Pace Academy to Break Ground on New Upper School May 17

Pace Academy will break ground on The Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School, a 75,000-square-foot facility that will replace the private school's current Upper School, constructed in 1961.

The Buckhead private school has secured all the necessary permits from the City of Atlanta, and preliminary grading and site work have begun on the east side of campus behind the school.

The groundbreaking is a significant milestone in the school’s $32-million Aim High campaign, which has surpassed its goal.

Designed by Pace Academy alumnus Sandy Cooper of Collins Cooper Carusi Architects, The Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School will nearly double the space of the current Upper School and will include the three-story Woodruff Library–a gift of Jane Woodruff and Buck and Ann Woodruff– as well as a 1,500-square-foot Student Commons, a College Counseling suite, an Academic Resource Center, and state-of-the-art classrooms and science labs.

Construction will begin on May 25, and the building will open for the start of the 2014-15 year.

On June 3, active demolition of the current Upper School will begin. While the school won't be blown up, track hoes will demolish the structure piece by piece over a period of time.

-Pace Academy contributed to this report.