Architects have unveiled design plans for the new Ironton High School auditorium and school officials are weighing in with positive comments.

The new auditorium will share an entry way with the gymnasium. That entry way, a large open area, will serve as an cafeteria at lunchtime during school hours but will double as a very large foyer to allow ingress and egress during sporting events and performances in the auditorium.

“It’s going to be quite the auditorium and probably the best one around,” Superintendent Dean Nance said.

The new auditorium is almost the same size as the one it replaces but has a list of upgrades that range from acoustical panels to dressing rooms to storage areas. It will have a catwalk from which lighting can be reached and an orchestra pit—things the existing facility does not have. The carpet is made from PVC and is, Nance said, stain-proof, tear-proof and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Some of the details from the old school are being incorporated into the new one. The Heplar Street entrance will be saved from demolition and will be used a decoration in the new cafeteria area.

The glass will be replaced with mirrors for an art deco effect. The medallions and urns from the old facility will be saved and used as well.

The old ticket booth will be taken out of the hallway outside the old auditorium and used in the new school, also, as well as the chandeliers from the old auditorium and a clock donated by a former class.

“I like the plans themselves, the fact we are preserving some of the history and incorporating these things into the future. I think the architects have done an excellent job in that,” Director of Federal Programs Bill Dressel said.

The old building will be demolished early next year and the new facility built in its footprint. Site work has already begun on the new elementary/middle school in the north end of town. The updates to the project can be found on www.tigertown.com.