Facing rapid population growth and an increasingly out-of-date facility, Falls Church City Public Schools engaged B&D to help transform a sprawling 2-story suburban high school into a more efficient multi-story, 21st Century learning campus.

While engaging a highly invested community of stakeholders, B&D advised the district in maximizing the value of the existing 34-acre site. In order to deliver a modernized school, reduce overall bond costs, and minimize the tax increase to Falls Church residents, B&D advised the district to create a public-private partnership to develop 10-acres of the existing campus footprint.

B&D has been tasked with providing project management services from concept through move-in and turnover. Utilizing Virginia’s Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act regulations, B&D managed the design-build solicitation and developed evaluation processes for the development deal. Coordination with the City of Falls Church has been critical–both in terms of the adjacent economic development and the City’s site plan and permitting process. In addition, B&D has overseen community engagement, including over 200 community meetings and extensive digital media outreach, and most recently provided advisory services for a solar energy Purchase Power Agreement.

The new high school project broke ground in August 2019 and hosted its virtual ribboncutting in February 2021. The building is designed with sustainability features, state-of-the-art learning spaces, and interconnectivity with the middle school, allowing for operational efficiencies.