Students and staff at Guerin Catholic High School are saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new —- in this case, a $26 million expansion that will add 61,000 square feet to the school.

The school and the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana had a groundbreaking Sept. 6 to announce the construction of the school’s new Fine Arts and Wellness Center.

The project includes a 500-seat auditorium and lobby; a fieldhouse with two playing courts and walking track; expanded and redesigned locker rooms; an expanded weight room; and a kinesiology classroom.

Guerin Catholic High School officials cited several reasons for the project, including more space for the performing arts, sports and classrooms; to be competitive against nearby schools for prospective students; and to be more of a community resource.

“We really want to be a community help,” said Colleen Ward, director of marketing and communications for Guerin Catholic High School. “We have several partner parishes and schools around us from the Diocese of Lafayette who, so many times, we have to say no (to) because we don’t have the space for our own students, let alone the community.”

To complete the project, Guerin Catholic High School is seeking money from donors. The school has raised $22.2 million and has been raising funds for the project since 2019, said Lori Norris, vice president of advancement for the school.

Rick Wagner, president of the school, said most of the development is part of the master plan unveiled in 2009. He said the goal is to start building a week after the groundbreaking ceremony. The project will last 18 to 24 months.

Ward said performing arts students have performed on a stage in the cafeteria since the school opened in 2004. Wagner said the school has one gym floor sports teams at Guerin Catholic High School have to share.

“We partner with the parents in order to help our students develop their God-given gifts and having this facility (after the project is complete) just aids in that even more, it allows more opportunities for that to happen,” Ward said.

Although the new auditorium and fieldhouse are the two anchors of the project, Wagner said the expanded weight room will be safer for students because the current facility has limited space. The new lockers will accommodate more students and improve safety.