Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board updated on auditorium plans

Plans are progressing towards the construction of a new auditorium at Gurdon High School, and school officials are hoping to get the project underway before winter.

Wayne Trull, architect for the Gurdon School District, presented preliminary plans for the building to the Gurdon School Board during its meeting on Tuesday, June 19. The nearly 17,000 square foot auditorium is designed to seat almost 1,200 people.

An administrative suite is planned for the rear of the building which will house the superintendents office and other district administrative offices. The administrative suite will add an additional 5,000 square feet to the structure.

Trull said the new facility will be constructed on the north side of the high school adjacent to Go-Devil Road. To save money, the existing parking lot behind Gurdon High School will be utilized, but a few additional parking spaces will be created by extending the parking lot in front of Gurdon High School.

The building will face U.S. 67.

When entering the building from the front, one will be able to walk down the Hall of Honor that will lead to a planned alumni room. The alumni room will be a place for district memorabilia and will also seat 75-80 people in a dining scenario, Trull said.

There will be a small kitchenette in the alumni room, and bathrooms for the area will be shared with the administrative suite.

The auditorium portion of the building will feature a 34-foot deep stage. Seats will be arranged in four isles sloping to form three tiers. Handicap seating will be available at all three levels.

A dressing room will be located on each side of the stage. Because the alumni room can be accessed from a hallway that leads backstage, Trull said the alumni room could be used as an extra staging area if needed.

Trull said that the administrative area will be set up in much the same way as the current administrative building, including a board room and several offices.

The estimated cost to build the structure is $2.2 million.

The state of Arkansas previously approved state aid to pay for 48 percent of the project when the estimated cost was $1.8 million. Superintendent Bobby Smithson said it is unclear as to whether the district will be able to negotiate any additional aid from the state.

Patrons of the Gurdon School District have approved a measure to allow the district to restructure existing debt to raise the needed funds for construction. More than $100,000 in private funds have also been given to the district with another approximately $400,000 pledged, Smithson said.

The state will not provide any aid for the portion of the building used as the alumni room and administrative suite, Smithson said.

The board approved the preliminary plans and gave Trull the go-ahead to draw final plans. Smithson said he hopes to place the project out for bids by Sept. 15.