GIRARD — After being postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned performing arts center at the Girard Junior and Senior High School off Shannon Road is being looked at again.

While groundbreaking originally was to have been this spring, school board President Mark Zuppo said plans are being made for groundbreaking in spring 2022.

Superintendent Bryan O’Hara said a meeting was held in September and another planned in late October to review plans for the center.

“There may be some possible revisions made to the pre-COVID plans to meet our needs. Nothing has been finalized yet,” O’Hara said.

Zuppo said the plans will be finalized over a few more meetings and then the project will be set to receive proposals. He said the final costs have not been determined.

“A lot will depend on the costs. The cost of construction had gone up,” Zuppo said.

Officials said the pandemic resulted in a lot of uncertainty for schools and financing.

Plans are for a 1,000-seat performing arts auditorium to host school programs and graduations.

The auditorium would be constructed on the west side of the high school. The board previously hired Axiom Architects LLC of Youngstown at $600,000 for the design and planning of the addition. The board originally wanted to have it in place for the 2020-21 school year.

The school’s cafetorium, which has a stage, is limited on seating for events. Graduations and other functions have been moved to the gymnasium.

School officials said the complex doesn’t have enough room to house all the students at once in the cafetorium, which prompted them to consider building an auditorium. The cafetorium has a stage area, which is used for plays and musical performances.