St. Clement School, 2524 N. Orchard St., has received approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals for the construction of a 14,300 square foot addition, creating the space to add 100 more students. The addition, to be built over the school’s existing parking lot, will include classrooms, faculty space, administrative offices, and a rooftop playground. Construction is expected to begin this June and be completed in August 2003 for the start of the fall semester.
Established in 1906, St. Clement School is part of St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park, and it serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grades. The current enrollment of 300 will be increased to 400 by adding new students in all grade levels over the next several years.
“For years we have had to turn away many children as we simply didn’t have the classrooms. With this addition, we will be able to fulfill the educational mission of our Parish,” noted Principal Regina Crowley. The school expansion was included two years ago in the Parish’s “Anchored in Faith” millennium fund campaign which has raised over $5 million for the school addition and other parish projects. Ald. Vi Daley (43rd) “was wonderful to work with. She helped us through sensitive neighborhood meetings, and she found ways to resolve many planning issues,” added Crowley.
The addition, designed by the architectural firm of Hartshorne + Plunkard, was a challenge because of difficult site conditions and the historical facade of the original school building. “We had to fit a lot of classrooms, offices, and mechanical systems onto a small site, align new floors of the addition with varied floor heights of the existing building, preserve the tight parking lot, all while balancing the architectural context of a century-old building,” said Jim Plunkard. His firm is completing the project drawings in preparation for competitive bidding next month.
For more information, call St. Clement School at (773) 348-8212.
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