A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for June 1 to celebrate construction of a new Grand Junction High School.

The ceremony is set for 10 a.m. near what was a baseball field at the high school.

Construction is under way on the new high school on the northeast portion of the school grounds. The project is scheduled for completion in 2024.

Voters approved in 2021 a measure allowing Mesa County School District 51 to increase its debt to $115 million to replace the 65-year-old Grand Junction  High School.

The new 250,000-square-foot high school is designed to accommodate 1,600 students. The high school also will include a 1,500-seat auditorium, the largest community facility of its kind between Denver and Salt Lake City.

DLR Group designed the new high school in partnership with BG+co., a Grand Junction architecture firm. FCI based in Grand Junction serves as general contractor.

“DLR Group is incredibly proud to be an integral part in crafting educational environments for GJHS students and faculty to leverage for their success,” said Greg Cromer, principal of the firm. “Reflecting the community interest and heritage of GJHS was a complementary driver in the design solution, and I certainly hope it will be embraced as a community asset.”

Cromer said the design team took into account information from Mesa County School District 51 leaders as well as faculty and students and community and design advisory groups.

The design reflects three guiding principles, he said: reinforce connections between students and faculty to encourage personalized approaches to student success; incorporate four learning academies, each designed to empower collaboration and support diversity of learning styles; and create a hub for the school to gather, host and connect with the community.

The design also reflects the setting of the new school and natural features of the area, including the Bookcliffs, Colorado National Monument and Grand Mesa.

“As a community-based firm, our focus was to bring together a team that would exceed the expectations of the district and elevates the conversation specific to educational trends and the impact that can have on student success,” said Peter Icenogle, principal at BG+co. “We believe this facility will provide a long-term solution for meeting district and community needs and will do so in an energy-efficient manner.”