DPSCD Amelia Earhart Elementary-Middle School

L.S. Brinker acted as Construction Manager for Detroit Public Schools in the construction of Amelia Earhart Elementary Middle School. The project involved the demolition of an existing site and construction of a newly designed prototype PK-8 facility. The school is organized into two distinct areas: grades PK-5 and grades 6-8. The areas are separated by common spaces that include a cafeteria and food services area, main administration suites, a multi-purpose room, small gymnasium for grades PK-2, and a vocal music classroom. Each area boasts a satellite administration office to supplement the central administration. Features of the school include large windows for natural lighting, two large common areas, science and art classrooms on the first floor, and general classrooms on the second floor.

We encountered many challenges on the project, including an historical site location. Our team worked closely with the City of Detroit Historical Commission to ensure the new school’s appearance would fit with the historical feel of the neighborhood. As a result, this involved additional planning to keep the project on schedule during the winter months. The school is also located on a tight urban site in a residential neighborhood, which required extensive logistics plans for material delivery and construction traffic to provide minimal disruption to the surrounding residents.