News · Traverse City
Traverse City Central High’s $25.5 million rebuild: TCAPS shows its new-gym plan as residents fight to save the 1958 gym
TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City Area Public Schools laid out its $25.5 million plan for Central High School to the public Wednesday night, and the old gym was the main thing people wanted to talk about.
The plan would replace the school’s 1958 gymnasium with a new competition gym, add a dedicated wrestling room, build a secure vestibule at the main office and make the campus more accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act, WPBN reported. The money comes from the district’s 2024 voter-approved bond. Some residents at the community meeting said they do not want the gym torn down.
Nothing is final. The plans still need a vote at a TCAPS board meeting that had not been scheduled as of Wednesday, according to WPBN.
How the price climbed
The cost of the Central High work has risen from $20.2 million last summer to $25.5 million, staff told trustees at a meeting this summer, The Ticker reported, mostly because of ADA and accessibility upgrades. Superintendent John VanWagoner said bond funds are getting “tight,” though bids could come in lower, and the district plans to include design alternates in the bid package for different cost scenarios.
When the board compared options, remodeling the old gym was estimated at $19.6 million, building an addition next to it at $21.5 million, and tearing it down and rebuilding at $20.2 million, Board President Erica Moon-Mohr said at a September study session, according to 9&10 News. Adding the secure vestibule and redoing the locker rooms pushed the rebuild to about $25 million.
For taxpayers, the key point is that the bond money is already approved. The debate is over how it is spent, and whether the bond language, which referred to renovations, matched a plan to demolish.
The case for and against
Residents organized a petition in September asking the district to pause demolition, saying the public was not told about the change from remodeling to a teardown, 9&10 News reported. Moon-Mohr rejected the “bait and switch” label, saying the shift was discussed in public meetings and district newsletters.
District leaders say the old gym has one regulation court and was built before girls’ sports, lacrosse and today’s wrestling program. They cite an elevator too small for a medical gurney, entry problems for students with disabilities and wooden bleachers that could be condemned. “We’ve got $30,000 worth of wrestling mats that have no place to store them except for out in the open,” Athletic Director Justin Thorington told WPBN.
The new design would give the school three regulation courts and a single main entry off Eastern Avenue, replacing several open entrances. Trustee Scott Hardy said the campus’ “California open-air concept” has caused “serious challenges,” The Ticker reported.
What’s next
The Ticker reported the project was set to go out to bid in January or February, with construction starting next April after the winter sports season and completion estimated for January 2029. 9&10 News reported gym demolition is scheduled for June 2027. Residents who want a say should watch the TCAPS board agenda for the vote.
Sources:
WPBN/WGTU, “TCAPS unveils $25.5M Central High School renovation plans amid debate over historic gym,” Oct. 29, 2026 (community meeting, scope, 2024 bond, Thorington quote, board vote not scheduled), https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/tcaps-unveils-255m-central-high-school-renovation-plans-amid-debate-over-historic-gym-traverse-city-norther-michigan-upnorthlive
The Ticker, “TCAPS Trustees Talk Central High Reconstruction, Board Changes” (cost from $20.2 million to $25.5 million, VanWagoner, design, single entrance, Hardy quote, bid and completion timeline), https://www.traverseticker.com/news/tcaps-trustees-talk-central-high-reconstruction-board-changes/
9&10 News, “TCAPS board defends decision to rebuild gym instead of renovating old facility,” Sept. 29, 2026 (option costs, petition, Moon-Mohr quotes, accessibility and bleacher concerns, June 2027 demolition), https://www.9and10news.com/2026/09/29/tcaps-board-defends-decision-to-rebuild-gym-instead-of-renovating-old-facility/
Photo: Phoenix-Five, “Traverse City Central High School.jpg,” Nov. 12, 2020, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traverse_City_Central_High_School.jpg
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