Students attending the current Wiesbaden Elementary School prepare a time capsule to be buried at the site of a new school in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. (AARON KNOWLES/STARS AND STRIPES)
Students attending the current Wiesbaden Elementary School prepare a time capsule to be buried at the site of a new school in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. (AARON KNOWLES/STARS AND STRIPES)
Army staff, Wiesbaden Elementary students and staff and members of the construction team officially break ground on the new elementary school slated to be finished in 2021 in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. (AARON KNOWLES/STARS AND STRIPES)
With the help of the construction workers, students from the current Wiesbaden Elementary School bury a time capsule in the foundation of the new school in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. (AARON KNOWLES/STARS AND STRIPES)
WIESBADEN, Germany — The Army has begun construction on a new $58.9 million elementary school at Hainerberg Kaserne in Wiesbaden.
The facility, expected to be complete in 2021, will include several energy conservation efforts, low-flow plumbing to reduce water use and sustainable elements to cut construction costs, officials said Thursday at a groundbreaking ceremony.
“I think every one of us here recognizes the premier importance of our children,” Army garrison commander Col. Noah Cloud, said during Thursday’s ceremony. “This facility and this groundbreaking represent what I think is a great opportunity to enhance those opportunities and experiences for our children.”
This will be one of four schools in a new complex that will improve the Wiesbaden community, he said. The full complex is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
Wolfgang Schnitzer, an architect with Landesbetrieb Bau und Immobilien Hessen and part of the construction team working on the school, said this was the third major construction project for the Hainerberg school complex.
Following the ceremony, students from Wiesbaden Elementary School buried a time capsule in the foundation of the new school. The capsule included photos of the student body, a piece of brick from the school and clothing representing their school spirit.
“What we want for you is better than what we had for ourselves and that goes for education also,” Col. John Baker, of the Europe District Army Corps of Engineers said. “We hope that this building that we provide for you gives you those opportunities.”
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