District 11 unveils $100 million plan to renovate Palmer High School, pledges to preserve 1939 building

School District 11 presented a multi‑phase plan on June 2 to renovate and expand Palmer High School in downtown Colorado Springs, saying the project balances preservation of the 1939 building with new academic facilities.

Jessica Wise, the district's executive director of engagement, told the Historic Preservation Board the team ran a nine‑plus month outreach program that generated what the district described as more than 50,000 “touchpoints” with students, alumni and community stakeholders. The project team said community feedback shaped the decision to preserve and restore the 1939 portion of the campus while adding a modern 3‑ to 4‑story academic wing on the east side.

Project leads gave a Phase 1 budget estimate of $85,000,000 inside a $100,000,000 total program. They said the first construction phase covers the new academic addition and enabling work to allow renovation of the historic 1939 building in a later phase; cost drivers include utility relocation, asbestos abatement, permit and fee payments, and technology and furniture purchases. The team said the Phase 1 construction period is expected to run about 2½ years, with the primary building complete by the end of 2027 and remaining site work into spring 2028.

On logistics, presenters said the district would close Boulder Street overnight and that the closure would be in effect the following morning to support construction staging. The project team said they commissioned a traffic study and will submit it to city planning; they reported that initial findings indicate traffic impacts would be dispersed and manageable, and that emergency‑service partners (Memorial Hospital and Colorado Springs Fire Department) reviewed circulation and had no critical concerns about the one‑block closure.

District representatives described interim operations for students during construction: a temporary kitchen and cafeteria will be set up in the auxiliary gym on the north block, and some programs (art studios, auditorium) will be relocated temporarily. The team said the campus currently enrolls about 1,200 students and has historical capacity near 2,000; the district anticipates a long‑term enrollment model of roughly 1,200–1,350 students rather than a large increase.

On preservation, the district's architect and historic preservation consultant said they will follow National Park Service rehabilitation guidance and pursue a Section 106 review approach to assess effects and treatments for the 1939 building. The description highlighted original features the team plans to retain and rehabilitate, including nearly 2,900 glass blocks, original display cases and structural elements to be exposed and interpreted as part of the renovation.

The district confirmed it is in the process of closing on contracts for three nearby properties north of the site and that four Saint Vrain properties were discussed in public coverage and the master plan. Officials said no final decisions have been made about those houses and committed to additional preservation assessments and stakeholder meetings once ownership is complete.

Public commenters and board members recommended commemorating New Deal funding (the WPA) with a plaque and suggested reusing nearby houses for student arts programming. The district said it would host follow‑up stakeholder meetings in June and would provide the project slide deck and project information on the district website.

The Historic Preservation Board treated the presentation as informational only; no formal action on the project was requested at the meeting.