"Elected officials, alongside city and school division staff, celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Fredericksburg middle school at 2201 Idlewild Blvd. on [May 5].

As construction vehicles passed busily back and forth over the 26-acre expanse of dirt that will eventually be the home of the 160,000-square-foot school, officials praised the cooperation and community input that led to the groundbreaking.

'The work that was done was a long process, but it was worth every moment,' said Fredericksburg Vice-Mayor Chuck Frye. 'It created more conversations about what the city needed. I’m glad that the School Board and City Council listened to the community, and I can’t wait to see the minds that will be touched in our new school.'

Fredericksburg City Public Schools engaged First Choice, a public-private partnership between Moseley Architects and English Construction, to design and build the middle school, which will have a capacity of 1,100 students."

Photography credited to Suzanne Rossi.