Groundwork has begun on the new gym at Virgin Valley High School.

According to Principal Cliff Hughes, fences went up Jan. 23 and the outer wall of the current gym will be demolished next week to begin adding on the new gym.

The new gym is a victory for many in the Virgin Valley who have fought tooth and nail over the past several years to maintain a high school building that would be adequate for the students it housed. After seeing Moapa Valley High School, who has 200 fewer students, get a new gym, parents and community members went to the Clark County Board of Trustees to plead their case. Initially, in September 2015, the new gym was ignored and other projects were set in place after CCSD was given approval to rollover a 1998 school bond fund that would give CCSD over $4 billion through 2025. Parents made their case to the Trustees again in April 2016 and came home with a victory.

According to Hughes, the new gym will be the size of three full basketball courts, which will give three times as many seats as they currently have. There will also be two team rooms, a trainer room specifically for the trainer who takes care of the athlete’s health and a new wrestling room.

“We are so grateful for everyone who helped us get this amazing new gym,” he said. “The support has been tremendous and we are very excited to see this happen.”

The estimated $8.8 million project is set to be finished by Oct. 30, 2017.