Construction work for a brand new two-story auditorium and artificially-turfed baseball and softball fields could begin at Dixie Heights High School as early as summer 2027.
During an early November meeting, the Kenton County Board of Education voted to spend roughly $30 million on those renovations, the first of many slated for a multiphase, multiyear overhaul of the high school’s facilities.
“They have been waiting for this for a long time,” Kenton County School Board Chairperson Jesica Jehn said.
Construction costs are estimated at just over $25 million, while the total project cost is expected to reach $30 million, according to construction plans and renderings for the project’s first phase approved Nov. 2.
Kenton County Schools Chief Operations Officer Matt Rigg said the district hasn’t yet determined a final source of funding for the project. That decision won’t happen until construction bids go out, likely in April or May 2027, he said.
“Funding will likely include a combination of a new bond series and capital reserves,” Rigg said.
Those bonds would be separate from bonds financing other recent renovation efforts, including $60 million in bonds for renovations at the district’s elementary schools.
Phase one construction is expected to last two years.
The board also approved a state construction application that listed other possible upgrades for future project phases including:
- Construction of a fieldhouse with a concession stand and public restrooms
- Renovating the current auditorium into temporary classrooms and eventually a multipurpose room
- Upgrades to classrooms, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, roofing and other internal renovations
- Replacement of the outdoor track
- Conversion of stadium lighting to LED lighting.
A new fieldhouse was one of the first things constituents approached Kenton County Superintendent Dr. Henry Webb about when he started at the district a decade ago. The goal of turfing the softball and baseball fields will free up the grass site where they would plan to build that facility, Webb said.
The improvements are part of the district’s 2023-2027 facilities plan which includes renovations to all of the district’s 17 schools including ongoing renovations at six elementary schools.
The project would roll out in two or three phases over as many as five years, Webb said.
Rigg told the board that Dixie Heights is uniquely landlocked compared with some of the district’s other schools. For that reason, the district plans to build the new auditorium first, so the old auditorium can function as classroom space during future renovations.
Details of phase one design plans
The new auditorium would more than double the capacity of the existing auditorium and will feature professional amenities, with the idea of attracting outside community groups.
Dixie Height’s new auditorium would fit 555 people matching the Scott High School auditorium, compared with around 248 at Dixie Height’s old auditorium, according to Rigg.
But unlike any other facility in the district, it would be built with a 50-foot stage allowing “aerial scenery” to drop and lower from the ceiling, similar to rigs seen at venues like the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Rigg said.
“We also believe that because of those capacities, that this would become a very attractive place for outside groups to want to utilize,” Rigg said.
Other components of the auditorium include a scenery shop for building aerial scenery, a band storage room, a band room, a choir room and one-on-one practice rooms. The second story of the auditorium will also have a glass conference room overlooking the school’s athletic facilities, which could be useful for alumni events, Rigg said.
Construction plans also feature an adjacent access road wide enough for a tractor-trailer to pull up and unload large props.
Rigg said the auditorium would have locking doors to cut off access to the rest of the school building during use by outside groups in response to a question from Jehn.
Although Rigg called the construction plans, “the roughest of rough drafts” he said his team is happy with the product.
“I don’t think we’ll see many changes over the next two drawings that we will bring to the board for approval, but it gives us a really good idea of what this space is going to look like,” he said.
Newport-based Emboss Designs and Cincinnati-based engineering firm CMTA, Inc. prepared the schematic design plans reviewed by the board.
