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360 Colborne Street
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Barack and Michelle Obama School

Barack and Michelle Obama School: Construction Project

New beginnings for J.J. Hill Montessori at the remodeled Barack and Michelle Obama School

This video is brought to you by the J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School PTO.

Construction Photos

Hallway after asbestos abatement (September 2023)

Hallway after asbestos abatement (September 2023)

Third floor demolition (December 2023)

Third floor demolition (December 2023)

Demolition in west tower that will house the middle school program (January 2024)

Demolition in west tower that will house the middle school program (January 2024)

Demolition in the one-story section that links the east and west towers (January 2024)

Demolition in the one-story section that links the east and west towers (January 2024)

Interior demo (February 2024)

Interior demo (February 2024)

One-story link interior demo (February 2024)

One-story link interior demo (February 2024)

Storm shelter (March 2024)

Storm shelter (March 2024)

Third-floor Montessori elementary framing (March 2024)

Third-floor Montessori elementary framing (March 2024)

Exterior furring wall placed in Montessori classrooms on upper levels (April 2024)

Exterior furring wall placed in Montessori classrooms on upper levels (April 2024)

Excavation of small addition for middle school building (April 2024)

Excavation of small addition for middle school building (April 2024)

Previous boiler room being cleaned out for new building systems (April 2024)

Previous boiler room being cleaned out for new building systems (April 2024)

Montessori inclusive restroom (April 2024)

Montessori inclusive restroom (April 2024)

Montessori Commons (April 2024)

Montessori Commons (April 2024)

Basement shoring (May 2024)

Basement shoring (May 2024)

Prepping for earthwork near Webster Park (May 2024)

Prepping for earthwork near Webster Park (May 2024)

Middle school connection addition (May 2024)

Middle school connection addition (May 2024)

Shoring around wall demolition (June 2024)

Shoring around wall demolition (June 2024)

Third-floor Montessori classroom (June 2024)

Third-floor Montessori classroom (June 2024)

Completed Montessori stairs and sidewalk (July 2024)

Completed Montessori stairs and sidewalk (July 2024)

Site work replacement stair (June 2024)

Site work replacement stair
(June 2024)

Middle school gym (July 2024)

Middle school gym (July 2024)

One-story link underground plumbing (July 2024)

One-story link underground plumbing (July 2024) 

Third-floor exterior hallway wall spray foam insulation (July 2024)

Third-floor exterior hallway wall spray foam insulation (July 2024)

Montessori Commons structural steel (July 2024)

Montessori Commons structural steel (July 2024)

Ongoing concrete work along Holly Ave. (July 2024)

Ongoing concrete work along Holly Ave. (July 2024)

Third-floor elementary area (August 2024)

Third-floor elementary area (August 2024)

Middle school gym (August 2024)

Middle school gym (August 2024)

Access to basement for underground work and installation of new air handling units  (August 2024)

Access to basement for underground work and installation of new air handling units  (August 2024)
 

Middle school spaces with newly-poured concrete (August 2024)

Middle school spaces with newly-poured concrete (August 2024)

Pouring concrete slab (August 2024)

Pouring concrete slab (August 2024)
 

Underground plumbing for new kitchen (August 2024)

Underground plumbing for new kitchen (August 2024)
 

Elementary second-floor hallway (September 2024)

Elementary second-floor hallway (September 2024)

Middle school gym (September 2024)

Middle school gym (September 2024)

Middle school third-floor classroom (September 2024)

Middle school third-floor classroom (September 2024)

Inclusive restrooms (September 2024)

Inclusive restrooms (September 2024)

Children's House classroom addition (September 2024)

Children's House classroom addition (September 2024)
 

Framing for a middle school classroom (October 2024)

Framing for a middle school classroom (October 2024)

Interior classroom addition (October 2024)

Interior classroom addition (October 2024)

Newly-poured stoop in one-story link (October 2024)

Newly-poured stoop in one-story link (October 2024)

Framing for a middle school classroom (October 2024)

Framing for a middle school classroom (October 2024)

Montessori elementary classroom addition (October 2024)

Montessori elementary classroom addition (October 2024)

Montessori classroom (November 2024)

Montessori classroom (November 2024)

Newly-installed windows (November 2024)

Newly-installed windows (November 2024)

Reroofing of one-story building (November 2024)

Reroofing of one-story building (November 2024)

Classroom framing in middle school (November 2024)

Classroom framing in middle school (November 2024)

Walls primed in a Montessori classroom (December 2024)

Walls primed in a Montessori classroom (December 2024)

Middle School framed classrooms (December 2024)

Middle School framed classrooms (December 2024)

Montessori restrooms with painted door frames (December 2024)

Montessori restrooms with painted door frames (December 2024)

Additional basement demo (December 2024)

Additional basement demo (December 2024)

Additional basement demo (December 2024)

Additional basement demo (December 2024)

Middle School infill for future bathrooms (December 2024)

Middle School infill for future bathrooms (December 2024)

Administrative hallway (January 2025)

Administrative hallway (January 2025)

Montessori hallway (January 2025)

Montessori hallway (January 2025)
 

E2 classroom with new windows (January 2025)

elementary 2 (E2) classroom with new windows (January 2025)

Casework installation in Montessori classroom (January 2025)

Casework installation in Montessori classroom (January 2025)

Middle school spray foamed exterior wall (January 2025)

Middle school spray foamed exterior wall (January 2025)

New air handling units (February 2025)

New air handling units (February 2025)

Middle School classroom (February 2025)

Middle School classroom (February 2025)

Hallway spray foam insulation (February 2025)

Hallway spray foam insulation (February 2025)

Montessori classroom casework (February 2025)

Montessori classroom casework (February 2025)

Montessori second-floor hallway with tile, ceiling gid and lights in place (February 2025)

Montessori second-floor hallway with tile, ceiling gid and lights in place (February 2025)

Second-floor middle school classroom  (March 2025)

Second-floor middle school classroom  (March 2025)

Second-floor middle school hallway (March 2025)

Second-floor middle school hallway (March 2025)

First-floor middle school hallway  (March 2025)

First-floor middle school hallway  (March 2025)

New Windows in middle school tower (March 2025)

New Windows in middle school tower (March 2025)

Boiler room (March 2025)

Boiler room (March 2025)

Montessori terrazzo patching  (March 2025)

Montessori terrazzo patching  (March 2025)

Workroom ready for flooring install (March 2025)

Workroom ready for flooring install (March 2025)

New Windows in Montessori tower (March 2025)

New Windows in Montessori tower (March 2025)

Kitchen with wall and floor tile in place (April 2025)

Kitchen with wall and floor tile in place (April 2025)

Classroom AV (April 2025)

Classroom AV (April 2025)

Site work for egress path (April 2025)

Site work for egress path (April 2025)

Inclusive restroom and flexible learning space (April 2025)

Inclusive restroom and flexible learning space (April 2025)

Refinished terrazzo and installed rubber tile (April 2025)

Refinished terrazzo and installed rubber tile (April 2025)

Site work for outdoor classroom (April 2025)

Site work for outdoor classroom (April 2025)

Design Renderings

Main entry

Located in a newly renovated building Barack & Michelle Obama Middle School is purposefully designed to be the middle school pathway for students and families who are interested in experiential, hands-on learning.

Link

8th grade classroom

8th grade classroom

Flexible learning area

Renovated spaces are built to support diverse teaching methods and learning activities.

Montessori Commons

Foundations helps students transition to middle school through a supportive class focused on academics, digital citizenship, social-emotional learning, and college and career exploration.

The Barack and Michelle Obama School will receive significant remodeling throughout its building and grounds. Once complete, the site will serve two separate programs: a PreK-5 Montessori magnet program with a maximum capacity of 450 students, and a middle school (grades 6-8) with a maximum capacity of 450 students (the middle school’s schedule and curriculum will follow SPPS’s middle school model; see the similarities between the Montessori Model and Middle School Model; Hmoob, Karen, Espanol, Soomaali).
 

Project type: Renovations and remodeling

Project timeline: Summer 2023 to fall 2025 (subject to change)

Budget: $72,300,000

Scope of Work

  • Renovation of general learning space, gym, auditorium, cafeteria, media center, art room, administration office

  • New identifiable and secure entry, parent room, kitchen addition, inclusive restrooms

  • New electrical and mechanical systems

Obama Site Map

The first image below shows how the Obama site is composed of two buildings joined by passageways and a centralized main area that will house shared spaces. The east side of the complex will house the PreK-5 elementary Montessori program; the west side will house the middle school (grades 6-8)

As shown with red arrows, the parent drop off/pick up will remain on the north side of the building and the bus drop off/pick up will remain on Holly Ave.

The second image below shows how the majority of the site will have dedicated spaces for each program while some spaces will be shared such as the media center, cafeteria, administrative offices, and student support services. The site has two gyms on the west side, one of which will be dedicated to each program.

Obama construction site map

 

Obama elementary and middle school programs with shared spaces

 

Subscribe to the construction updates!

MONTHLY PROJECT UPDATE

May 2025 (see archive of past updates of all capital projects)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Michelle Bergman Aho
Project Manager
C: 612-400-4537
michelle.bergman-aho@spps.org