What’s happening with the demolition at River Ridge High School in Lacey?
A resident has reached out to The Olympian, wanting to know more about current construction at River Ridge High School in Lacey, and the demolition underway this week on campus.
Here’s what we know.
The eye-grabbing work is part of a multiyear effort to renovate a school and campus that first opened in 1993. That work currently involves the demolition of some former administrative and classroom space — the district refers to it as the B house, C house and D house space — as well as former space used for music rooms.
They can demolish it because new space was opened to students after the winter break. About 1,500 students attend the high school.
“During break, our administrative wing, music classrooms and STEM renovations were completed and are ready for our students,” River Ridge Principal Brent Whitemarsh announced to families and students this month.
“Over the course of the next few months, B house, C house, D house, and the old music rooms will be demolished as we enter the final phases of our amazing rebuild,” he added. “These changes will have minimal impact on the operations of our school and will allow work on our new athletic facilities to begin.”
The construction at River Ridge began in 2022 and is not expected to be complete until 2027, The Olympian previously reported.
When the school year began in September, students and staff were greeted by a new wing of classrooms and a new library.
The total cost of the project is $188 million, which was funded by a combination of a 2020 bond issue as well as state funds for schools that are more than 30 years old and need to be modernized, The Olympian reported. Some of that money also went toward renovations at Komachin Middle School, according to the district.
What happens to the school equipment in those now-demolished spaces?
“In terms of equipment, we keep what is viable to be repurposed around the district,” district spokeswoman Amy Blondin said Wednesday. “Our construction, maintenance, and technology teams assess everything, and we keep everything we can use in our schools.”
Phase 3 construction (fall 2025 to summer 2027) that parents and students will see:
- Music spaces constructed.
- Theater and CTE building renovated.
- Demolition of Houses B, C, and D.
- Football and athletic fields constructed.
- New student parking and Hoh Street connection completed.
Source: River Ridge High School.
