Tuesday morning was an exciting moment for Savannah Classical Academy and their team of architects, engineers and contractors. The ceremonial ground breaking for the new Savannah Classical Academy Upper School took place on the site adjacent to the recently renovated Savannah Classical Academy at St. Pius X.  

The new construction, three story, 43,500 sf structure will open in the Fall of 2016 and will eventually house 350 local students, grades 6^th through 12^th. The building’s design was completed by local architecture firm, Hansen Architects, alongside the school’s Principal, Benjamin Payne, the local investors, and the engineering team. The new education building will include state of the art Physics and Chemistry labs, Art and Music rooms, administrative offices and general classrooms.  

The ground breaking took place one year after the opening of the renovated St. Pius X, which houses Savannah Classical Academy’s lower school. The renovation not only created a resurrected school for area children, but is also the catalyst for the revival of the neighborhood, by enhancing the streetscape along a busy corridor. The new construction will further develop the streetscape and enhance the tuition free, public charter school’s vision; “the purpose of education is to provide better citizenry.”  

“We couldn’t be more grateful to have been able to work with Principal Payne and the Savannah Classical Academy investors again,” comments Gene Maria from Hansen Architects. “Designing the upper school right on the heels of the St. Pius X renovation was a tremendous opportunity for our firm.” 

Construction will begin this month with The Pinyan Company as the general contractor. Other local engineering firms have played an important role in the design of the building: Thomas and Hutton, RWP Engineering, and Tharpe Engineering Group.