The Maplewood Academy Board has announced plans to construct a new cafeteria to serve the needs of students and the greater Maplewood constituency.
The current building which houses the cafeteria is also home to the music department. Replacing the current facilities will come in a two-part effort with the cafeteria being constructed first and, as funds become available, a new music space will be provided. Once these new facilities have been completed, the current building will be demolished and that footprint will become additional parking space.
The new cafeteria building has been designed by Olsen and Hobbie Architects of Mankato, Minnesota. They were selected to do this work based on their past experiences with school cafeterias and their excellent reputation. Their plans call for a warm and inviting space that has appeal to the food staff, the students, and the community at large. It will be located slightly north and east of the existing building. The new cafeteria will architecturally reflect the design of other campus buildings and will have pleasant curb appeal to the community from the Highway 15 side.
The cost of the new cafeteria is estimated to be $3 million. A campaign committee has been fundraising and has made significant progress toward this goal. Income for the campaign has already surpassed $1.1 million. Many enthusiastic alumni, along with constituents across Minnesota and the community at large, are supporting this effort. Actual construction of the cafeteria will commence as funds become available.
To view the architect’s renderings, please visit the Maplewood website at Maplewoodacademy.org.
“I’m extremely grateful to the Capital Campaign Committee for their efforts in getting momentum behind this project,” said Jeremy Everhart, principal of Maplewood Academy. “Taking this extremely important campus development from wishful thinking to planning out the details of an actual groundbreaking has brought a spirit of hope and expectation to the Maplewood Academy campus.”
