Lodi USD celebrated Needham Elementary School’s new classroom and multipurpose buildings and site upgrades in Lodi, California with a special ribbon cutting ceremony. HMC, district representatives, school faculty and staff, and community leaders gathered to celebrate the milestone.

The $16.29 million project was a multi-phase, multi-contract project over two and a half years. The team removed and replaced all portables on site with permanent classrooms, completed extensive site upgrades including new playfield, hardcourt, kindergarten play yard, parking lots, perimeter fencing, quad, and lunch shelters, upgraded the campus fire alarms, and constructed two new modular classroom buildings and a new modular multipurpose building. We demolished the old, condemned building and created 11 new standard classrooms, multipurpose, kitchen, stage, and P.E. and support spaces that celebrate the school’s architectural history. The team worked with multiple contracts and contractors in an extended phasing plan to allow the rest of the campus to remain occupied during construction.

The relationship between RGA + A Studio of HMC Architects and Lodi USD, began in 1985 and is one of the longest in our history. It has been extraordinary for both its duration and accomplishments. Together, we have successfully planned and built more than 60 projects including new elementary schools, modernizations, and now Needham ES.