Building Together

Demolition of the existing Lower School will begin in June, shortly after the completion of the 2023-2024 school year, with new construction set to begin in August prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school year. 

Construction of the new Lower School and Lower and Middle School gym, along with planned upgrades and improvements within Swanson and Worthington, will require some modifications to campus pathways, parking, and traffic flow. During construction, Early Years, kindergarten, and grade 1 classrooms will be relocated to a new section of campus on the site of the current practice field, while grades 2-4 will be relocated into existing rooms on campus.

We anticipate the project will be completed by the spring of 2026.

Campus programs, activities, and services will continue throughout construction. Scheduling and locations for some events will shift as necessary. 

During construction of the new Lower School, Early Years, kindergarten, and grade 1 classrooms will relocate to “Raiderville,” which will be located on the site of the current practice field (north of Skutt Field). Four temporary structures will accommodate classrooms as well as administrative offices during this time, all equipped with the features, amenities, and high attention to detail found throughout campus. Grades 2-4 will be relocated into existing rooms elsewhere on campus.

Though temporary, these classrooms for Early Years, kindergarten, and grade 1 will be designed and equipped to operate a standard of excellence consistent with BT learning environments across campus. This architectural rendering provides a vision for these classrooms as we prepare for the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. The structures themselves will be installed on campus in April 2024, with additional features to come over the course of the summer.

Scheduled play is an essential component of the school day for Lower School students, including the availability of outdoor play whenever weather permits. This will continue during construction, though in new locations. We will engage Lower School faculty in identifying spaces for outdoor play close to the current practice field. Memorial Park will also be used for outdoor play activities.

We are currently working with our project partners to incorporate playground areas that support our Lower School students’ physical, social, motor, and cognitive learning. We intend to engage our students in this planning process and look forward to sharing more details as this aspect of the project develops.

Class sizes will not change, and current programs, activities, and services will continue to be offered.

During construction, students, faculty, staff, and visitors will have access to the upper lot off of Underwood Ave. and the Happy Hollow lot next to Scott Gymnasium, with additional parking to be available on the west side of the gym. 

Providing an outstanding learning environment for our students is and always will be our first priority. Demolition, which we anticipate will be the noisiest period of construction, will occur during the summer months. We will work closely with our construction partners to ensure that the process does not adversely affect our students’ educational experience.

At Brownell, we care deeply about the beautiful grounds that give our campus so much of its character and vibrancy. A modest number of trees within the project footprint will be removed, specifically on the south end of the construction area, and relocated if possible. BT is fortunate to have a certified arborist with more than 30 years of experience on our team and will work with our project partners to save any impacted trees to the best of our ability. Similarly, we will work proactively with our project team to minimize any potential effect on wildlife on campus and preserve and relocate as necessary.