Columbia Public Schools and the Joint Venture team of Reinhardt Construction, LLC and S. M. Wilson & Co. celebrated the completion of the 27,000-square-foot addition and 35,000-square-foot renovation to the Columbia Area Career Center (CACC) in Columbia, Missouri, with a dedication ceremony held Nov. 4.
The extensive expansion creates a future-ready learning environment that allows CACC to expand its offerings to meet ever-changing workforce needs. The Reinhardt/Wilson JV team serves as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the voter-approved bond program, which also includes an addition to Battle Elementary School and construction of a new elementary school.
The re-imagined facility creates a variety of flexible learning and collaboration spaces, including an innovation hub with specialized labs, a working cafe for the culinary program to sell goods, a student enterprise area and a community center that also serves as a storm shelter. The complete renovation to the existing school elevated the space and created new shops where students can learn about construction, automotive or obtain a welding certification.
Also included in the project were design remodeling and new finishes to the classrooms, restrooms, staffing areas and corridors. Since portions of work occurred on occupied campuses, a primary focus of the project team was to ensure safety and minimize disruptions to student learning and campus operations.
The professional design of the interior finishes and contemporary, new exterior reflect a modern-day workplace to prepare students for real-world settings. Exterior renovations included a new main entry plaza, outdoor seating, additional parking and a new exterior facade that innovatively integrates metal panel and glass with the original brick. The architect team was DLR Group and SOA Architecture.
S. M. Wilson led SKILLED construction career education programming during the construction process to create learning experiences for the students. S. M. Wilson founded the trademarked SKILLED program in 2019 to “inspire the future of construction” and address the industry-wide concern of young people not pursuing careers in construction. SKILLED programming has reached thousands of students across many school districts and educational organizations in the region.
Serving nearly 2,400 students, CACC’s programs are available to students in Columbia Public Schools, as well as other Boone County public schools, private, parochial and homeschooled students. The school’s curriculum is organized into six major career areas, including health services, industrial and engineering technology and business management and technology. CACC is registered with the Department of Labor as a youth apprenticeship sponsor for students aged 16 through 24.
