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KANNAPOLIS — Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools hopes to begin construction on a permanent home for Christ the King High School early this fall, according to principal Dr. Dan Dolan. The new Catholic high school, which opened in a temporary location in Mooresville last year, will offer a freshman and sophomore class this fall and then expand to accommodate a junior class in the fall of 2013 when the new building is expected to open.

"Our current facility will more than adequately meet our needs for this year," Dolan said of the building at 753 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy. in Mooresville. He added, "We are all very excited about the new facility. The renderings I have seen show a beautiful building with lots of natural light. We expect it will serve us well as we continue to grow for years to come."

Pictured: This is a possible rendering of what the permanent Christ the King High School will look like when it is completed. Construction is expected to begin sometime this fall, with a projected opening date of the fall of 2013. (Sketch provided by the Diocese of Charlotte)

When classes start on Aug. 22, there will be an anticipated 70 freshmen and sophomores, along with 12 faculty, Dolan said.

Dolan said he anticipates an enrollment of 130 students when the permanent location opens in the fall of 2013. That will include an estimated 60 freshmen, 42 sophomores and 28 juniors.

Site work is already under way at the 100-acre permanent campus, located at 16800 Davidson Hwy. in Kannapolis.

The initial concept was to build an "academic village" of buildings, but following discussions by a building committee comprised of parents and diocesan officials, a construction plan was developed for a 22,000-square-foot, energy-efficient building that could be expanded to accommodate future growth. The school will include 12 classrooms configured in clusters (with four to be finished at a later date), physics and chemistry labs, art classroom with a kiln, cafeteria space with a patio, a chapel and two conference rooms.

The Boudreaux Group of Columbia, S.C., is the architect for the $4 million building, which is expected to take nine months to construct. "The Boudreaux Group has been very attentive to our timeline and sensitive to our budget concerns," Dolan said.

A gymnasium is also being built during the first construction phase. Dolan noted, "The construction of the gymnasium is being made possible by a $1,000,000 donation from an anonymous donor."

Later construction phases would expand the school to suit the needs of the growing community north of Charlotte, according to the master plan developed by the architect, providing for additional classroom space and further amenities.

The school will start out with a capacity for 220 students, and once completed it will be able to house up to 320 students.

Christ the King is the diocese's third high school and the second in the MACS system.

For more information about Christ the King High School, go to www.christthekinghs.com or call Dr. Dan Dolan at 704-799-4400.

— SueAnn Howell, staff writer