When it is completed in about a year, the new Millington Central High School Performing Arts Center will look familiar to longtime residents who may have graduated from the school when it was in its former building.
“The look intentionally will remind folks of the old Millington Central High School,” Millington Municipal Schools superintendent David Roper told about dozen people gathered at Wilkinsville and School Roads Wednesday, Jan. 25, for the groundbreaking.
Two years after funding was approved, Millington Municipal Schools and civic leaders in Millington broke ground for a new $5.5 million performing arts center for the high school that will also be used by the community. (Daily News/Bill Dries)
A rendering of the $5.5 million building, designed by TLM Associates and to be built by Fulwood Construction, has a familiar red brick look.
“That’s not by accident,” Roper said. “We want that to bring back memories.”
The groundbreaking took place on a crisp and sunny winter day under a set of old oak trees by the narrow street, across from a row of houses. The trees will remain with a setback of the center marked by fencing and stakes in the ground by the offices for the Millington school system.
The performing arts center was approved by the Millington school board in 2016 after the city’s mayor and board of alderman approved moving some surplus school funding for the capital project.
“There will be band concerts,” Roper said. “Our drama department will have plays and other performances. We’ve already talked with Playhouse 51 and will be arranging for them to be able to have some of their plays in here. It will benefit the entire community.”
Playhouse 51 is the city’s community theater that produces four shows a season currently at the Millington Civic Center, just a block or two away also on Wilkinsville.
Millington Mayor Terry Jones said the performing arts center is more evidence of growth in Millington.
“Millington has been on the grow for the last couple of years,” he said. “We’ve got things going on on Veteran’s Parkway now. We’ve got things going on at the high school now. And if you ride down Highway 51 you see what’s going on.”