Population shifts, along with ballot funding measures, are driving new construction at schools and universities. The number of education projects that broke ground increased 14% in September, according to Dodge Data and Analytics. Also in September, 10 educational facilities valued at $100 million or more broke ground, including a $243-million neuroscience building at the University of California, San Francisco; the $200-million renovation of the Mid-Manhattan Library in New York City; and a $150-million high school in Germantown, Md., Dodge reports.
In Colorado Springs’ District 49, voters approved a $83.5-million mill-levy override to pay for necessary projects. Melissa Andrews, community and facilities planning manager for District 49, says that growth east of Colorado Springs prompted the need for more schools. “Much of Colorado Springs is landlocked, so all the growth is coming our way,” she notes. The number of school-aged children in the district have jumped to more than 20,000 from 10,000 in 2005, she says.