Lincoln Academy will break ground on a $2.7 million construction project in the works since 2011 with a ceremony at 1:15 p.m., Friday, April 11.
The ceremony will kick off construction of the Cable-Burns Applied Technology and Engineering Center of Lincoln Academy.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins plans to attend.
The center will replace the out-of-date shop in the gym basement and enable the school to offer more opportunities in a wide range of classes, from basic auto repair and carpentry to engineering and technology education.
The state-of-the-art facility will have three labs: an automotive and small-engines lab, a general lab and a marine and woodworking lab. A finishing room will provide space to use paints and varnishes for automotive, marine and woodworking projects.
The center will also have a computer-aided drafting studio and a digital-fabrication studio, as well as general classroom space.
The design and technology of the building will reflect the high-tech instruction inside.
The building will have high-efficiency LED lighting and a high-performance thermal-envelope system. The heating-and-ventilation system will utilize ground-source geothermal technology.
The center will greatly benefit the school and its students, Lincoln Academy officials said in a statement.
“This new facility will allow us to better serve all of our students, whether they are preparing for advanced education or to go directly into the workforce,” Lincoln Academy Head of School David Sturdevant said.
A capital campaign raised the funds for the building, equipment and programming from alumni, businesses, community members and grants.
“We are truly grateful to the individuals and organizations who came together to make this a possibility for our community,” Sturdevant said.
Lincoln Academy Board of Trustees Chairman Todd Savage said the center will allow the school “to tailor its academic programming to the needs and wants of our current and future students.”
“It is yet another ‘calling card’ for a school that has so many, and provides another compelling reason for prospective students to consider Lincoln Academy,” Savage said.
The name of the building fulfills the request of an anonymous donor to the capital campaign, Lincoln Academy Associate Head of School for Advancement Matthew Goetting said.
The actual construction of the center will start in mid-June and take six months, architect Tor Glendinning said.
The school is also on schedule to start construction of a new dormitory. “The dorm is going to start next week,” Glendinning said, and will be complete in February 2015.
Representatives of architecture firm 44 Degrees North LLC, of Newcastle, and contractors Peachey Builders, of Augusta, and Wright-Ryan Construction Inc., of Portland, will attend the April 11 ceremony. A reception will follow in Borland Hall.
