CHS project winding down

Plans, being mediated by Rob Jordan of WJJC Radio, are still in the talking phase, and include dedication of the state-of-the-art auditorium.

Anderson created the now-defunct City Lights Concert, part of a three-day music-themed festival, with the idea of raising money for a performing arts center, something Commerce had lacked since the junior high (formerly the high school) auditorium burned in the early 1970s. The highlight was the outdoor concert in late June, usually featuring a legendary country star and an up-and-coming performer, and proceeds from the event went into a fund that, when the new CHS was built, helped equip the new 500-seat auditorium.

Anderson has been a Commerce favorite son since he worked as a disc jockey for WJJC Radio. During that time, he penned “City Lights,” his first hit country music song that has reached number one in the charts at least three times. Anderson’s career took off, and he’s a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and a prolific songwriter.

By the time Anderson arrives, a number of other details related to the school project should be resolved.

McCoy reports that demolition of the old CHS media center, band room and south wing should begin in a couple of weeks.

“We met with the architect and the construction company this past Friday,” McCoy said. “We’re getting a set of revised plans to the city to make sure they’re okay since we changed a few things.”

The old high school office area, lunchroom and kitchen will remain, along with part of the south wing. In addition, the south wing will be preserved. The lunchroom will become a board room and the kitchen and office complex will be modified and serve as office space.

Once the demolition is complete, work can begin on the construction of four tennis courts located in the area between the former media center and former band room. The courts will be angled toward the auxiliary gym in such a way as to minimize the effects of sun in players’ eyes, McCoy said.
The system was able to use bond money from CHS to acquire equipment for the high school weight room and the band program, to the tune of $20,000 apiece, according to McCoy.

Meanwhile, all that remains in completing the new track — on the Jefferson Road campus of the middle school — is the application of the final coat of paving material and the installation of goal posts, which are on order.

The paving materials are on hand; all that’s lacking is a window of dry weather so it can be applied.

“The track has to be dry for 24 hours before you put on the final layer,” McCoy said. “We were looking for that this week, but then the weather forecast changed.”
The last part of the project will be to do some landscaping around the new building, according to McCoy.

“We’ve got somebody trying to do a landscaping plan. We had a couple of issues, but we’ll get there,” McCoy promised. The project will include trees, shrubs and flowerbeds in the parking lot islands.

“We will take care of everything — the school, the track and all the little projects we talked about, but we’re quickly coming to an end of it,” he added.