Ground will possibly be broken for the long-awaited Putnam City West High School Auditorium in late December or early January, reports Principal Gary Webb.
“Bids will be let by the Putnam City Board Members in their December meeting with a possibility of construction beginning next month as well”, Webb reported. Completion is set for December 1974.
The $1 million project to be constructed by Hudgins, Thompson, Ball and Associates, will be quite an addition to the facilities at West as it will have a seating capacity of approximately 1800 and will provide four “seminar” rooms, similar to the Little Theater, for special small-group The design of the new addition is reported to be quite unique and functional as well. The auditorium will be equipped with four rotating “pods” which will be situated at the back of the structure.
When these ‘pods’ are turned in the direction of the stage (facing north they serve as regular seating for on-stage viewing, but as half of the ‘pod’ is rotated, the circular area becomes a small seminar room, Of the four pods, the two on the south side will hold about 200 people while the capacity of the smaller rooms is estimated at about 125.
Entrance ways will be situated in Patriot Hall (which will be adjacent to the rear of the auditorium), through a hallway which will be created along the now-existing sidewalk next to the band room, and along the outside west wall.
Like all things, the bad comes with the good and the auditorium project is no exception.
This project will take a majority of the space referred to as “Frisbee Commons,” a place on campus that has become somewhat a favorite spot of many students and teachers alike. Some don’t want to see this area make way for a building.
When asked what his feeling were on this, Webb said, “I fully agree with them; I wish there was some way we could save the trees, but there is simply no other place to put an auditorium.
“It becomes a simple matter of whether we want this area or auditorium and when you look at it that way I think there’s no issue.”
Webb said that the area immediately north of the student parking
lot could be developed into a recreational area in the future.