The Granite City School District is spending $2 million to renovate the high school gym lobby and other areas.

The school board earlier this month awarded ICS Construction Services, of St. Louis, a contract for the project. Funding is coming through federal stimulus dollars.

Plans call for expanding the lobby by about 30 feet and constructing 150- to 175-foot hallways between the gym and locker rooms. The gym hosts basketball games, physical education classes, pep rallies and numerous activities throughout the year.

District Director of Buildings Brad Eavenson said the lobby area becomes very congested before and after events.

"It's the most traveled building of all of our buildings," he said.

Currently, gym students have to walk outside between the main gym and locker rooms. The boy's locker room is inside the gym annex north of the main gym. It will be accessible by way of the northern corridor.

The girl's locker room in inside the girl's gym south of the main gym. Students will be able to get to it through the south corridor.

Amy Harrington, 17, a senior, said the new corridors will make things easier for gym students.

"You tend to get wet with the weather," she said.

Construction is planned between October and April.

Work also recently finished on renovating the 1960s gym annex at the high school. That project cost $452,000.

Contact reporter Jim Merkel at 618-344-0264, ext. 138