Bloom says, adding that Rockford has a history in K-12 school renovation and understands these assignments. 

“Rockford has been in the Detroit market for more than two decades,” he says. “We have talented people with years of renovation experience. We’re meticulous with planning and preparation, and we’re also cost efficient.” 

Rockford undertook a preservation project for Michigan’s largest school district, recently restoring a 113-year-old Grand Rapids Public Schools building now known as Innovation Central High School.  

It is the oldest operating high school in the state, having educated former first lady Betty Ford and former astronaut Roger B. Chaffee. Another alumnus, Derrick Martin, is its new principal. 

The three-year, $40 million project reflects the growth and development of the Grand Rapids district. Rockford focused on solutions to preserve the building’s history while making critical improvements to its HVAC system to increase sustainability and provide a healthier environment for students. 

Innovation Central received 400 new, historically compatible windows, increasing the amount of daylight in classrooms by 7,600 square feet. Work also included masonry improvements to restore the building’s exterior, new classroom technology, LED lighting, and a new safe and secure entrance.  

“I can tell a lot of heart went into the renovation,” says Emmanuel Tesfaye, a student at the school. 

Doug Carroll is a freelance writer based in Chandler, Arizona.