Established 1983

Rather than undertake an extensive $18 million repair and renovation project on its 85-year-old middle school building, Sunset Ridge District 29 chose to construct a new, modern $27 million facility. Abbey worked with Pepper Construction to make it happen.

The new, 70,000-square-foot school offers a flexible design to meet the needs of modern learning. The layout is centered on a “village square” concept, which includes a high-school regulation-size gymnasium, dining hall, performance space, and a library.

Abbey was on site:

• Installing the concrete foundation for the building
• Pouring all floors, including a super-flat gymnasium surface
• Constructing multi-tiered “learning stairs” that offer spaces for students to meet, study and observe programs on campus
• Building a 400-cubic-yard “safe room,” designed to provide an extraordinary level of protection for students in the event of a natural disaster