Demolition overseen by general contractor BNBuilders has now begun at 1120 12th Ave. on Capitol Hill, just south of East Union Street.

Once four small old industrial buildings are scraped, construction will begin on the new LMN-designed upper school for SAAS, aka Seattle Academy.

The plan had been to start construction after the past school year, with an anticipated opening in time for the 2025 – 2026 school year.

The five-story, 85,000-square-foot project will slot into the school’s existing campus, which extends east to 13th Avenue. Planning began about five years back, near the same time that LMN and SAAS completed the new middles school.

The upper school project entered design review with a nominal value of $65 million. The school hasn’t announced its financing plan, and there’s no recorded loan for the project.

The SAAS team also includes Coughlin Porter Lundeen, civil; GeoEngineers, geotechnical; Studio TJP, historical consultant; PAE, MEP design; Heffron Transportation; and Seneca Group, project manager.

Underground parking with 55 stalls is planned. The building will have about 30 classrooms, offices, amenity areas and a dramatic atrium entry.