Two major construction projects are underway at Gilmer High School.
Demolition and site preparation for the Gilmer Performing Arts Center started at the beginning of November. Behind GHS, the band practice field, parking lot, curbs and awnings have been removed. Drainage installation started this week, as well as the construction of a large retaining wall, which will be on the back side of the building.
“They’re moving faster than expected,” said maintenance and facilities director Thomas Griffith. “The good thing about them is they’re crushing all the concrete and asphalt and reusing it. Even when it’s raining, they can continue their crushing efforts.”
The district is in the process of moving all Gilmer College and Career Academy classes from the Larry Walker Education Center to GHS.
The first phase of the entire project will be the construction of the performing arts center and four classrooms that will house band, chorus, drama and nutrition and wellness.
Phase two will be the conversion of the old GHS theater into classrooms for public safety and early-childhood education, and that is expected to take place during summer vacation.
The third and final phase will be the conversion of the old band and chorus rooms so they can be used for the certified nursing assistant and audio and broadcast programs.
The performing arts center and classroom renovations will cost the district $24.5 million. The performing arts center should be completed in “12 to 13 months” with renovations wrapping up shortly after, according to Griffith.
Last month, the school system began removing sod at the GHS baseball field, which will be completely replaced by artificial turf. Drainage system installation began this week. Beginning in 2025, it will serve as a dual purpose facility for both baseball and softball.
The cost of the project is $1.2 million. Griffith said it should be completed in January for preseason baseball practices and the impending season.
The school system used the uprooted sod to cover some barren spots on school playgrounds. The maintenance department also started a sod farm at Clear Creek Middle School for students to maintain.
Along with the performing arts center, the projects are funded by special purpose local option sales tax for education.
Lastly, the district is rerouting traffic on the backside of GHS. The road connecting the GHS campus to Mountain View Elementary will be altered for both construction reasons and safety concerns. Griffith noted that this path has been used by the general public and those with no business on school grounds.
“We’re doing some rerouting of traffic both temporarily and somewhat permanently,” he said. “We’re doing some tree clearing right around the ag barn that would not have happened if not for the performing art center taking up so much space.
“Long range, for safety, we’re trying to limit the points of travel to the high school and MVE. We will still use it for buses and maintenance. We had a lot of people traveling that road to cut across from Highway 282 to Old Highway 5 South. There was an extraordinary amount of traffic flying through there.”