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It will probably be around 20,000 square feet, however Shea said no final design exists. He said the building will be able to serve several uses, including recess space for elementary students during the winter and for physical education classes to protect the Miami View wooden gym floor.
It could also serve as a place that community members can utilize during bad weather.
“The multi-purpose building would house a full-sized basketball court that would also have side basketball goals (like a regular gym),” Shea wrote in a letter that was posted on the school’s website. “The court configuration will also allow for side-by-side volleyball practice courts. The building will have a two-lane track encircling the basketball court, and a separate wrestling room. There will also be a training room, possibility two offices, bathrooms and a storage room.”
The new building won’t be the home of the Southeastern High School basketball programs. They will continue to play at the high school. The potential new gymnasium would however be a spot for the newer wrestling program.
Getting community input is essential to the success of the potential project, Shea said.
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“Obviously we are going to have some community meetings before we go too far down the road,” he said in an interview with the Springfield News-Sun. “We have a few ideas that we would like to incorporate that we would like to talk to the community about to make sure we have all of our bases covered and providing the best facility we can have in our community.”
No date has been set for those meetings yet.
Southeastern has some of the oldest buildings in Clark County. Shea said the high school was built in the 1920s. So is it possible that the money spent on building a new gymnasium might be better spent upgrading current infrastructure?
“It depends on your take,” Shea said. “The way the board looks at it and the way I look at it is this is a chance to expand the square footage. You can always look at renovating things and you have to look at the cost. This is the most cost-effective way to gain square footage.”
The district needs more space, he said.
Another positive he said about the new building is that youth sport teams who often have to practice later due to having to wait for varsity and junior varsity sports to finish up before starting can use it. It would also be a good place for the band to practice during the summer, too, he said.
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Phillip Wetherholt, who has a grandchild in the district, said he believes the new building would be beneficial.
“If they got the money to do it,” he said, “I think it is a good use of money.”
He said it would be a good idea for the district to help the youth sports finish their practices before it gets late.
“This is a good school district,” he said. “One of the better ones around.”
Those with questions may contact Shea at 937-462-8364.
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