St Patrick's College has received a $2 million state government grant toward the school's new $13.2 million multi-purpose centre to be built along Wanliss Road.
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The centre will become a hub for music and performing arts at the school and provide an assembly hall big enough to fit the school's 1400 students plus teachers and parents.
The funding, provided under the state government's Non-Government Schools Capital Fund, has been fast tracked to help stimulate the Victorian economy and create about 800 jobs across 56 different school building projects.
"This is a great outcome for us and to have a facility that not only students, staff and old collegians can benefit from but the community as well is fantastic," said St Patrick's College acting principal Stephen Hill.
Planning for the build is well underway architect John Wardle, who designed the GovHub building being constructed in Mair St, recently appointed to the project along with a project manager.
The school will also look to use as many old collegians as possible throughout the whole planning and building process.
When completed, the multipurpose centre, which will replace a post-war two-storey brick house currently on site, will have flexible learning areas, purpose-built spaces to accommodate the curriculum areas of performing arts including music theory, music tutorials, drama rooms and a performance auditorium.
The development will include provision for car parking, soft landscaping and covered play spaces for students to protect them from wet and extreme weather. Sustainability will be considered in the design with further extensions of the college's solar and LED lighting systems.
"This building will become a spiritual heart of the College and will be home to our acclaimed music and performing arts students as well as providing an ideal space for our community to gather for large assemblies and events," Mr Hill said.
"We will see a huge amount of value to the students in being able to have state of the art music areas as well as performance spaces.
"The centre will further build upon our 127-year involvement in music and performing arts and will form a huge part of our ongoing commitment to providing a broad, engaging and diverse education for boys from Ballarat and beyond."
IN OTHER NEWS
Wendouree MP Juliana Addison visited the school to pass on the good news to staff and students.
"Catholic and independent education plays a vital role in the schooling of Ballarat students. We are proud to support the teachers, students and school community at St Patrick's College to build their new multi-purpose centre," Ms Addison said.
"This $2 million investment is a boost for the local economy and will create and sustain jobs here in Ballarat."