Franklin High: New buildings joining historic structures

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 31, 2017

The $113 million Franklin High School modernization project continues on schedule, as THE BEE can verify from a campus tour on the first of March.

While work continues inside the historic buildings of the 101-year-old school, this tour focused on two new additions — the Student Commons, and the Gym / Biomedical / Culinary Arts building.

The school’s new Student Commons is located in a new structure located between where the old gymnasium once stood, and the exterior entrance to what was once the historic Franklin Auditorium.

“The walk-in freezer and coolers have been installed in the food service area; and upstairs, the counseling and student support service offices are almost finished, and are being painted,” pointed out Public Schools Bond Program Communications Manager David Mayne.

As we walked north, along the east side of the campus, the new Gym / Biomedical / Culinary Arts building came into view, alongside the reoriented sports field and track.

We entered the building on the second floor, where a glass-enclosed hallway provides a stunning view of the historic building and sports field. Near the entrance to the main gym, Mayne pointed out how the heritage school has been showcased. “These wood panels, salvaged from the original gym floor, are being used as a decorative wall panel system at the trophy case area of the main gym lobby.”

New flooring and bleachers have been installed in the main gymnasium, and the view from the second floor mezzanine fills the eye. This will be the new location for “all school” assemblies, Mayne observed.

“Franklin has a robust sports medicine program,” Mayne said. “With this new building, classrooms for this program are located here, where those taking these classes can work with student athletes learning physical therapy and sports medicine.”

On the lower level of this new building, workers were getting ready to install kitchen equipment in the “Culinary Arts” classrooms.

Inside the historic building, contractors were preparing to construct a grand staircase at the front entrance, and classroom areas have had all specialty equipment installed; this new building will be completed in mid-March, Mayne remarked. “It would be so nice to have events here, but once it’s finished, it will be locked up. With all of the construction still going on, there’s just no way to get students and guests in and around the campus.”

During our next tour of the Franklin campus, readers of THE BEE will get a look at the new Performing Arts Center, and will see how the former auditorium has been turned into the “Media Center and Maker Space”.