A K-12 school construction project recently completed by Sundt in South Central Los Angeles is bringing major benefits not only to the 650 students who will attend classes there, but to the surrounding neighborhood as well. The Los Angeles Unified School District’s South Region Elementary School #9, located in South Gate, Calif., is a $21 million, 57,800-square-foot facility built on a 3.9-acre site that used to house several aging homes, a bar and an adult entertainment business.
“The area was pretty blighted, so the school is a huge improvement for the neighborhood,” said Project Manager Chris Dillard. “A number of teachers and neighborhood residents stopped by during construction to compliment the building and say how happy they were to see it being built. They’re especially excited about the amenities like wireless internet access throughout the campus.”
The concrete-and-steel structure has a sleek, modern design that will serve as an attractive focal point for the neighborhood while helping to relieve overcrowding in nearby elementary schools. Students and staff will enjoy a full range of recreational facilities including tetherball and handball courts and ball fields, as well as state-of-the-art communication and access control systems. To save energy, the school’s lighting is motion-controlled, and up to 25 percent of its electricity will be supplied by solar panels doubling as sun shades in the parking lot.