Building for the Future: MITCS to break ground this summer on new facility
Construction is set to begin this summer on a new $8 million facility that will serve as phase one in the creation of a planned campus for Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School.
Designed by CORE Architects of Pittsburgh, the building is being developed by CJ Betters Enterprises, in partnership with the nonprofit Social Impact Properties of Elizabethtown, PA, and Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center. The development will feature an approximately 32,000 square foot facility offering state-of-the-art instructional studios, flexible lab environments for collaborative learning and research, student support spaces, administrative offices, and food service and dining amenities, all in a building designed for inspiration.
Master planning of the facility includes expansion space for the building to grow to accommodate future enrollment and an expanding curriculum. The project will also incorporate sustainable design features throughout all levels of development, an approach that both the MITCS Planning Committee and the CORE Architects team view as essential practice. CORE Architects was selected, in part, because of its experience and expertise in sustainable development.
Jerry Hodge, President of the MITCS Board of Directors, said the design and development of the building is in keeping with the school’s vision for creating an environment where diversity, partnership, and collaboration drive innovative approaches to teaching and learning. He also underscored the timeliness of the school.
“What we are proposing is an opportunity that is made for this moment. As western Pennsylvania’s communities and regional economy begin to grapple with the promises and complexities of a post-pandemic future, MITCS will prepare our young people to meet these challenges by encouraging them to learn collaboratively, think globally, and act locally.”
Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School (MITCS) is a new public high school set to open in September of 2022. Located in Midland, PA (Beaver County) MITCS will provide students with the opportunity to earn their high school diploma while also pursuing certifications, licensing, and associate degrees in high-tech fields and the skilled trades. As a tuition-free public school, MITCS is open for enrollment to any student residing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For more information visit www.mitcharterschool.org.