WINCHESTER — Demolition work at the former John Kerr Elementary School at 536 Jefferson St. is expected to begin next week to prepare the building to be renovated into the Emil and Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center, which will house workforce training programs for Handley High School students and community members.

Howard Shockey & Sons Director of Preconstruction Jon Tingle made the announcement during a luncheon on Thursday at Shenandoah University for stakeholders and supporters of the $13.7 million Winchester Public Schools project. Winchester-based Shockey was hired earlier this year to oversee construction management services for the project.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in January and wrap up by August, Tingle said.

The center is slated to open next fall, according to information on the WPS website.

Asbestos abatement at the building began last week and should wrap up early next week, Tingle said. The demolition will occur inside the building, and Northern Virginia Demolition is slated to start the work next week. Demolition will entail the removal of walls, ceilings and flooring and could take three to four weeks.

Tingle said a subcontractor has not been chosen to do the construction, and he warned that construction prices are going up and that “the budget is a concern,” but that Shockey will work with the design team and WPS if construction bids are higher than expected. Design work is being done by Charlottesville-based VMDO Architects.

WPS Career & Technical Education Coordinator Katie Rice said the roughly 50,000-square-foot Innovation Center will give students an experience that mirrors the working world and will equip them with skills they can use to find a job, regardless of whether they go to college. The center will have three academies — Health Sciences, Advanced Technologies and Professional Skills — and each will have simulated job experiences, where students will practice job skills such as conflict resolution, communication and time management.

Kelly Callahan, a principal with VMDO, gave those at the luncheon a virtual tour of what the new Innovation Center will look like. The building includes, among other features, medical, anatomy, physical therapy, cyber security, computer tech and welding labs and a cybersecurity room.

— Contact Josh Janney at jjanney@winchesterstar.com

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