News
When Andre Agassi Meets Adaptive Reuse
August 15, 2012
| Industrial. Educational. Adaptive reuse takes some unexpected forms. The KIPP Philadelphia Elementary Academy will be completed in time to open its doors next month to150 students in what used to be a warehouse in the Allegheny West/Hunting Park section of North Philadelphia. |
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| Photos: KSS Architects |
| KSS Architects associate Mayva Marshall-Moreno tells us that the biggest challenge was an incredibly tight schedule with a completely new team. “The entire team—developer, contractor, design team, and school leaders—all needed to stay focused,” she says. The first phase of the work was a 15k SF fit-out constructed in just four months, followed by the completion of a gym and then new second-floor classrooms, just being finished now. |
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| The project is the first JV between Canyon Capital Realty Advisors and Andre Agassi Ventures, with tennis star Andre Agassi turning up for the ribbon-cutting earlier this year. (Take that, Pete Sampras.) The JV plans to build over $500M in educational facilities nationwide over the next few years, as many as 100 charter-school campuses for 40,000 to 50,000 students. |
