Wheeling Park Performing Arts Center Taking Shape

Starting this week, work on a major part of Wheeling Park High School's performing arts center will get under way.

Crews will start pouring concrete on the ground floors and the balcony, making the center one step closer to completion. They said they hope rain doesn't dampen their plans, but Ohio County Schools officials said there has already been much progress made on the center.

The center is already taking shape from the outside and will ultimately serve the entire community.

Ohio County Schools Superintendent George Krelis said, "It's been a very choreographed construction project, a very unusual (project) because of the overlap of trades and getting things done."

The outline for the site is built, as well as three levels of seating, and Krelis said the next step of construction is perhaps the most important: concrete.

"Concrete poured is very critical. Right now, we need to get that in place so that the seats can be measured and ordered and we can get everything in place for ordering the material in at the proper time through our manufacturer," Krelis said.

Inside the high school, on the wall where the performing arts center is being attached, hallway construction and dressing rooms are already complete and several other amenities are in the works.

Krelis said those involved with the project during the upcoming school year will be a magical one.

"It will be something that will leave a lasting touch to our community, to our school system, and we think will leave a very positive effect on our community in general," Krelis said.

Currently, the project remains on track for an August completion date. An inaugural event for the performing arts center will be the high school's Festival Of Sound concert in December.

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Previous Stories: March 30, 2010: Progress on Performing Arts Center Continues