Paragould, Arkansas – A new chapter for Paragould High School athletics began Wednesday as the Paragould School District officially opened its new arena with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The 61,630-square-foot facility is designed to give the school’s athletic programs significantly more space while also providing a larger venue for students, families and fans. The arena will serve as a new home for Paragould’s basketball and volleyball programs.
One of the biggest changes is the amount of seating available. The new arena can accommodate 1,468 spectators, nearly twice the capacity of the school’s previous facility.
That older arena, which was built in 1961, had room for only about 800 people. After more than six decades of use, the new facility provides Paragould High School with a much larger and more modern setting for sporting events.
The additional space extends beyond the main competition area. The new arena includes seven locker rooms, along with dedicated areas for cheer, dance and wrestling.
Those features are intended to give the school’s different athletic and activity programs spaces of their own rather than relying on a much smaller and older facility.
The opening marks a significant change for Paragould High School and the wider school community. Home games and other events can now be held in a facility with considerably more seating and room for athletes and activity groups.
The project was constructed by Nabholz Construction. Hight Jackson Associates served as the architecture firm responsible for designing the facility.
The completion of the arena also closes a long chapter for the school’s former gym. Built in 1961, the previous arena served generations of students and spectators but was limited to 800 seats.
With the new building now open, Paragould High School has a facility that can accommodate larger crowds and provide more dedicated space for its athletic programs.
The ribbon-cutting Wednesday afternoon formally marked the opening of the new arena to the public, giving the Paragould community its first opportunity to see and use the new 61,630-square-foot facility.
