Fast-Tracked Renovation Provides Hope, Stability and a Safe Learning Environment for Palisades Fire-Displaced Students

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – April 28, 2025 – C.W. Driver Companies, a premier California builder specializing in educational and community facilities, today announced the completion of a restoration and transformation of the former Sears department store in downtown Santa Monica into a temporary campus for Palisades Charter High School (PCHS). This fast-tracked project provides a safe, fully equipped learning environment for approximately 2,500 PCHS students just three months after the Palisades wildfires devastated the school’s Pacific Palisades campus.  The new campus is a testament to the resilience of the PCHS community and underscores C.W. Driver’s commitment to rebuilding Southern California communities impacted by the 2025 Palisades Fire.

“Watching the wildfires that swept through Southern California left me feeling helpless, unsure of how I could make a difference. That changed one Friday evening when I received an unexpected call asking if C.W. Driver would be interested in helping get the students of Palisades Charter High School back into classrooms,” said Jamie Macartney, project executive at C.W. Driver Companies. “Reuniting PCHS students and staff under one roof and restoring a sense of normalcy has been an honor for our team. Supporting community recovery is at the heart of C.W. Driver’s mission, and we’re proud to stand with Palisades Charter High as they rebound and rebuild.”

To expedite the conversion and maximize the temporary space, the project team implemented several innovative solutions. Temporary partitions with sound stage style sound blankets were used to quickly create classrooms of varying sizes within the open floor plan, a new air conditioning system was installed to ensure a comfortable environment for students and faculty, fire alarm & fire suppression systems were extended to meet code requirements. These rapid retrofit techniques enabled C.W. Driver and our partners to complete the project in just four weeks, a timeline that would normally take many months, minimizing disruption to students’ education.

Approximately 100,000 square feet of the former Sears store have been repurposed to create a fully functional high school campus. The once-vacant retail space now contains classrooms, along with administrative offices and common areas to accommodate students and faculty. This transformation also highlights the broader trend of retail repositioning—reimagining underutilized commercial spaces for new, impactful uses that serve the community.

“For our students, this temporary campus is a fresh start after an incredibly challenging time,” said Dr. Pam Magee, executive director/principal, Palisades Charter High School. “We are deeply grateful to C.W. Driver, Gensler and the City of Santa Monica for moving mountains to make this campus possible so quickly. Our community has been through so much and seeing everyone come together to create this space has been truly uplifting.”

Close collaboration with the City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica Fire Department and design firm, Gensler, were critical to the project’s speed and success. City officials fast-tracked permits and inspections, allowing fast paced construction to proceed nearly around the clock. As a result, the renovation was completed by April 21, 2025, ensuring PCHS could open the doors of the temporary campus in time for students to finish the school year together on site. The campus is expected to serve as PCHS’s home for the next three to nine months while the original campus is rebuilt.

“It has been an honor to work alongside CW Driver, the City of Santa Monica, and the Pali High team to bring this vision to life,” said Kelly Farrell, Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Los Angeles office. “For our team, this was more than just a project — it was a meaningful opportunity to support the students, families, educators, and administrators of Pali High. Pali High South stands as a powerful case study in what’s possible when institutions, cities, designers, and builders come together around a shared mission.”

C.W. Driver Companies has a robust legacy of delivering transformative educational spaces. This includes projects such as modernizations for Chino Valley USD at Ayala and Don Lugo High School’s, ten elementary schools and the new K-8 Legacy Academy school campus for the district; Santa Monica-Malibu USD – New Malibu High School, Phase 1 and Roosevelt Elementary School – TK/K New Classrooms & Library; Menifee Union SD  – Sally Buselt Elementary School, Kathryn Newport Middle School Phase 2 and Menifee Valley Middle School Reconstruction; San Diego USD’s La Jolla Elementary School, John Muir Language Academy, and Darnall Charter School Whole Site Modernizations, in addition to the new K-5 technology-oriented Nipaquay Elementary School, San Dieguito UHSD’s Torrey Pines High School, Aquatic Center and Athletic Facilities, Torrey Pines HS Modernization & New Digital Arts Building and Pacific Trails Middle School, Granada Hills Charter’s New TK-8 School Facility, Irvine USD’s New Solis Park K-8 School and Flintridge Preparatory School Bachmann Collaboration Building, and Brentwood School Saltair West Annex and Parking Garage. The completion of the PCHS temporary site reinforces the company’s commitment to excellence and innovation in educational construction.

About C.W. Driver Companies

C.W. Driver Companies is a premier builder serving California since 1919. In 2019, the historic company proudly celebrated its 100-year anniversary. As a leader in general contracting and construction management services, C.W. Driver Companies are on the cutting edge across a broad spectrum of industries, including education, commercial/office, technology, healthcare/biomedical, mixed-use, assisted living, entertainment, retail, industrial and civic. Ranked in Engineering News-Record’s Top 150 General Contractors and Top 100 Construction Managers, C.W. Driver Companies has the ability to build a variety of projects, from large tenant improvements to small renovations and specialized projects through its affiliates Driver SPG and Good & Roberts. C.W. Driver Companies has offices located in Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga, Anaheim, San Diego and Carlsbad. For more information, please visit www.cwdriver.com. Follow C.W. Driver Companies on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Gensler

At Gensler, the value of our work stems from its positive impact on the human experience. We are a dynamic and collaborative design firm uniting creativity, research, and innovation to solve complex problems for our clients. Our work challenges conventional ideas about architecture and the built environment. We aren’t just designing buildings — we are reimagining cities and places that make a difference in people’s lives. Founded in 1965, Gensler has built a team of 6,000 professionals who partner with clients in over 100 countries each year. Everything we do is guided by our mission: to create a better world through the power of design.