Charles R. Drew Senior Academy Taking Shape

EAST LAKE — After breaking ground in mid-January, construction progress continues on Charles R. Drew Senior Academy.

The senior academy, which is part of the Drew Charter School, will be 200,000 square feet and will be home to Drew’s Junior and Senior Academies — grades 6 through 12.

It is expected to cost $73 million to construct, and has more than $60 million in committed funds from private individuals and corporate donors including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation.

Construction is being done at no expense to Atlanta Public Schools. It is slated to open in 2014.

The senior campus, which the school said will be built to stringent  environmental and energy conservation standards in mind for LEED certification will include:

• Two specialty laboratories for engineering and design
• Seven project learning laboratories and seven additional state-of-the-art science laboratories
• Integrated arts studios
• Two gymnasiums, a full-size track and field for athletics and community wellness
• A 500-seat performing arts center for Drew students and the greater East Lake community

At full capacity, Drew Senior Academy will serve 1,000 sixth through 12th graders complementing the 1,000 pupils at the main Pre-K-to-5th-grade campus.

See here for some aerial photos of the construction site.

East Atlanta Patch Editor Péralte Paul contributed to this story