HDPE Lockers Selected for Memphis-Based Gestalt Community Schools’ Latest Expansion

Once a bustling center for dozens of retail stores, a grocery mart, and cleaners, the nearly abandoned Mendenhall Square Shopping Center in Memphis, Tennessee was recently purchased for $2.4 million by Gestalt Community Schools (GCS). This bold move allows for the latest expansion by founders Yetta Lewis and Derwin Sisnett, the dynamic pair behind the transformation of a desolate, 227,000 square foot strip mall into a thriving educational and community hub for Hickory Hill’s students and families.

Modeled after the concept that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” GCS initiated the mission to revitalize the underserved students of Memphis’s Hickory Hill neighborhood in 2008 when it debuted the Power Center Academy for sixth graders. Early and significant increases in the pilot program’s academic achievement helped propel growth. Over the next several years, Lewis and Sisnett oversaw construction of the Power Center Academy High School at Mendenhall Mall followed by the Power Center Academy Middle School, which is located directly across the street in a separate facility. But they didn’t stop there. After acquiring the entire Mendenhall Shopping Center, the GCS team enlisted the services of Fleming Architects, a Memphis-based firm with Senior Project Manager, Tamara Redburn and her team to take on the shopping center to school remodel. The GCS commitment to community involvement, service, humanitarianism, and scholarship inspired Redburn and her team to “create spacious, open facilities with a great deal of light and bright colors to provide a vibrant and inspiring learning environment for every student.

The versatility of the HDPE lockers proved an ideal fit for the design scheme. “We were looking for a more collegiate feel at the 9th Grade Academy,” explained Christy Darr, an interior designer at Fleming Architects. She added, “We also chose products that would definitely blend right in with our rainbow color scheme at the elementary school.” In a variety of colors from a leading manufacturer, the HDPE lockers were installed at the 75,000 square foot elementary school to complement the differing colors, signifying each of the building’s six grades.

Darr noted, “The HDPE lockers wear well in a tough surrounding filled with young kids. Plus, charter schools tend to have quieter, more disciplined atmospheres that could easily be disrupted by the constant clanging of metal lockers. So, the HDPE design was ideal for the composed, comfortable school setting we were looking to create.” An additional 115 HDPE lockers from the same manufacturer were then used at the 9th Grade Academy, a one-story learning facility housing an administrative suite, seven classrooms, art and music rooms, a science lab and multi-purpose room doubling as the school cafeteria. The vast and nuanced color schemes allowed the designers to select grey, blueberry, and charcoal to blend with the facility’s navy, gray and white school colors. In addition to the vibrant and wide array of standard color options that fell directly within the school’s tight budget, Fleming Architects and GCS officials selected HDPE based on their capacity to withstand the harshest daily use, while being low maintenance and easy to clean. With 25% to 100% post-consumer recycled content, HDPE material is also naturally resistant to bacteria, mold, mildew, dents, and graffiti.

CEO and co-founder Yetta Lewis described a GCS education as an opportunity to “defy the odds.” That guiding principle was applied to all aspects of new construction. Designers and contractors were selected to complement Gestalt functionality while providing an enduring and clean environment for learning. Redburn’s team had used the HDPE lockers previously, at another institution, and were immediately pleased with their look, feel, and durability. As designer Darr said, “They’re much quieter than metal lockers, which was a definite plus for the Gestalt school atmosphere. Other benefits included the ability to create really cool color patterns within the school’s limited budget.” She added, “Everyone was deeply pleased with the outcome!”

In September of 2019, with the help of overwhelming community buy-in and a series of educational grants, the culmination of Lewis and Sisnett’s grand plan was realized. With the charter’s opening of both new facilities, GCS now provides services for all grade levels. But the visionaries have further plans. Redburn noted, “The redesign and repurposing of the Mendenhall Mall is just the next phase of Gestalt’s plan to build an entire ecosystem that integrates community service and higher learning with the ongoing addition of amenities like a new preschool, daycare, restaurants, fresh produce markets, and more green spaces. She reflected, “Driven by the reality of failing schools and businesses, bankruptcies and foreclosures, Gestalt reinvigorated the local area with a renewed emphasis on service and exceptional educational programs defined by rigorous standards and academic achievement.” Currently ranking in the top 5% of Tennessee’s’ schools, Gestalt Community Schools have indeed defied the odds and demonstrated that the whole community is greater than the sum of its parts.

St. Augustine Preparatory Academy Selects HDPE

St. Augustine Preparatory Academy located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has begun its second year dedicated to the academic and athletic excellence of 900 K4 -10th grade, in-need students, representing Milwaukee’s south side. Built with a donation from Gus Ramirez, chairman of Waukesha-based Husco International, the private school was specifically designed to provide low- and middle-income families with the latest amenities – ranging from STEM labs, flexible classroom spaces, and a health clinic, to a natatorium complete with competitive swimming pools and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lockers. “Our mission is to provide the neediest in our community with the education they deserve,” explains Kelsey Brenn, the Academy’s CFO.

“The Academy was designed to help our students succeed in all aspects of life,” explained Angela Ryun, Interior Designer at Korb + Associates Architects. “We toured schools nationwide to maximize the space that will one day hold nearly 2,000 students. Durability and aesthetics were essential for ensuring achievement and comfort in a physical environment that can be very demanding and difficult to maintain.”

This included the design of a sleek, clean structure built for all grades. “The HDPE lockers fit perfectly into this concept. Their intrinsically simple, sturdy design was ideal for our pool and weight rooms. The lockers make little, if any noise, and are especially resistant to moisture, graffiti, and everyday wear and tear – all extremely important qualities when dealing each day with hundreds of 4- to 16-year-olds.”

Made from HDPE, the lockers at St. Augustine naturally resist bacteria, odors, mold, and mildew. Their non-porous surface is easy to clean, making them even graffiti easy to wipe away with most non-abrasive cleaners and easing removal of stickers and contact paper. The lockers can also be power washed and steam cleaned without the worry of rust or corrosion in traditional steel lockers. In addition, HDPE lockers produced by leading manufacturers are NFPA 286 compliant and GREENGUARD Gold Certified for improved indoor air quality.