The BHS gym and weight room will be closing for renovation on March 27 and is scheduled to reopen Sept. 4, early in the fall sports season.

The construction project is being overseen by Athletic Director Ryan Peters and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ken Veon. 

The renovations will include improvements to the gym, bleachers, concessions, seating area, fitness equipment and ventilation system. 

Veon explained the major components of the renovation plans. 

“[The renovation will include] a new floor, moving the bleachers and [the construction of] a wall, that’s sort of the gist of it,” Veon said.

The $5-6 million renovation is being funded through money left over from the Bryden and Hilltop Elementary School construction projects, following a voter-approved bond issue. 

Veon explained that those funds are required to be used within a certain time frame, which allowed an opportunity to invest in the high school gym.

“[We are] using some of the contingency funds from the elementary projects,” Veon said. “Much of the money is going toward Bryden and Hilltop, and with some of the excess funds that we’ve saved and Mr. Brown, the treasurer, has invested, we have extra funds available to continue with improvements, and so we have to use it by a certain time.”

Additional financial support will come from the Beachwood Athletic Boosters, who are expected to contribute toward new fitness equipment.

Peters explained that the reconfiguration allows the gym to maintain its current playing surface while opening up unused space behind the bleachers.

“It’s going to be an incredible space,” Peters said. “The gym is going to look really spectacular.”

A main component of the project is a brand-new fitness facility that will replace the current weight room, which Peters said has not been significantly updated in nearly 20 years.

“This new space will allow us to train many different teams at the same time,” Peters said. “Our current weight room is very outdated; it’s worn equipment that’s lived out its life.”

The expanded area will include strength equipment, cardio machines such as treadmills and stationary bikes and open space for speed and agility training.

Veon also explained that administrators have discussed different equipment and flooring options with coaches that would allow for a wide range of activities.

“Do they want turf in the new fitness facility or do they want rubber flooring?” Veon said. “What kind of weights and treadmills?”

Administrators are exploring ways to increase student access to the fitness facility while ensuring safety. Plans include having a staff monitor present during open hours to assist students and supervise equipment use.

While the renovation will clearly impact athletics, one of its most noticeable benefits is a renovated concessions area, which will be built in the current weight room space and will include a nearby seating area. 

Peters explained the need for the addition of a seating area. 

“Right now when you come to a sporting event, there’s no place to sit and eat. You have to eat in your lap,” Peters said. “I’ve always thought that was kind of a weird thing. So we’re going to put concessions in the current weight room.”

Peters explained that the new concessions space will also double as a meeting and multipurpose room.

“We’re going to renovate that room, clean it up and put tables in there [as well as] concession stands, and it’ll also serve as a meeting room for teams,” Peters said. “So they can do film study. They can also do study tables, have a team banquet or even leadership trainings.”

Family restrooms will also be added near the gym entrance, addressing a current accessibility issue for parents with young children.

The renovation could potentially also include new digital scoreboards, which Peters believes will enhance the atmosphere for students, families and visiting teams. 

Another major upgrade will take place above the court rather than on it.

“The big air handlers that you see in the four corners of the court, they’re very loud,” Veon said. “They’re antiquated, but now we’re going to have rooftop units, so you won’t hear that at all.”

The new system is expected to be quieter, more energy-efficient and better at regulating temperatures during events.

One of the most noticeable changes will be the removal of the indoor track to make room for the bleachers after they are shifted due to the reconfiguration of the space. 

Track athlete Luke Warner explains the impact of losing the indoor track for their upcoming season.

“As track athletes, we’re a little sad to see the indoor track go,” Warner said. “At the same time, we’re excited for better and improved ways to train with the upgraded gym and new weight room.”

During construction, administrators are planning carefully to minimize disruption to academic activities. 

“We definitely know that March, April, May is [a ripe time] for all kinds of testing,” Veon said. “We’re looking at the auxiliary gym, which still might be a little noisy, using the community room a lot more for smaller groups, maybe using the Board of Education and even the TEACH classroom that’s in the music wing.”

The closure of the gym and weight room will present challenges for spring sports, particularly baseball, softball and track, which rely on indoor space during poor weather. 

Peters explains the district’s plan for spring sports practices during the gym’s closure. 

“We also have an agreement with the JCC to use their weight room during this time period that we’re closed,” Peters said. “We tried to make sure we cover all our bases, but there’ll be some struggles.” 

Peters believes that many of these challenges will resolve once the weather improves and teams can practice outside. 

Baseball head coach Matt Lamovec said the renovation will require flexibility, but he remains optimistic.

“There are going to be challenges with space, especially for defensive work,” Lamovec said. “You can’t really do full infield work indoors, and the aux gym isn’t as wide. But hitting is largely unaffected, and we’ll adjust.”

Without access to a traditional weight room, Lamovec said he plans to emphasize alternative training methods, including medicine balls, speed work and agility drills.

“With our strength and conditioning, we’ve used other things besides traditional weight,” Lamovec said. “So really, if we want to do something with med balls, you could.” 

Despite the temporary inconvenience, Lamovec believes the project will improve the ability for all teams to work simultaneously in the long run.

“At least from the lifting perspective, [it will] make things a lot easier to manage teams working in there,” Lamovec said. “The way that the spacing and everything is going to be set up looks like it would be a lot more conducive than what we currently have.”

Veon is optimistic about the future of the gym.

“We love our gym,” Veon said. “We think it’s one of the best in Northeast Ohio. Our goal is to keep the same open, bright feel while making better use of the space we have.”

The original schedule for the construction was to begin in early March and finish around Aug. 1, just in time for the start of the volleyball season and the 2026-2027 school year, but those dates were adjusted.

“The gym will be closed to students and staff starting March 27 to allow the contractor to begin work,” Veon wrote. “The fitness facility and the main gym are scheduled to be open on Sept. 4. This is a few weeks later than we originally planned, but after discussing it with Mr. Peters, we decided it would be better to allow a little more time than to rush and make mistakes.”

The district plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially reopen the space upon its completion.