First look at renovation of old Boynton Beach High School

As part of the Town Square redevelopment project in the city of Boynton Beach, some buildings in the downtown area are getting makeovers including city hall, library, police and fire departments and the historic Boynton Beach High School.

Renovations on the old school at 125 E. Ocean Ave. Boynton Beach, FL 33435 are expected to be complete by the end of the year and will be completely transformed on the inside to meet several needs while maintaining many original aspects of the building, which dates back to the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

The goal is to make it a cultural arts hub for the city.

The 28,000-square-foot-building is in the middle of a complete renovation to accommodate events and purposes ranging from an art gallery, dance space, pottery school with a kiln, gym and auditorium that can seat 500 people for concerts and performances or about 250 with tables for weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs and other events.

The renovation on the school and the larger Town Square project is a collaboration between the city, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and Straticon Construction.

In addition to a modernized and modular design inside, the building will be receiving safety updates like ceiling beams — though some of the original wooden beams will remain — and impact windows.

The historic exterior doors will be replaced with modernized doors and the ones leading into the building will be brought inside, making them easier to preserve. The building will also be completely ADA-compliant with ramps and an elevator.

The Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center next door will remain as is and is open throughout construction.

City officials estimate the school will be completed in October or November.

Visit Boynton-Beach.org/Town-Square.

TAIMY ALVAREZ/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL PHOTOS Old Boynton High School, now under renovation to become the City’s Cultural Center, the first building to be completed within the Town Square 16-acre site, located in downtown Boynton Beach.

Straticon Construction worker Orbelina Toruoñ at the end of her shift working on the drywall of the Old Boynton High School’s gym, now under renovation to become the City’s Cultural Center’s 500-seat auditorium.