ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown School Board on Thursday approved a presentation outlining plans to pursue $53 million worth of renovations and new construction at Bridgeview Academy of Health, Science, Innovation and Technology.
Those plans include building an athletic addition with a gymnasium and a two-story academic addition with career labs, project architects said.
The construction is estimated to start by January 2027 and wrap up by 2029.
Bridgeview Academy, the district’s new theme-based high school, opened this fall in the same building as the former Building 21 High School, at 265 Lehigh St.
The new high school focuses on career pathways in artificial intelligence, computer science and allied health. Courses for those subject areas are being rolled out in phases.
In future years, Bridgeview Academy will expand to include middle school students in grades six through eight, who can explore the career pathways before choosing one to pursue.
The district is developing the model for the pathway progression, officials said.
'I feel like this is futuristic'
Once the existing building is renovated and the additions are built, the school will be able to accommodate 875 students.
That breaks down to 125 students per grade, according to architect Michael Kelly.
Kelly, of KCBA Architects, presented the project’s design and scope to the school board Thursday, outlining plans for the new additions.
He said the academic addition will be constructed on the south side of the existing building, which faces Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
It will include large glass windows outlined in lights that are meant to mimic a circuit board and can change colors.
“We want this building to be innovative not only on the inside but on the outside,” Kelly said.
The academic addition will connect to the existing building by way of a new large hallway called the “Collaboration Commons” that also will house the school’s new main entrance.
Kelly said the hallway will be large enough for students to “experiment and work” there if they need more space for an activity than what is available in their classrooms, particularly those adjacent to the hallway.
Those classrooms will have glass panels that can be opened, leading into the Collaboration Commons.
The academic addition also will include an engineering and robotics lab, an e-sports lab and a health and biology lab for hands-on learning.
There will be labs added to the existing Bridgeview Academy building, too.
“I feel like this is futuristic,” Board President Andrene Brown-Nowell said. “I love every part of this.”
Athletic addition, Family & Community Resource Center
The athletic addition will be built on the northeast side of the existing building. It will include a gymnasium with a high school basketball court, seating and a stage.
To the west of the athletic addition will be the district’s new $10 million Family & Community Resource Center, now being built on the Bridgeview Academy site along Union Street.
“What we want to do is give it a fresh facade.”Allentown School District Chief Operations Officer Robert Whartenby
Though located on the high school’s campus, it will serve students and families districtwide.
The center will be a one-stop shop for student enrollment, family engagement, workforce development and health care.
Construction of the Family & Community Resource Center is slated to wrap up by December 2026, just as the Bridgeview Academy updates are slated to begin.
The Bridgeview Academy project also includes replacing the roof, expanding mechanical and plumbing systems, updating electrical and lighting systems, and providing new fire protection services.
Additionally, two parking lots will be turned into green space for student use.
The existing Bridgeview Academy will get its classrooms revamped and exterior altered to better match the look of the new, modern additions, too. The cafeteria also will be updated.
The building previously housed offices and has an exterior reminiscent of the 1970s, district Chief Operations Officer Robert Whartenby said.
“What we want to do is give it a fresh facade,” he said.
Sonia Sotomayor needs modular classrooms
Also on Thursday, school directors voted to approve working with Barry Isett & Associates to construct temporary modular units at Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy.
The cost will be $101,800. The modular units will house 10 more classrooms.
“We’re out of space. We need to make more space, we need to do it very, very quickly.”Allentown School District Chief Operations Officer Robert Whartenby
There now are two modular classrooms in use at the dual language academy, at 2020 East Pennsylvania St.
The theme-based school opened last academic year for 120 students in pre-kindergarten through first grade.
This school year, second grade was added. Third grade will be added next fall, prompting the need for more classrooms.
“We’re out of space,” Whartenby said. “We need to make more space, we need to do it very, very quickly.”
The modular classrooms serve as a temporary fix while the district explores a “long-term capital” solution to the academy’s growing student body, according to a board memo.
That could be construction of a new school on the existing site, Whartenby said. He said that decision hasn’t been made.
