$24M High School Project Underway in Amherstburg

The first stages of construction are now underway for the new high school in Amherstburg.

A small ceremony was held Friday with school board and town officials at the site of the new school, the former location of Centennial Park at 316 Simcoe St.

Trustee for the Town of Amherstburg Ron LeClair tells AM800 News the new school will be built for 819 students, combining the communities of General Amherst and Western Secondary School.

"As of right now we're on target for opening September 2022," he says "We already have equipment on site, clearing the site for the next steps in the preparation, so it's all systems go at the moment."

LeClair says students will have lots of unique opportunities at the new school.

"We're going to have a public access cosmetology area, so our students will be able to offer services to the community," he says. "We're going to have a very strong technical wing including automotive, construction, metal cutting, those types of opportunities."

According to LeClair, it's too soon to say what will happen to Western Secondary and General Amherst when they are left vacant, adding General Amherst is in a great location.

"It served the community very well for almost 100 years so I'm sure there will be interest in that particular property."

LeClair says Essex County has one of the oldest school inventories in the province, so he's glad to see upgrades being made.

The budget for the Amherstburg project is $24,324,129 and it's expected to be ready for students for the September 2022/23 school year.