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GIRARD -- The Girard Board of Education on Tuesday approved seeking bids for the planned performing arts center to be located by Girard High School off Shannon Road.
The board voted 5-0 on the motion, with bids expected to be received by August and the board to make a selection at the September meeting.
Board President Mark Zuppo said the project, which has been discussed and planned for several years but delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, will not require any additional tax dollars from the public.
Zuppo previously said the center will be able to be used for school performing arts events and graduation ceremonies. There also are plans to host local theater and dance troupes in the building as well.
Treasurer Mark Bello said he has been able to watch finances in recent years and the funding for the center is in place. He said school district officials will be able to determine the final project cost after the bids come in and are reviewed.
Officials said construction companies need to get the materials, so it is hard to determine what the final cost will be.
The performing arts center will be connected to the northwest section of the high school building. Axiom Architects LLC of Youngstown is the project architect.
"We want to make it clear that we will not be asking the public for any money for this project. If the bids come in too high, we will go back to the drawing board. There will be no levy," Zuppo said at a previous meeting.
The facility would include a performing arts center with a 950-seat auditorium, other rooms and a new parking lot. The building project also will incorporate the construction of the new board of education offices to be located at the Shannon Road site.
Current board offices are located on second floor of the Girard city building.
Officials have said the performing arts center and new board administration offices are set to be completed before the start of the 2024-25 school year.
A groundbreaking is planned possibly for late summer.
John Orsini with Axiom Architects has discussed with the board that the project would include a performing arts center with the auditorium, music classrooms, stage area, changing rooms, storage area and practice rooms to the northwest corner of the current high school and junior high.
The new school board offices with an administrative section would be located in the northwest corner of the property.
Bill Cook, project architect, said the planned band room would be 1,800-square feet for more than 65 students and a choir room will have 1,300-square feet for 45 to 50 students.
School officials have said the high school 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 current complex doesn't have enough room to house all the students at once in the cafetorium, which prompted them to consider building a new auditorium.
bcoupland@tribtoday.com