A rendering of the project from DLR Group
By Hannah Saunders
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Where will all the new Montlake Elementary students come from? Central Seattle still has kids. The expansion is needed to make space for the school’s nearly 200 students — and up to 500 in the future.
Montlake Elementary School, a Seattle landmark, is in the process of undergoing a major renovation after Seattle voters approved the Building Excellence V Capital Levy (BEX V) in 2019. The school currently sits in the design development phase, which will last until the fall.
The existing building is 22,447 square feet. A new, 80,500 square foot three-story building will be added to provide permanent space for up to 500 students for the next 50 to 100 years. The new building is expected to match the height of the historic building, as well as including features that match the historic building in terms of size and scale, such as window pattering. The modernization of the campus will also address seismic needs and earthquake safety.
Montlake Elementary School currently holds 188 students, however due to a lack of classroom space, many of these students have been learning in portable classrooms.
“The portables have been there since I went to elementary school there,” said Paul Wight, construction project manager for Seattle Public Schools.
Wight said one of the portables is currently used as a kitchen and common area. The renovation plans will eliminate the portables to install permanent infrastructure for the students.
Montlake Elementary School expansions go beyond portables.
“There is a strong interest by the school of the recognition of the history of the building, and the site too,” said Ariel Mieling, project manager for the DLR Group, the architectural firm on the project, who explained how the site is tied to the Duwamish portage and that the school will potentially be working with murals and imagery of the site’s current history, as well as the history of the land and the relationship to the first peoples of Seattle.
Wight added how they reached out to the Duwamish, Muckleshoot, and Salish tribes for feedback on renovation plans. According to Mieling, the Muckleshoot Tribe valued having plantings that are indigenous or up for indigenous uses.
“We are looking specifically at the outdoor plants at the front of the building to showcase some of those plants and what the traditional use was,” said Mieling.
Further inclusionary plans consist of having welcome signs in multiple languages to ensure the school is representative and welcoming of all the current students, and the students to come in the future.
According to Mieling, there will be additional classroom spaces, small group rooms, music rooms, art rooms, and a full-sized gymnasium.
“We’re really just bringing everything up to current standards, which this building lacks and so I think the learning spaces that we’re creating here are going to greatly enhance student learning and comfort and safety,” said Wight.
An issue Seattle Public Schools is set on addressing with the Montlake Elementary School renovation is the lack of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. In the current school building, there is a lack of elevators and steps must be used to access the first floor.
“There will be a new fully accessible entry off of the sidewalk on the Northeast corner,” said Mieling, who added that individuals will be able to access the outside courtyard from ramps on the Southeast corner of the new building, also creating access the outdoor terrace level. As a result, individuals will be able to access the first and second floors without an elevator.
When this fall rolls around, the school will begin the construction and permitting process with the City of Seattle. The goal is for construction to begin in the summer of 2023 after students are let out of school. During the construction phase, students will be moved to the John Marshall building in Green Lake which Seattle Public Schools uses as an interim site for schools under renovation and construction.
Wight and Meiling said students will be bussed to the new location once the time comes. Teachers will also have their classroom supplies moved to the John Marshall building to allow for the interim learning space to look similar to that of the previous classrooms.
Plans for other portions of the project are still being shaped.
“We will continue to be doing stakeholder engagement with the district,” said Mieling, adding that “we’ll be looking for opportunities as we move forward to continue to engage the community on interior design and things like that.”
For more information or to stay up to date on the Montlake Elementary School renovation plans visit seattleschools.org.
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I’m wondering how quadrupling the size of the school and increasing enrollment by 150% is going to work, especially as the school is on no major arterial, just embedded in a hilly neighborhood with narrow streets. Still, the renovation is way past due. There were portables when I went there, and I graduated from Montlake 43 years ago!
This us great news for the area!
Can anyone add info here on if construction will be happening while the kids are in school. For example, will it be loud during class times? I have not had time to comb through and get the full scope of plan and would be hoping to get my child in to Montlake instead of the school we are assigned to. Thanks for any help!