September 18, 2023

New Terminal Park Elementary pays homage to Auburn's railway roots

Photos from Skanska [enlarge]

The new school is clad in brick.

Auburn School District earlier this month opened the new Terminal Park Elementary School at 1101 D St. S.E. in Auburn. It's the fourth and final elementary school that was built by Skanska and designed by NAC Architecture in a package deal with the district.

NAC designed Terminal Park with elements reminiscent of a classic train station, paying homage to the terminal end of the railroad for which it was named and the neighborhood where many rail workers lived. Some of those elements include the building's red brick cladding and its double-height box-beam ceiling in the library.

The old Terminal Park Elementary was built in 1945 and was the oldest school in the district. The new 74,000-square-foot school was built in its place and students used the old Olympic Middle School during construction. Terminal Park Elementary now serves about 650 students in preschool through fifth grade.

The new school has general and specialty classrooms, a music room, gymnasium, kitchen, library, covered play area and administrative offices. Site improvements include a synthetic turf playfield, playground equipment, garden, basketball courts, student pick-up and drop-off area, bus loading and unloading, as well as staff, event and visitor parking.

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A box-beam ceiling can be found in the school’s library.

The four schools were built over four years through a general contractor/construction manager contract with a maximum combined construction cost of $120 million. Skanska first delivered Dick Scobee Elementary in 2020, then Pioneer Elementary in 2021 and Chinook Elementary last year.

“Replacing four elementary schools in four years was an exciting challenge,” said Jeffrey Grose, Auburn School District's executive director of the Capital Projects Department, in a news release. “Every school required relocating students and staff while their existing school was demolished and replaced in time for the following school year. Skanska's team along with NAC Architecture were instrumental in meeting the challenge and having every school ready on time and within budget.”

The four elementary schools are part of the district's Building for Learning bond passed in 2016, which built eight schools in eight years, including the replacement of six aging schools and construction of two brand new schools. The new Terminal Park Elementary is the final school in the bond program.

The DJC reported in July 2022 that the Terminal Park team also included Coughlin Porter Lundeen, structural engineer; AHBL, civil engineer; Hargis, mechanical and electrical engineer; Parametrix, right of way consultant; MBF AV & Acoustical Consulting; Weisman Design Group, landscape architect; DA Hogan, athletic fields; PBS Engineering and Environmental, hazardous materials; Adams Consulting & Estimating, hardware consultant; and Halliday & Associates, food service consultant. Structural steel was erected by members of Ironworkers Local 86 of Seattle.