Before Arrupe Jesuit High School broke ground Wednesday on its much-needed expansion, Michael J. O’Hagan made sure that someone was there to bless the land. “For the school to truly deliver on its mission, you’re asking for God’s blessing and that we remember we always work in a partnership,” said O’Hagan, the school’s president. Situated just off bustling Tennyson Street at 4343 N. Utica St. in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood, Arrupe Jesuit has raised north of $37 million for its planned two-story, 35,000-square-foot addition that will give the private school more classrooms and a new gymnasium. “We’ve never had locker rooms, so if you are an athlete at Arrupe, you’ve changed in just about every classroom that we own,” O’Hagan said, speaking of the butcher paper that coaches bring in to cover up windows. The school has no dedicated performing arts space, no class for its entrepreneurship course and limited honors programs for its roughly 415 students. The small gym prevents practices from running concurrently; athletes are forced to stay until late in the evening, and there’s no formal space for athletic trainers. When the addition is complete, the school’s footprint will be approximately 100,000 square feet. The project involves turning the existing gym space into new classrooms and the construction of a new pastor’s residence and offices for the Holy Family Catholic Church across the street. An old Holy Family building was torn down to make way for the addition. Construction of the addition will wrap up by Christmas 2025, O’Hagan said. Renovations of the existing school should wrap up eight months after that. In total, the entire redevelopment will cost $41.5 million. O’Hagan hopes he can increase class offerings, like adding coding, and expand the honors program in math, English and Spanish — reserved for seniors only – to juniors. Related Articles Business | Boulder biotech entrepreneur seeks sales record with $15M listing Business | Newly public Ibotta eyes HQ move to LoDo Business | Lower-priced new cars are gaining popularity, and not just for cash-poor buyers Business | This chatbot pulls people away from conspiracy theories Business | Denver’s great destination: The ups and downs of historic Larimer Square “These were never wanted dollars. These are all need dollars … experiences that all kids should have access to because they contribute to their full formation,” O’Hagan said. Approximately 90 percent of Arrupe Jesuit graduates are the first in their family to attend college, and 70 percent are the first to finish high school. Tuition cost $3,550 for this school year. No families pay full price, but everyone pays something. The school president held an open house for prospective students and their families last weekend. As he exited the event with the father of a student, O’Hagan said he hoped to see his child on campus next year. “There are no other options. Arrupe is the only option,” the father responded. “I think in a lot of ways that was the whole point of this (expansion), for our families,” O’Hagan said. Full story via BusinessDen Get more business news by signing up for our Economy Now newsletter.