January 22, 2020
By Kelli Gile, WVUSD Office of Community Resources
WALNUT, CA--The Walnut Valley Unified School District is pleased to announce the official Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Diamond Bar High School 3-Story Instrumental Music Building.
Please join us as we celebrate this important addition to the premier arts education offered on the Brahma campus. The event will be held on Wednesday, February 19 at 3:30 p.m. at 21400 E. Pathfinder Road in Diamond Bar.
Walnut Valley Unified School District’s modernization and construction projects are made possible through voter approval of Bond Measure WV, passed in November 2016.
“This is a building designed to bring out the best in every student!” said director Steve Acciani.
The new 15,700 square-foot “Music Box” will feature three strategically designed levels with large elevator and interconnecting stairways. The building includes 4,320 square-foot band room at the ground level with lockers, color-guard, girls and boys lockers, uniform room, booster workroom, and percussion studio. The mid-level floor will be comprised of ensemble rooms, recording studio, library, and office space. The upper level will feature a 3,631 square-foot orchestra classroom with adjacent rehearsal spaces for piano, harp, percussion, and individual practice.
Diamond Bar High’s comprehensive 700-student instrumental music division comprises nearly one-third of the school’s population. The program has earned the prestigious Grammy Signature Award as the top school in the nation. For the past nine years, Diamond Bar High has broken records with the number of high school students selected for the SoCal and All-State Bands and Orchestras. This month, 69 talented musicians were named to the SCSBOA All-Southern Honor Groups and 17 to the All-State High School Honor Band.
“The best thing about the new building is that it is designed around the specific needs of the uniqueness of our program at Diamond Bar High,” Acciani added.
“Even though we have tremendously successful large groups, the program is structured around the maximizing potential of individuals.”
The Walnut Valley Unified School District’s Board of Trustees awarded the contract to AWI Builders at the December 11, 2019 meeting. AWI Builders’ winning bid for the project was $9,748,911.00. The construction of the building designed by HMC Architects is scheduled to begin February 9, 2020 with a duration of 465 days.