NEW ORLEANS — UnCommon Construction, an after-school apprenticeship program, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on May 31 at the site of its future campus at 1120 Freret Street. Approximately 100 supporters and stakeholders joined students for the event. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris presented a proclamation from the city, and Michael Merideth, CEO of VPG Construction, gave a keynote speech.
unCommon Construction bought the building in March 2023 from OPA Signs & Graphics, which owns several buildings on the block and no longer needed that space. Crews will update several systems, add a new roof, a mezzanine, office spaces, new staircases, kitchens, and green infrastructure, among other changes expected to cost about $2 million. The targeted completion date is February 2025.
To complete the job, the nonprofit is partnering with VPG construction, Pace Group, Pontchartrain Mechanical, Concordia, and Ponce/Northside Electric. Staff, apprentices and alumni will also be participating in the renovation process.
“We were primarily working out of work trucks and a rented space at one of our school partners’ locations in Gentilly,” said a UC spokesperson. “There was significant demand from the New Orleans community for us to expand our programming and we couldn’t do that without having our own space so we decided to start looking for buildings to buy in one of the neighborhoods we serve.”
The new campus site is expected to allow the program to nearly triple the number of youths and adults served and open programming to non-apprentice youth and adult learners in New Orleans.
The program will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall. Participants earn hourly pay and school credit for building a house or other project together. unCommon Construction matches apprentices’ earnings with an Equity Award scholarship for further education and career opportunities. Through after school and weekend sessions, apprentices gain on-the-job technical training and learn transferable skills.
The nonprofit’s annual budget is approximately $1.5 million. It is primarily funded through donations from local and national foundations and corporations, with additional funding from individual investors and grassroots supporters.
Local donor Boise Bollinger is a major funder for the campus building as are national funders from the Yass Prize. The Sherwin-Williams Foundation provided support for the Sherwin-Williams Paint Lab, which allows apprentices and community members to learn painting and coating techniques.
The apprentice program is mostly self-sustaining through the revenue generated from the sale of homes and other projects. This revenue also provides apprentices with Equity Award Scholarships after they graduate. A spokesperson said the new campus is designed to support additional revenue generation through classes and workshops and continuing education programs for the construction industry.
UnCommon Construction founder Aaron Frumin was selected as a 2024 Afterschool Ambassador by the national Afterschool Alliance.
