Richardson West Junior High is on track for a complete reconstruction to transform into a middle school after Richardson’s City Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval for zoning changes Feb. 3.
The overview
The zoning changes will allow for a complete reconstruction of Richardson West Junior High, the arts and technology magnet school, as part of Richardson ISD’s larger initiative to convert all junior highs into middle schools by fall 2028. This will add sixth graders to the junior highs that currently serve seventh and eighth grade.
Senior planner Derica Peters presented plans for the $119 million construction, in which West and the Richardson High School baseball stadium, located next to each other, will swap locations. A new-three story Richardson West Middle School is set to be constructed where the baseball stadium currently stands.
When the new middle school is complete, the two-story junior high will be demolished and a new baseball stadium will be constructed in its place. The reconstruction will allow the existing junior high to remain operational throughout construction.
Zooming in
The new middle school is planned to be 209,267 square feet and total enrollment is expected to increase from approximately 709 to 927 students.
A satellite parking lot is also set to be added on an RISD-owned vacant lot on Holly Drive, across the street from West and the baseball stadium. The lot will serve as parking for middle school staff and faculty as well as visitor parking for baseball games.
An internal aisle between the Richardson Multi-Purpose Activity Center and the new baseball stadium, as well as a fire lane and drive between the middle school and football stadium, are also set for construction to accommodate a new traffic circulation plan.
The reconstructed middle school will relocate the main entrance from Mimosa Drive to Holly Drive, so the new circulation plan reroutes drop-off and pickup routes accordingly. The new plan aims to address existing traffic issues on surrounding streets and to keep vehicle queuing on-site as much as possible.
What they’re saying
Pritam Deshmukh, Richardson assistant director of transportation and mobility, said signs will be posted on Holly Drive to prohibit stopping, standing or parking, and there will be enforcement when the middle school opens.
Commissioner Joe Quirk said that signs like these are often ignored by parents.
“I bet they’re going to queue up on Dogwood [Drive] and Holly [Drive],” Quirk said. “That will just be something you have to deal with.”
Chrissy Cortez-Mathis and Rob Hopper, residents of Magnolia Drive, located across from West and the baseball stadium, expressed concern that the new traffic circulation plan and increased student population would create more traffic on their street.
Deshmukh said traffic mitigation efforts will be monitored and continue to evolve after the school opens.
Cortez-Mathis also voiced concern about the impact of the new parking lot and its planned construction on the vacant lot behind her house.
“Today that space is an open field, so replacing it with a large paved lot could create significant quality of life impacts, including bright lighting into our homes,” Cortez-Mathis said.
James Watson, RISD’s senior executive director of operations, said there will be screening to separate construction from the alley behind Magnolia Drive, and landscaping will block off the completed parking lot from the neighborhood. Additionally, lighting constraints will be in place to prevent the parking lot lights from causing disruption.
“It will be a change from what it is today, but we certainly want to be good neighbors,” Watson said.
The details
The majority of high school facilities located on the southern portion of the site will remain as is and will not be impacted by the proposed middle school redevelopment.
Greg Estes, architect with Glenn Partners and Richardson West project manager, presented the floor plans for the new middle school building, which includes a centrally located cafeteria, elevated walkways, collaboration spaces and roof terraces. Career and Technical Education spaces, including a culinary arts space, robotics lab and editing room, are put on display by surrounding the open central area of the building on each floor.
“West is one of the celebrated middle schools in the district, and they have a very strong magnet program, so we wanted to celebrate those in this space,” Estes said.
The proposed construction for Richardson West, the baseball stadium and the new parking lot doesn’t fully comply with the sites’ zoning standards, so the district requested modified development standards, including:
Higher maximum building heightWaived building height requirements near residential areasBaseball field light poles allowed to exceed 30 feetShrubs and fence allowed as screening wallWhat’s next
After the commission’s unanimous recommendation of approval, the zoning changes will be considered by City Council.
Construction on Richardson West Junior High is anticipated to begin this summer, with completion for all middle schools planned for August 2028 ahead of the fall semester.
Watson said the district is still working to determine where baseball games and practices will be held while the stadium is out of commission. The new baseball stadium is expected to be completed by January 2029.