Hood Construction breaks ground for Belvedere Elementary School addition
January 13, 2026
On November 18th, the teams of Hood Construction and Cheatham Fletcher Scott Architects + Designers joined Belvedere Elementary School’s administrators and staff to celebrate the ground breaking of their new kitchen, cafeteria, and gym additions.
The groundbreaking marks the beginning of the final major phase of Belvedere Elementary’s campus transformation. The renovations will replace the 1950s cafeteria with a modern dining space seating 400 students, a retractable stage, and a new kitchen with two serving lines to create safer, more efficient mealtimes. The old cafeteria will provide additional administrative space.
A new connected multipurpose room and gym will replace the existing standalone multipurpose space and will bring all core school functions under one roof, ensuring easier travel throughout the school.
Early site preparation is underway as the project teams work closely with Aiken County Public Schools and Belvedere Elementary School to ensure a safe and well-coordinated start to construction.
Planning efforts are focused on environmental protections and establishing safe routes so students can continue to access playground areas without disruption. These early steps reflect the team’s commitment to safety, communication, and minimizing impacts on daily school activities as work progresses.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Belvedere Elementary School, Aiken County Public Schools, and the design team to create spaces that support students and teachers every day. This project is about more than a new building — it’s about building something that truly serves the community,” said Hood Construction Project Manager, Jim Ott.
At the groundbreaking, Belvedere Elementary School Principal, Allyson Long stated, “The belief in our mission is literally laying the foundation for our future. This project is more than just steel and concrete; it’s about investing in the well-being of every student with a new cafeteria and kitchen that will continue to ensure every student has access to healthy and delicious meals while allowing for streamlining scheduling to maximize instructional time. The new gym will support our commitment to help as well as care for education, providing accessible space, regardless of the weather.”
The groundbreaking comes after the Aiken County School Board approved five major construction projects across several county schools. Hood Construction was also selected by Aiken County Schools to perform work for Silver Bluff High School, which will begin in 2026.
About Hood Construction
Hood Construction Company was founded in 1986 as a full-service Construction Management firm, currently licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Now in its 40th year, Hood specializes in CM-R and Design-Assist Delivery, Pre-construction Consulting, Site Analysis, Project Management, and General Contracting for a broad spectrum of commercial and industrial clients. For more information, please visit us online at www.hoodconstruction.com
