Construction begins on new performing arts center

Germantown High School broke ground on Sep. 18 to begin construction of its Performing Arts Center. 

Madison County Schools Superintendent Charlotte Seals, Madison County Board of Education President Sam Kelly, Ryan Florreich of JBHM Architecture, Roy Anderson III of Andercorp, and Germantown High School Principal Cody Zumbro were present at the groundbreaking. 

Zumbro said the groundbreaking marks a new chapter in the history of Germantown. 

“The new additions to our high school will be the physical embodiment of our shared vision for excellence,” Zumbro said. “The new classrooms, laboratories and facilities will provide our students with a cutting-edge environment in which they can communicate, elaborate, and create. As we break ground today, let us remember this is not just a construction project, but a symbol of Madison County Schools’ commitment to providing students with the best possible education.”

The new center is planned to be state-of-the-art and will have a main center with 1,200 seats, two stories, 24 new classrooms, and 96,000 square feet of space for students and faculty. 

JBHM Architecture drew the plans, and AnderCorp is the construction firm bringing the vision to life. The center will provide a space for the award-winning Germantown band and choral programs to perform, as well as provide an outstanding venue for creative dramatics for students of all ages across the entire Germantown Zone.

Superintendent Seals said this new center has been a collaborative effort and something that has been necessary since Germantown High School was established in 2011. 

“The growth of this area has been due to the success of our schools,” Seals said. “When you have that, people will come. We had a great campus established in 2011, but at the time we could not afford a performing arts building. Today, we’re excited to expand the number of classrooms due to the growth and thrilled to complete our commitment to the arts.” 

Florreich of JBHM said it has been an aggressive schedule to make the performing arts center happen. 

“We’re working well together with Andercorp and we really have an A++ team,” Florreich said. “It’ll be a fantastic facility and it’s quite a significant undertaking. This is the single largest project the district has ever undertaken.”

Construction is on schedule for completion in July of 2024 for the classroom addition and in November 2024 for the performing arts center.