PROJECT OVERVIEW

The second largest school district in Missouri, North Kansas City Schools has been on a mission to renovate and rebuild aging facilities to accommodate rapid growth and better serve their students and teachers. Central to construction of the new Crestview Elementary School was its gym, which would also serve as a storm shelter in a region prone to tornadoes.

Read more about this project in the Summer 2026 issue of Ascent.

PRECAST SOLUTION

Precast concrete was selected for construction of the gym largely because of its purpose as a storm shelter compliant with ICC 500-2020, ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.

Owner

North Kansas City Schools

Architect

DLR Group

General Contractor

McGown Gordon Construction

Structural Engineer of Record

DLR Group

Specialty Precast Engineer

Enterprise Properties Inc.

Precast Concrete Producer & Photo Credit

Enterprise Precast Concrete

Key Project Attributes

• Because the gym protrudes out into the site in a way that makes it the visual focal point of the school when entering the property, the architects put special emphasis on its design.

Project/Precast Scope

• Precast, prestressed concrete allowed thinner components and less overall volume of material compared with other materials.
• Precast concrete components include noncomposite wall panels and pretopped double-tee roof components.
• This project is an example of precast protecting life, serving not just schools but communities.