Local dignitaries from Joliet Township High School District 204 and Tom Giarrante, the Mayor of Joliet, joined Wight & Company at a groundbreaking ceremony, to officially commence construction on the new Student Center and Galleria at Joliet Central High School. Wight, a leading Design & Delivery firm, is the design architect on the project that is budgeted at 28 million dollars.
“The design we created for the new Student Center at Joliet Central High School includes several collaboration spaces to enhance a modern learning environment and improve quality of life for the users,” explained Kevin Havens, Senior Vice President, Director of Design at Wight.
The project is a 43,000-square-foot addition to the school’s main building that is envisioned to create a new front door to the school. The facility is designed to address student life and community outreach needs, filling a gap in the school’s current facility options.
The new Student Center will include a cafeteria and kitchen, replacing antiquated food service facilities on the fourth floor of the existing building, as well as collaboration areas, two multi-purpose rooms, a student bookstore, technology help desk counter, and security entrance. The cafeteria and kitchen will provide seating for approximately 600 students and is designed with a flexible configuration that can be arranged to accommodate community and school events. The community venue has the potential to hold up to 400 people, and the space can be arranged in an “auditorium style,” where seating can be set up around a portable stage.