The Elkin City (N.C.) district is preparing to break ground on a new middle and high school gym after receiving $11 million from the Surry County Board of Commissioners.
The Elkin Tribune reports the project is the culmination of a years-long quest to acquire funding to expand the gym facilities and bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Completion is targeted for December 2023.
With an site on a steep hillside, no elevator and no physical connection to the middle or high school, the existing gym was inadequate for the schools’ needs. The district had to buy a handicap-accessible van last year to transport students with disabilities from the main classroom buildings to the gymnasium to attend P.E. classes.
The disabilities compliance factor was the most important issue to address, but the limited gymnasium space also required middle and high school athletes to travel off campus to other community venues for practices and competitions.
The construction project will update the existing gym, build a second gym on the same campus, and connect the gyms to the school complex. Additional plans include building an elevator, locker rooms and concessions space.
The $11 million allocation from the county leaves the district $1 million short of the total cost. District leaders are hopeful that the design team can make up that $1 million through competitive bidding; otherwise modifications to the project design will need to be explored.
The architect for the project is Pinnacle Architecture, and the builder is Vannoy Construction.
