The infrastructure of a new Culinary Arts building will soon be constructed on the campus of Escambia County High School in Atmore after the Escambia County Board of Education approved to award the bid to Diversified General Contractors in the amount of $220,000.
Three companies submitted bids for the project, EC Superintendent John Knott said. Capital funds will be used in the project.
Knott said the culinary arts program began this past year as a pre-program and has more than 30 students currently enrolled in it.
“We hired an instructor and started the course work with around 35 students currently enrolled in the program,” Knott said. “We started with basic course work of food preparation institute this year.”
The project, that will around 2,500 square foot and with the dining room, almost 4,000 square foot was modeled after some other local schools that already have an established program.
“The facility will be at Escambia County High School in Atmore,” Knott said. “The one at LBW in Andalusia is about half the size of what we will have. Ours will be modeled like LBW and some of the other Culinary Arts that are in Baldwin County. Gulf Shores has an excellent facility at their school.”
Knott said he expects to move into the Culinary Arts new facility in the fall.
“It will include a full kitchen setup, preparation area, and all of the equipment needed just like you would have in a commercial kitchen,” he said. “As it progresses and the students learn to prepare meals, we will do like other area schools in the Culinary Arts. We will open it up and host events for clubs and for the community.”
Knott said the program will be available to only ECHS students at this time.
“As we develop the program there may be other options available,” Knott said.