Category: Education News

Exciting Addition to Knights Campus

Posted on September 17, 2024

Ready for Fall

The Norwell community was elated as we celebrated the opening of their new middle school building. Joined by project partners Schmidt Architects, ERI, and Weigand Construction, Superintendent Mike Springer noted that collaboration helped to bring this project together. Not only so, but our team delivered this building more than a month ahead of schedule. This ensured that faculty and staff would have ample time to transfer their offices and arrange their classrooms well before the start of the fall semester.

Students Welcome

The new two-floor, 160,000 square foot middle school building is fitted to help meet current and future space needs as its student influx grows with features such as:

Media Center

Band and Choir Rooms

Art Classrooms

Commons Spaces

Science Classrooms

Multipurpose Rooms

Resource Rooms

Intense Intervention Classrooms

Sensory Room

Skills Development

Dedicated Alternative School Space

Office Wing

And More

This project also included some new additions and renovations to the existing baseball and football fields on the campus sports complex. These included:

Steel Archway Entrance

Football Building with Concessions, Bathrooms, and Ticket Booth

Baseball Building with Concessions, Bathrooms, and Ticket Booth

These features set Norwell Middle School up for success with future education programs, student learning experiences, and improved daily operations. Prepared to address a wide range of needs both academic and athletic, students and faculty can now enjoy the many benefits that their brand-new facility offers.

Proud Partner

We’re excited to have played a role in taking this amazing project from a blueprint to real bricks and mortar. Our team is currently hard at work on Phase II of this project, which will involve demolition and renovation of the old middle school building.

Upcoming Music Project Name Revealed

Posted on September 17, 2024

A Song not yet Written

A sound of hope and anticipation echoed through many in the Purdue Fort Wayne community as they witnessed the official construction kickoff for their new music center addition. The Surack-Sweetwater Music Industry Building, whose name was unveiled at the ceremony, is the fulfillment of a vision first set in 2018 when the School of Music first opened at PFW.

A Best-in-Class Facility

The Surack-Sweetwater Music Industry Building will act as an addition to the Rhinehart Music Center, providing more studio, rehearsal, and classroom space with a focus on recording, mixing, and mastering music. The $25M, 26,000 square foot building will have:

Two Studios

Rehearsal Rooms

Storage Spaces

Equipment Checkout

Editing Rooms

Classrooms

Office and Conference Space

Tracking Room

Isolation Rooms

And More

Sporting a modern, sleek design that still captures the overall look and feel of PFW’s larger campus, students will have access to industry-level technology, helping fine tune their sound as they learn to produce professional audio.

Made Possible Through Donors

This project moved forward through the coordinated efforts of contributors such as the Auer Foundation and the Surack Family, as well as many private donors. The Indiana General Assembly also played a role in securing funding by apportioning their budget to offset a large portion of the construction cost.

Construction Phase Now Online

We are excited to begin building this incredible new addition to the PFW Music Center. We’re humbled to have the opportunity to once again partner with PFW and Design Collaborative on this amazing project for the benefit of students, faculty, and the music industry in Fort Wayne as a whole. Here’s to building landmarks that impact the lives and communities we serve!

Fine Arts School Now Open

Posted on September 17, 2024

Strengthening School Programs

Excitement from many months of anticipation was felt as the Canterbury Community came together to officially open its new Fine Arts Center. Joined by the project team, the board of trustees, and key project donors, the group cut the ribbon, highlighting the final milestone since construction began in May of 2023.

“The campus has transformed dramatically with the Fine Arts Center now serving as a welcoming front door to the High School Campus.” – Larry Weigand, CEO, Weigand Construction

Designed for the Arts

Developed as the central hub for Canterbury’s Academy of the Arts, the new, 18,000 square foot facility has several specialized offerings for students such as:

A Gallery

2D Art Studio

3D Art Studio

Blackbox Theatre

Theatre Dressing Rooms

Music Classroom

Choral Room

Practice Rooms

Recording and Podcasting Studios

Media Lab

And More!

These features allow for a diverse range of artistic disciplines for students to discover, explore, and hone throughout their learning journeys. Not only that, but access to this facility will be available for students in every grade, allowing them to foster creativity at all stages of their education.

More Lasting than Bronze

This tremendous effort strengthening Canterbury’s educational experience resulted in a structure set to make an impact on every student passing through its doors.

“In the building that stands behind us, our students, guided by their incredible teachers, will produce art that will last a lifetime. We could not be more thankful to the Surack and James families, and to all of our donors for your support. You have, in the words of Horace, helped us to construct ‘a monument more lasting than bronze.’” – David Jackson, Head of School, Canterbury School

We cannot wait to see how students’ creativity flourishes through the programs at the Canterbury Fine Arts Center in the years to come!

Wheel of Fortune Host Snips Ribbon on New Media Center

Posted on June 25, 2024

A Special Unveiling

Donors, partners, and members of the Hillsdale College community came together to experience the new Sajak Media Center, complete with sets and special lighting filling the space! Named after the project’s primary donor, Pat Sajak, the former Wheel of Fortune Host and current Hillsdale Board of Trustees Chairman, the Sajak Media Center is a 6,453 square foot facility with the space and equipment to support Hillsdale’s wide array of media projects.

Before this new facility was completed, the Hillsdale Media Team would shoot their marketing and educational content in a studio in the Knorr Student Center basement. As their operations began to expand, the team’s output quickly outgrew the studio, creating a rising need for a new home for their video production.

A Defining Upgrade

The Sajak Media Center was conceptualized to help not only meet the Hillsdale Media Team’s immediate needs, but also support their growth going forward into the future with features like:

State-of-the-Art Soundproofing

Sprawling Studio with Space to Hold Multiple Sets and Shoots

A Green Room

A Makeup Room

And More

Beyond Better Production

This structure does more than just provide a better place to produce video. It strengthens Hillsdale’s deep library of online education courses that have been accessed by 1.7 million students.

“The center will also allow online learning and the visual arts team to have several sets available simultaneously, which means we can develop a more aggressive film schedule and produce more high-quality courses.”
Jeremiah Regan, Executive Director of Online Learning, Hillsdale College

We’re excited to see another amazing project go up successfully here on Hillsdale College’s beautiful campus. We can’t wait to see how the Sajak Media Center bolsters their high-quality education in the years to come!

Groundbreaking Sports Complex Project

Posted on June 25, 2024

A New Field for the Home Team

Community members, school leadership, and project partners came together in early June to celebrate the official start of construction on the new Baseball/Softball Complex for Goshen High School. Set to be built on the campus of Prairie View Elementary, the new sports complex is a project that comes after more than 60 years spent playing on existing, outdated fields.

“We had a baseball field, it was in terrible shape, I hate to say, I think it’s probably one of the worst baseball fields in northern Indiana. But our softball field wasn’t any better and that was at the park, and we couldn’t play the games there.”
Jim DuBois, Superintendent, Goshen Community Schools

A Better Playing Experience

With conversations about finding a new home for the baseball and softball teams starting 20 years ago, planning for this new facility has been a long time in the making. Some fresh amenities that will come with the complex include:

Baseball Diamond
Softball Diamond
Field Lighting
Turf
Press Boxes
Parking
Team Dugouts
Concessions and Restroom Facility
And More

Turf on fields will allow rain during the Spring season to drain more efficiently, preventing fields from flooding. This reduces the number of postponed games. On top of that, new lighting fixtures will allow for better visibility in the dark, making support for night games possible.

Better Access for Everyone

Parking has been a known issue at the field where the baseball team plays, but that problem will be resolved after this project’s completion.

“This plan there’ll be parking right there next to the softball/baseball facility. If we do need overflow, the elementary school here will have extra parking spaces. It would be after school hours so there’ll be plenty of room to park at the elementary school.”
Jim DuBois, Superintendent, Goshen Community Schools

We’re excited for the opportunity to partner with Goshen Community Schools and provide the softball and baseball players with a brand-new space that meets their needs now and into the future. Families and spectators can expect to see teams in action at the sports complex by 2025!

Ministry Building Bridging the Gap

Posted on June 25, 2024

A Project to Shift the Region

Organizations, community partners, employees, donors, and residents from throughout the Fort Wayne community witnessed the grand opening of the brand-new Bridge of Grace facility. Introducing and expanding ministry services, this new construction is designed to house three specific functions of Bridge of Grace’s operations:

The Early Years Academy

Bridge of Grace Offices

The Alliance Health Clinic

Early Childhood Development

The Early Years Academy supports growth and development for local children between the infant and preschool ages. Covering much of the facility’s square footage, the preschool features:

Infant Rooms
Toddler Rooms
Preschooler Wing
Outdoor Play Areas
Indoor Play Space
Staff Lounge
Conference Space
Multipurpose Room
Kitchen

“We believe in natural wonder and fostering curiosity to provide a child centered learning experience. We believe children are precious and unique individuals.”
Early Years Academy, Westminster Preschool

A Brand New Office Space

The Bridge of Grace offices are set to equip employees for their everyday workloads with:

Conference Rooms
Cafe Area
Office Suites
Cubicle Layouts
And More

Professional Healthcare Services

The Alliance Health Clinic is a special healthcare center built to provide healthcare for those in the community regardless of financial challenges, complete with:

Therapist Office
Exam Rooms
Administrative Space
Lobby
Nurse Station

For a Greater Purpose

This project comes on the heels of many years of the ministry investing in Southeast Fort Wayne. Seeing an opportunity to revitalize and uplift an overlooked and underserved area of the city, Javier Mondragon Founder and CEO of Bridge of Grace Ministries, set out to serve and breathe life into a neighborhood whose people had been ignored and forgotten by many.

“Seventeen years ago, God decided to change this community, and what a privilege to be part of the change and the transformation that is happening here in the Mount Vernon Park [Neighborhood] and Southeast Fort Wayne.”
Javier Mondragon, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bridge of Grace Ministries

We are honored to have joined forces with Bridge of Grace in this project that will directly impact lives through avenues like education, early childhood development, healthcare, and so much more. We’re excited to see how Bridge of Grace continues to pour into the community and change Southeast Fort Wayne for the better in the years to come!

NACS Carroll High School To Have Tremendous Expansion

Posted on April 2, 2024

Investing in the Future

Staff and leadership from throughout the Northwest Allen County School community came together to celebrate the beginning of the construction phase for Carroll Highschool’s newest construction project. One of three major NACS projects that broke ground in February, Carroll Highschool’s is an expansion and renovation that will address the need for more space as the student population continues to grow. Barton Coe Vilamaa is the operating architect while WCI is partnering in a Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc) role.

Space to Stretch Out

The school’s expansion will prevent overcrowding issues and ensure that there are enough resources to care for every student in attendance at any given time with additions such as:

- 27 Classrooms and Support Spaces
- New Central Media Center
- New Weight Room
- 4,000 Square Feet Added to Cafeteria
- Facility Renovations/Repurposed Classrooms
- And More

In total, this scope of work will create capacity for another 500 students to enter the Carroll Highschool system.

Extended Partnership

This is not the first major construction project that Weigand has performed for this client. In 2021, we teamed up with NACS to bring several large site upgrades to the Charger campus, including a new football field, parking improvements, bleachers, baseball and softball fields, press box, concessions stand, and merchandise store amongst other additions. These developments helped to advance Carroll’s athletics programs, and we’re looking forward to being part of another project that will enhance the learning experience, efficiency, and overall operational strength of the school.

New NACS Administration Building is On the Way

Posted on April 2, 2024

A Facility to Serve the Region

In January, we joined with our partners from Elevatus Architecture and Northwest Allen County Schools to kickoff construction at the site of the upcoming NACS Administration Center. This building will allow the school community administrative team to conduct daily operations outside of a school campus, as the current office is located within Perry Hill Elementary. The relocation of the NACS offices will also allow Perry Hill to utilize this space for four more classrooms.

Central Administrative Hub

When finished, the 33,000 square foot Administration Center will feature:

A Multi-Use Board Room for Meetings and Training
Base of Operations for Multiple Departments
Office of Superintendent
Technology Headquarters
Multi-Use Kitchen Space
And More

These components add up to a successful execution of NACS’ future workload, thinking ahead to best serve the needs of each school in the district. Being only one of three large construction projects taking place in their community, the Administration building will help to place every arm of the organization under one roof amidst the imminent population growth in the region.

A Bright, Hopeful Future

“It will be a place where ideas are born, decisions are made, and strategies are implemented to further our mission to ensure a high-quality, personalized education for every student…Together, we’re building more than just a building. We’re building a stronger, more vibrant future for NACS and our school community.”
Wayne Barker, Superintendent, Northwest Allen County Schools

We are proud to have a role in this project with NACS and Elevatus. Once completed, this facility will be able to create a profound impact on the schools, families, and students in the community, making Northwest Fort Wayne a better place to live, learn, work, and play for years and years to come!

Exciting, Newcomer School Project Kickoff!

Posted on April 2, 2024

A New School for a New Region

In Huntertown, IN, rows of shovels plunged into soft earth on a rainy morning, tossing soil across the gravel covering the site of a brand-new middle school in the Northern Allen County Schools community: Willow Creek. Backed by a row of earthworks equipment, NACS representatives, the Moake Park Architecture Team, and community leaders commemorated the start of the construction phase, eager to bring this dream project into the real world.

Learning Path Opportunities

This school, which will feed into Carroll High School once completed, will have features such as:

Space to Accommodate Up to 1,000 students
Span 185,500 Square Feet
Administrative Space
Gymnasium
Student Library
Cafeteria
Auditorium
Social/Study Spaces
Band Room
And More

These elements speak to the intentionality and preparation that NACS leadership has put into planning this project, as the Huntertown region is continually expanding, with neighborhood developments continuing to expand into all pockets of Northwest Fort Wayne.

“This is just another step forward in our mission to ensure high quality, personalized education for every student.”
Wayne Barker, Superintendent, Northwest Allen County Schools

Community Legacy

This project was also made possible with the help of the Malcom and Hatch families, who agreed to sell sections of their land to be used to build Willow Creek.

“As we break this ground today, let’s look back and be thankful for the generations of Malcom’s and Hatch’s that have farmed this land and let us also look forward and envision the vibrant learning community that will soon take shape within the school walls that are constructed here. A community where curiosity is encouraged, talents are nurtured, and friendships are forged.”
Wayne Barker, Superintendent, Northwest Allen County Schools

We’re excited to serve on this NACS project, bringing more education opportunities to more families in the community!

3 Powerful Takeaways from 2023

Posted on December 18, 2023

An excerpt from our Q4 Newsletter

Company Milestones

2023 has been a great year for Weigand Construction. We have experienced measured growth and currently have a healthy backlog going into 2024. Many of you know that we have been providing Construction Management as Constructor (CMc) services to our private clients since 1994. In 2017, the state allowed public projects, such as schools, jails, courthouses, and more to be delivered in this manner.

The Partner Advantage

Our public partners have enjoyed the benefits associated with this method, and because of that, a large portion of our growth is attributed to CMc. This wouldn’t be possible without strong preconstruction and estimating services to set the table and an operations team that executes on promises made during our interviews.

Thanks to You

It’s a rewarding feeling to have our clients reach out to their peers to share their experiences with our team. Thank you for all of your hard work and partnering mentality when it comes to supporting our clients. It matters! We will continue to work as an extension of our clients and be more than just their builder. It’s all a part of what it means to embody the Weigand Difference.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Chris Sosebee

Director of Business Development