John Burroughs School Selects Paric Corporation for $30 Million Project

According to a source in the construction industry, John Burroughs School (JBS) has selected Paric Corporation to be general contractor for a $30 million athletic center and performing arts center project.

Founded in 1923, Burroughs is a coeducational, college preparatory school for grades 7-12. The school is located on a 47.5 acre campus in Ladue and has historically drawn heavily from Town and Country and the surrounding area.

Construction is expected to begin soon with costs to build the performing arts center and make renovations to the existing Cissel Center expected to reach $20 million, while building the athletic center is expected to cost $10 million, according to the source. 

Paric Corporation, based in O’Fallon, MO, was founded in 1979 and is one of the largest privately held companies in the Midwest.

According to the school website the new sports facilities, the new Haertter Hall, and the performing arts center, stand out most among all of the project. The new two story 53,000-square-foot Haertter Hall will sit on the current grounds of the outdoor pool and the grassy area by the football field.  

The performing arts/assembly hall will also allow all teaching, practice and performance space for the music, dance and theatre programs to be centralized in one modern and advanced practical space. The building will include a black box theatre, costume storage, dressing rooms, scene shop, dance studio, band room, choral room, music storage and rehearsal rooms.

In addition to the new stage and theatre for performances, as well as acoustically sound band and rehearsal rooms, the black box theatre will allow for more intimate theatre productions to occur throughout the year.

The new assembly hall will seat all six hundred students and include space for all faculty members at assembly, all-school presentations, as well as major school productions.

A 60,000-square-foot athletic center will include a multilevel gymnasium that will accommodate 600 to 800 fans, a weight room and fitness center, locker room space for visiting teams and officials, additional lockers for varsity athletes and coaches, team meeting rooms, office space, and equipment rooms.

The Cissel Center and Commons will be renovated to create a “main street” for student and visitor activities. The bookstore, the college counseling office, several other offices and conference rooms will also be moved to the Cissel Center, allowing for more space in old buildings as well as much of the backbone of JBS to be concentrated in one area. 

Alberici, BSI, Clayco, and S.M. Wilson were also on the project shortlist according to the source. BSI was recently named general contractor for the science, technology, engineering and math facility which is being partially funded with a $21.5 million donation from the James McDonnell family. 

Attempts to reach John Burroughs construction representative Alan Blair for comment at his Creative Construction Solutions office in Chesterfield were unsuccessful as of Wednesday. 

Paric Corporation declined comment and forwarded me to O’Connor & Partners, Inc. a public relations firm that represents the company. O’Connor & Partners, Inc. declined comment saying that the company doesn’t discuss the possible projects of their clients.