Houston High’s Band Room to Get a Boost

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The band room at Houston High School will soon experience a significant growth spurt.

The city’s Planning Commission was slated to approve a revision of the final site plan for the addition on Tuesday night during their regularly scheduled meeting.

The property is located on the south side of Wolf River Blvd., approximately 790 feet west of Dogwood Gardens Drive. The subject property is zoned residential and contains 44.94 acres.

Steve Landwehr, a principal of Fleming Architects, said the plan being pursued is as follows:

  • A new 6,740-square-foot band room addition for storage and practice
  • The site immediately surrounding the band room will be re-graded for drainage, include new site walkways and will be landscaped. A new pad for the band’s semi-tractor trailer is also being added

Landwehr said that Houston’s existing band room must be added onto in order to allow for the old band room to be converted into the new concessions paddock. The plan does not impact existing parking, additional parking is not required to support these newly programmed spaces and there is no fiscal impact as a result of the plan.

Last January, the city’s Planning Commission discussed a “phasing plan for future building modifications and additions” at Houston High School.

The first phase of the project included a 12,480-square-foot athletic field house. The band hall expansion was slated for the second phase and a 14,000-square-foot performing arts building and concession stand could be completed in the last two phases.

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a “use on appeal” to allow new athletic and arts facilities on the premises of the high school.
The four-phase expansion began in the spring of 2019. It could be completed as soon as the end of 2020.

Houston High School was constructed by the Shelby County Board of Education in 1988.

In 2003, a building addition was built. The property was transferred to GMSD when that entity was created in 2014.

Last December, a neighborhood meeting was held and the Planning Commission approved the phasing plan of the expansion in January.

The athletic field house and concessions pavilion is located on the south side of Wolf River Blvd. west of Dogwood Gardens Drive. The site surrounding the field house has been developed into a “fan zone” with improved street sidewalks, walkways, lighting, fencing and seating areas. Archways for “Mustang Lane” will be built at the north and south end of the drive that circulates the new buildings.

“Houston High School’s athletic programs are growing and the construction of this new athletic field house will provide the space required for proper training for all sports,” said Landwehr. “The proximity of the field house is convenient as well for all sports utilizing the turf field. Relocating the football locker rooms and coach’s offices will also free up space in the existing school for other sports to utilize.”

The plans will not impact existing parking.

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