Brainerd School District Referendum Projects
The Brainerd School District passed a monumental referendum on April 10, 2018. Widseth helped the district with pre-referendum services and our architects, engineers, and land surveyors have been involved in all thirteen projects, which were split up into three waves over approximately four years. Learn how Widseth helped Brainerd dramatically transform its schools.
Wave 1 Projects
Baxter Elementary, Nisswa Elementary, Harrison Elementary, Forestview Middle School
Wave 2 Projects
Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts, Garfield Elementary, Lowell Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Warrior Early Learning Center
Wave 3 Projects
Brainerd High School & South Campus, Brainerd Learning Center, Washington Educational Services Building, Lincoln Education Center
13
Total Projects
270
Total Classrooms
1,000,000+
Total Square Feet
$205,000,000
Total Construction Cost
“The video we created with Widseth for the Blueprint 181 building referendum in 2018 was a game changer. It transformed an ambitious idea for the future of our community’s schools into a vision people could wrap their minds around and ultimately embrace.”
Wave 1 Projects
Baxter Elementary School
With capacity for 625 students, Baxter Elementary School includes general and special service classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, small group/conference rooms, teacher resource rooms, art/science/tech room, media center, music room, a two-station gymnasium with a stage area, kitchen/cafeteria, and administrative office and support spaces. Dedicated outdoor activity spaces adjacent to the building include a playground and physical education areas.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Interior Design, FF&E Planning, and Structural Engineering
Year Completed: 2020
Construction Cost: $20,340,000
“I had my team of Baxter staff working with the Widseth architects and interior designers. They often came back with a new design that was exactly what we wanted. They have helped create some amazing learning spaces for our students.”
Nisswa Elementary School
The Nisswa Elementary School additions and renovations project includes relocating the main office to be part of a new controlled entry along with administrative support spaces, expanding the gym, constructing 12 new general classrooms and two special education classrooms, remodeling of all existing classroom spaces, and reconfiguring the kitchen and cafeteria to improve food service and efficiency. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Interior Design, FF&E Planning, and Structural Engineering
Year Completed: 2020
Construction Cost: $11,010,000
“We found that students had more engagement if we provided furniture that allowed them to move. I’m so excited that opportunity is going to be at every school. We need to teach students to advocate for what they need as a leaner.”
Harrison Elementary School
The Harrison Elementary School additions and renovations project includes a two-story addition to the existing K-4 facility as well as site improvements, most notably the separation of buses and parent vehicles. The main office was relocated to provide a much-needed controlled entry along with administrative support spaces creating safety and efficiency for students and staff. The project also includes multiple general classroom spaces, a two-station gymnasium, media center, and music room. The cafeteria and kitchen were pulled out of the lower level to improve food service safety and efficiency. The project also includes an elevator and ramp to provide accessibility throughout the facility.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture through DD, Interior Design, FF&E Planning, and Structural Engineering
Year Completed: 2020
Construction Cost: $12,860,000
Forestview Middle School
At Forestview Middle School the main entry was reconfigured to provide a controlled entry and improvements were made to parent pick-up/drop-off traffic flow. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project. Visit Widseth’s Education portfolio page to learn more about how we help school districts across the state.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture
Year Completed: 2019
Construction Cost: $790,000
Wave 2 Projects
Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts
Gichi-ziibi means ‘great river’ in Ojibwe. “The new name brings us a step closer to acknowledging the indigenous lands, history, and current place of the Ojibwe people of the Brainerd Lakes Region,” said Tribal Community Facilitator Susan Beaulieu during the grand opening of the new state-of-the-art facility. The Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts is connected to Brainerd High School, which sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. Question three of the referendum proposed upgrading the 950-seat auditorium addition to a 1,200 seat performing arts center. These improvements include the addition of an orchestra pit and enhancements to the lighting, stage, acoustic, sound systems, and associated support spaces. David Peterson, President of Peterson AV Consulting, Inc., said, “I love the acoustics of Brainerd. I think it’s one of the nicest halls I’ve been in, acoustically, in the last ten years. It’s a technically and architecturally wonderful space.”
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Interior Design, and FF&E Planning
Year Completed: 2021
Construction Cost: $8,000,000
Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts Grand Opening
The grand opening of the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts featured band, choir, and theatre performances by Brainerd High School students. Watch this video to hear reactions from school district staff and community members.
Christmas at the Job Site During Construction
Watch as students from Brainerd High School’s Music Department perform a stirring Christmas carol from an as-yet unconstructed stage, surrounded by steel and undaunted by the frigid December conditions.
“It is an AMAZING performing arts center. It’s a gift to our kids for sure, but even more so to our community.”
Garfield Elementary School
The Garfield Elementary School additions and renovations project addresses educational opportunities, parking, and safety. An addition allowed for the main office area to be reconfigured to better serve administrative support staff and create a much-needed controlled entry, providing safety and efficiency for students and staff. The existing kitchen was expanded to improve food service safety and efficiency for staff as well as student flow during lunch periods. Other additions provided space for two new general classrooms, rightsizing of two kindergarten classrooms, two new special education spaces, full size gym, and relocating the music room with dedicated storage space. Plus, existing spaces were repurposed to create areas for art/science/technology collaboration. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture through DD
Year Completed: 2021
Construction Cost: $7,360,000
Lowell Elementary School
The Lowell Elementary School additions and renovations project features a new cafeteria, gym, secure entrance, administrative suite, enhanced site circulation, staff parking lot, learning commons for each grade level, and multiple classroom spaces. The building addition and remodel is planned for enrollment of 375 students in K-4. Parking and safety through separation of bus and parent pick up and drop off was very important to this project. The addition of these spaces allows for the relocation of general classrooms from the lower level and the remodel/repurpose of existing spaces to provide dedicated spaces for art/science/technology and collaboration that foster technology integrated, best practice learning opportunities. This renovation also addressed the highest priority building interior space, exterior envelope, mechanical, electrical and plumbing facility maintenance needs.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture through DD
Year Completed: 2021
Construction Cost: $9,190,000
Riverside Elementary School
The Riverside Elementary School additions and renovations project consists of a new cafeteria/kitchen to improve food service safety and efficiency as well as a special education classroom with a changing/shower room. Renovations include rightsizing of existing classrooms as well as repurposing the existing cafeteria/kitchen into a multi-purpose technology space. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture through DD
Year Completed: 2021
Construction Cost: $9,980,000
Warrior Early Learning Center
What used to be the Baxter Elementary School, has been transformed into the new Warrior Early Learning Center. Demolition of a portion of the building allowed for the relocation of the main office and reconfiguration of drop-off/pick-up/parking, providing a controlled entry to improve safety and efficiency for children and staff. The upgrades to this school will provide the additional educational space necessary for continued growth of the early childhood program. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture through DD
Year Completed: 2021
Construction Cost: $3,650,000
Wave 3 Projects
Brainerd High School
Multiple addition and renovation projects were completed at Brainerd High School. Educational spaces were relocated from the South Campus building to house all 9-12 spaces under one roof. This will create programming and operational efficiencies as well as improve safety and supervision. The largest addition extends to the north of the existing building and is two stories. It consists of twelve general classrooms, two Special Education classrooms, three music classrooms as well as the 1,200-seat Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts. This area was designed to allow for separation for outside community activities and programs, and yet connect to existing facility circulation.
The remaining additions extend to the south and infill a portion of the existing courtyard. The additions consist of a commons/cafeteria, an eight-lane competition swimming pool with spectator seating and locker rooms, and a full-size gymnasium with locker rooms.
The repurposed spaces include an improved Career and Technical Education wing for workforce development as well as dedicated collaborative spaces for students and staff. Also, the kitchen was reconfigured to improve food service safety and efficiency for students and staff. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Interior Design, FF&E Planning
Year Completed: 2021-2023
Construction Cost: $75,000,000
Brainerd High School Furniture Fair
Widseth helped host a furniture fair at Brainerd High School so students and staff could experience multiple scenarios for their classroom. In this video interior designer Lindsey Kriens explains why this is a necessary step in the design process.
Jack & Bore Solution Saves Project $600,000
This video explains how Widseth came up with a creative solution to install a new storm sewer pipe under part of the existing high school by using what’s known as a “jack & bore” method. This saved a considerable amount of money for the project.
“The benefits of the new Brainerd High School Aquatic Center are tremendously wide. We now have the ability to host a lot of different community groups. This is a facility that we hope to use seven days a week, twelve months a year.”
Brainerd High School South Campus
Brainerd High School South Campus will now house the district’s Alternative and Transitional Programs. The freshman will now be included in the main building to the north. Part of the existing south campus facility was demolished to allow for much needed parking in proximity to the High School. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, FF&E Planning
Year Completed: 2022
Construction Cost: $8,300,000
Brainerd Learning Center
The early childhood program moved out of the Brainerd Learning Center, which will now house Alternative Education programs. This renovation addresses the highest priority items of the building including safe and secure entrances, updated food services, commons area, FACTS lab and door hardware.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Architecture, Interior Design, FF&E Planning
Year Completed: 2022
Construction Cost: $770,000
Washington Educational Services Building
The Washington Educational Services Building (WESB) improvements include updates to the current early childhood rooms and some of the administration spaces. The restrooms throughout the facility were updated/modernized with accessibility in mind. Adjustments and modifications were made to the entrances to provide controlled access and enhanced security. Facility maintenance on select items inside and on the exterior of the building were also part of the overall project. Updates were also made to the district welcome center, which includes the main office, transportation services, community education, and communications. These services were relocated to the main entrance of the building to provide direct access for the community.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, District-wide Design Standards, Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Interior Design
Year Completed: 2022
Construction Cost: $10,100,000
Lincoln Education Center Deconstruction
Lincoln Education Center was demolished and all Alternative Education programming was moved to Brainerd High’s School South Campus. The block where Lincoln sat will be transformed into a parking lot for the high school.
Widseth Services Provided: Pre-referendum Services, Civil Engineering, Architecture
Year Completed: 2022
Construction Cost: $400,000