by Matthew Grady, for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner
School officials, political leaders and a handful of lucky students broke ground Wednesday morning at the new site for the Green Woods Charter School in Roxborough.
The new location for the decade-old charter school is a five-and-a-half acre plot in the 400 block of Domino Lane. Earlier this year, Green Woods moved out of its digs at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Roxborough and the school is now occupying two former parish schools -- St. Mary of the Assumption and St. John the Baptist, both in Manayunk.
The new, three-story building will be about 60,000 square feet and will be surrounded by eight outdoor learning centers, in addition to a pond, a stream, and wetlands.
Green features will include full retention of on-site water, high-performance mechanical systems, and an emphasis on natural lighting that is expected to reduce energy costs.