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Members of the community, city and school officials celebrated the groundbreaking of Escambia County High School’s Field House July 28 at the football field.

According to Atmore Advance archives, the Escambia County Board of Education awarded a bid for renovations of the field house during a meeting in June. The bid was awarded to TripTek Construction LLC for $2,693,700, and includes the renovation of the field house, and an addition to the weight room.

“We are excited about the opportunities this will bring here,” Superintendent Michele McClung said at the groundbreaking.

Deputy of Operations and Facilities Shaun Goolsby read a brief statement at the groundbreaking.

“This groundbreaking marks a big step forward with providing student athletes a facility they deserve,” Goolsby said. “The student athletes will see this as a home away from home. Within these walls, generations will form and be molded around teamwork and hard work.”

Goolsby said the board of education, community leaders and supporters played a role in bringing the renovation to fruition.

Goolsby said in the coming months, renovation will commence.

“Let us look forward with excitement,” he said.

The renovations will bring the building up to (Americans with Disabilities Act) code. According to Advance archives, Goolsby said the renovations include work being done on the inside, outside, plumbing and draining.

No money is being taken out of the school system’s local account for the project as it was already reserved for the project, McClung said previously.

School board members then took shovels and threw some dirt to mark the occasion.