TCAPS approves $42 million Central Grade School renovation plan
TCAPS locked in more than $42.1 million for Central Grade, setting up a hybrid HVAC overhaul and a multi-year move to Glenn Loomis.
Traverse City Area Public Schools approved more than $42.1 million in contracts for Central Grade School renovations, clearing the way for a project that will reshape student drop-off, parking, and the building’s heating and cooling system on Traverse City’s west side. The work includes a new hybrid electric-gas HVAC system, an expanded parking lot, an added drop-off loop, and a new cafeteria.
The district has said the reconstruction could take up to three years, with students expected to use the Glenn Loomis Building during the 2026-27 school year and return to the renovated Central Grade for the 2029-30 school year. UpNorthLive has said construction is expected to begin in September 2026 and wrap around April 2029, giving contractors a long runway of visible work around the school grounds, entrances, and traffic patterns.
Earlier versions of the project were priced at about $55 million for partial demolition and reconstruction, and the design has continued to evolve through visioning sessions with architects, administrators, community members, and students. TCAPS also held a community walk-through at Central Grade to photograph historic features and review design renderings, underscoring how the renovation has been tied to both preservation and day-to-day function. District officials have said the building needs larger hallways and a more centralized main office to better serve modern elementary routines.
Central Grade’s current building dates to 1934, and it includes Lars Hockstad Auditorium, a space used by both the district and the wider community. Interlochen Public Radio has traced the school’s history back to the 1870s, when a fire in the 1930s led to rebuilding. That long history has made the renovation especially sensitive for families who see the campus as more than a school building and for neighbors who use the auditorium.
The work is being paid for through voter-approved capital bonds. TCAPS said the 2024 bond package, authorized in February 2024 and approved by voters in August 2024, was designed to keep schools “safe, warm, and dry” without increasing the district’s existing 3.1-mill debt rate. A 2023 facilities assessment had recommended replacing the entire electrical distribution system at Central Grade, adding another expensive layer to a project that also affects the school’s Talented & Gifted program and the students who depend on the building every day.
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