One of Cobb County’s oldest high schools will soon see more than $48 million in welcome changes to its campus.
A new classroom addition, gym and a second theater will be constructed on the campus of Pebblebrook High School in Mableton.
Marc Smith, chief technology and operations officer for the Cobb County School District, said the project is scheduled to be completed by September 2022. It’s budgeted under the district’s latest Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program.
Plans call for constructing a 49-classroom addition, which will bring Pebblebrook’s total classroom count to 143. Cobb school district spokeswoman Nan Kiel said this will allow the school to accommodate up to 2,787 students. The latest enrollment data from the Georgia Department of Education show Pebblebrook in March had 2,308 students.
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Pebblebrook’s new three-story classroom addition will have wrestling, weight and locker rooms on the first level and classrooms on the upper levels. Its new gym, which will accommodate 3,000, will have retractable seating and a walking track on the upper level.
The new gym will be located close to the football stadium, so the district will have to demolish the existing press box and incorporate a new one into the gym’s footprint, Kiel said. The lower level of the gym will house health and ROTC classrooms and a cosmetology lab.
Pebblebrook’s new theater will seat 750 people and will be built next to the school’s existing theater. The new space will have a common area that provides access to both theaters. It will also have two dance studios, a light and sound shop and a scene area. It’s also been designed with a orchestra pit and fly loft, Kiel said.
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Pebblebrook originally opened in 1963, but in 1975 moved into the building that once housed Lindley Junior High School, according to its website. Several buildings have been added to the campus to accommodate student growth over the years.
Cobb County School board members approved a $48.5 million contract with Bowen & Watson, Inc. to build the additions.
Board member David Morgan, who represents the area that includes Pebblebrook, said turning the project from a dream into a reality was a collaborative effort among the district, school board and community.
“I think it’s going to be a huge shot in the arm for the Pebblebrook community,” he said.
Morgan also said the project will help counter complaints that Pebblebrook and other south Cobb schools are the “step children” of the district and their facilities aren’t as pristine as others around the county.
“I think it sends a strong message that they are highly valued and they matter,” he said.
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