Architects present Bridgeview Academy additions: academic wing, gym and collaboration spaces planned

KCBA Architects on Dec. 18 walked the Allentown board through conceptual plans to convert and expand the former Building 21 into Bridgeview Academy, showing two proposed additions (an academic front addition and a high‑school‑sized gym/athletic addition) and interior renovations to create flexible labs and a collaboration commons.

Michael Kelly of KCBA said the vision includes robotics and fabrication labs, a possible nursing or health lab, esports and open collaboration spaces that break learning out of traditional classroom walls. The design aims for visual continuity with the nearby family and community resource center (similar materials, standing seam metal roof, stone and fiber cement board accents) and for the academy to serve as a neighborhood amenity for after‑hours community use.

Kelly and the administration discussed capacity and phasing: the proposal plans for 125 students per high‑school grade (9–12), plus approximately 375 for middle‑school grades, yielding roughly 875 students across grades 6–12. Dr. Birx said the project will be completed in three phases, with the family/community resource center targeted for completion by December 2026 and a planned groundbreaking for the next phase around January (dates still being finalized). Board members asked practical questions about accessibility, phasing for students already in the building, parking reconfiguration and green‑space tradeoffs; architects said the site currently has more parking than needed and some parking will be converted to green space.

The presentation was a discussion item (no final board vote this evening). Administration said more detailed phasing slides and scheduling will follow and that the board will be asked to consider action items in future meetings once design and schedules are finalized.